The Steel Wheels Presents the Red Wing Roots Music Festival - A Phenomenal Lineup

For the past few years, MyJoogTV alum The Steel Wheels have hosted the Red Wing Roots Music Festival and this year the event is being held July 10th-12th at Natural Chimneys Park in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley Virginia. Each year the lineup rivals many of other local festivals such as Floydfest and 2015 is no exception. The headliners are outstanding, but its the local talent that elevates this lineup and should encourage your participation. First, there's The Steel Wheels, an extremely talented source of roots music and generally great guys. Then there's fellow Virginians or Appalachians Scott Miller, Bryan Elijah Smith & The Wild Hearts, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Sunliner (Travis Book and Sarah Siskind), Missy Raines & The New Hip, Chatham County Line, and Jon Stickley Trio. Then there are the imports such as Eric Lindell, The Brothers Comatose, Cahalen Morrison & Eli West, Billy Strings & Don Julin, Spirit Family Reunion, and Nikki Lane. Oh yea, the headliners. How about Robert Earl Keen featuring his bluegrass band, the Punch Brothers, The Wood Brothers, Elephant Revival, The Travelin’ McCourys, and Sara – Sarah – Aoife (Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan). Pretty impressive. Tickets are reasonable at $129 for three days of great music. The area is also an outdoors man paradise with bike trails, hiking, fishing caverns and local wineries and breweries.

Album Review: Scott Kurt & Down This Road

On the heals of reviewing Austin-based roots rock band Western Youth's latest EP, its time to listen local in a similar vein, this time with Arlington Virginia based Scott Kurt and Down This Road. Kurt is best known around DC as the frontman for the Memphis59 and besides the different vocals - the songs seem somewhat similar to Western Youth's.  Rock'n guitar, the pedal steel, bar songs - what more do you want? Plus each song registers with me. Like Western Youth's Falling Down, we can all relate to Kurt's Last Call and I Swore I Wouldn't - both collaborations with Scott Miller. Being a relatively new father, I understand the message behind My Father's Son.  And ever since my high school days, I've been fond of driving long distances, so I can surely relate to These Four Wheels.  Throw in Rodney Crowell's I Ain't Living Long Like This and I have some background music to help the drive. Cheers.

Beer Review: Starr Hill Brewing Monticello Reserve Ale

Courtesy of Starr Hill Brewing

If you've been to Floydfest or Delfest or Rhythm & Roots, Bonnaroo or any assortment of East Coast festivals, you are probably familiar with the large black, red, and tan(?) star(r) in full display in the beer garden. If you've ever visited Charlottesville Virginia, you may have witnessed a concert sponsored by this brewery. Or been poured one of their beers. Of course I'm referring to Starr Hill Brewing. And, as Master Brewer Mark Thompson once told me, "Music and beer is what Starr Hill does". Ain't that the truth. Nothing like drinking a Starr Hill and listening to Scott Miller or the Hackensaw Boys on the Floydfest Pink Floyd Garden Stage. Another Charlottesville musician, Peyton Tochterman, is also a Starr Hill fan, particularly their Monticello Reserve Ale - which we reviewed on MyJoogTV last year. This seasonal brew is the official beer of Monticello and brewed using ingredients Thomas Jefferson likely used two centuries ago: wheat, corn, and East Kent Goldings hops. And some of the hops were harvested from the Monticello property. The hops are very subtle, adding a citrus element to the sweet honey flavor. As with the colonial style it resembles a cask ale, with the lighter carbonation releasing as the beer warms. This is a fresh, clean beer - only wish they had some available at summer concerts. Cheers.

Floydfest XI - The Confluence of Music and Mountains

Another Floydfest, another short storm, and another long weekend of inspiring music and stories. I was hesitant planning a trip to the Blue Ridge this year, but the Friday night headliners of The Drive-By Truckers and Leftover Salmon were more than enough inducement to plan a road trip. And neither disappointed with the Truckers playing many old favorites - even when sometimes it seems recollection of the lyrics were a bit difficult.  But it didn't matter. Their sound was spot on, they looked relaxed and having fun - and we have Patterson Hood's solo CD Coming soon. Also seen on Friday were the rock n' roll of American Aquarium and Ha Ha Tonka as well as the folk music of Molasses Creek - a group that we saw many of their members the previous week in Ocracoke.

