We're off on another weekend of festival fun. This is our second year at Mineral Springs "Foot Stomping Festival" in Stafford Springs CT.
We had a great time last year and the weather looks good for another fine weekend with nice warm temperatures at night. One cool thing about this festival is we camp by the frog pond. I cannot believe how loud and low a bull frog can get. I swear they were changing notes to follow the songs we were playing.
frog pond behind Bruce
photos of us on stage by Eileen Anderson
The Old Time Bluegrass Singers
Sadly Elise Laflamme is busy this weekend, so if I blow a bass ending to a song (like I did last year) I sure hope someone steps up and yells "nailed it" (or as I learned this spring, Yoku Yatta a Japanese near equivalent, remember they don't really have sarcasm in Japan).