Saturday was geared towards Scott Miller, the former V-Roys leader who has returned to the Commonwealth in order to spead the word of Virginia's greatness - and to run the family farm near Stanton. I love Miller's songwriting, music, humor, mojo, etc - so I made sure I was present for his early start on the Virginia Folklife Stage and in the Pink Floyd Beer Garden. It references an extremely sullen moment, but "Appalachian Refugee" is a must listen. Sandwiched between Miller at both stages were Doug & Telisha Williams, Justin Jones, Morwenna Lasko & Jay Pun, and Chris Thile. Add in Danny Knicely, Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band, David Wax Museum, and Hoots & Hellmouth and its no wonder I never made it to the Dreaming Creek Main Stage all day. Why couldn't I hang for Anders Osborne?

The same held true on Sunday. The culprit was Darrell Scott who was performing at the Virginia Folklife Stage and then the Hill Holler Stage a little later. Also at these stages were Ricky Scaggs (with and without the Kentucky Thunder) and the Steep Canyon Rangers. Add in Glory on the Floor and Yarn in the beer garden and I never ventured to half the grounds all day. Getting back to Scott, he was as weary as us having just arrived from a flight from Scotland. Pretty relevant since his music resonates with the Scots-Irish traditions of the Appalachians. At the folklife stage he described his songwriter process in terms of "Double-Headed Eagle" and "East of Gary". Later we heard these songs and many more on the Hill Holler - showing why A Crooked Road is a must purchase with songs like "A Father's Song", "Long Wide Open Road", and the title track.

Ricky Scaggs was even more moving on the Folklife porch describing his days with Ralph Stanley, meeting Bill Monroe, and the life and times of PeeWee - his historic mandolin once owned by "PeeWee" Lambert of Stanley Brothers fame. Scaggs also talked about how relevant bluegrass music is today, and used Barry Gibbs of the BeeGees as an example. Gibbs appeared with him last weekend in Nashville at the Opry and Ryman and Scaggs is recording one of Gibbs songs on his upcoming CD.

Awesome weekend. Already thinking about next year. Here's Darrell Scott performing "Double-Headed Eagle".

20 Days in November - Day 8: Reckless Kelly

A few weeks back I saw that Reckless Kelly was scheduled to play at the The State Theatre along with Scott Miller and I immediately purchased tickets. I would have made this decision even if Miller was the headliner - but to have both in the same building - a no brainer. I arrived just at showtime and the venue was already full - evidently a lot of people had similar views in waiting to listen to both acts. Miller is touring with Reckless Kelly as a solo act - so The Commonwealth had stayed home. The acoustics at the theater were perfect for him solo, each distinct note was crystal clear - even at the back bar. Miller and I have something in common in the sense that he hails from Augusta County Virginia just like out dog Augusta, who hails from the Augusta County SPCA. Many of his songs reflect living in the region or traveling to neighboring West Virginia. See "Appalachian Refugee" and "Indiana Sin". His best songs: "Drunk Around Town" and "Amtrak Crescent"; most of which are available on For Crying Out Loud and Reconstruction. Highly recommended.

The venue became even more crowded when Reckless Kelly took stage - with a sudden rush to the front. We've been following this band for several years after seeing a fleeting glance of their talent at an Austin City Limits festival. I immediately purchased Under the Table and Above the Sun with "Let's Just Fall", "Nobody's Girl", and "Vancouver" becoming instant favorites. And to my luck - the band performed each one this evening. Reckless Kelly's nucleus are brothers Cody and Willy Braun - Cody on fiddle, harmonica, and mandolin and Willy the singer, songwriter, and as Robert Earl Keen says: "...and hurricane force guitar slinger". The brothers grew up in Idaho, and first played in their fathers swing band with younger brothers Micky and Gary - who eventually formed Micky & the Motorcars. Talking about a musical family; wow - what a musical family. After playing a few years based out of Oregon, Cody and Willy relocated to Austin and have been one of the most popular alt-country bands in the state.

I was expecting this type of sound, but unexpectedly was attending an all out rock concert. And I mean concert. There was no fooling around between songs - as soon as one finished they unleashed into the next. And they can play. Drummer Jay Nazz and Chris Schleke on bass set the background - but at times its David Abeyta on electric guitar that steals the show. The guy is awesome - yet unassuming and no grandstanding. And paired with Willy Braun on electric or acoustic - this was a rock band. Loved it - particularly the extended version of "Helter Skelter". They performed songs from most every album in their portfolio - which made most of the fans surrounding us very happy as they cheered the intro chords after recognizing a favorite. I only recognized one song from their latest CD, Bulletproof - "American Blood" - although I'm sure there were more. But during their encore they did play a song I've heard a few times on satellite radio - the entertaining "Wiggles and Ritalin". And they closed with a rockin' Alejandro Escovedo tune. After an evening of listening to the band - I'm itching for a trip to Austin. Fortunately The Randy Rogers Band comes to town Sunday. Thanks for a great show.

More photos are available at the MyJoog Gallery.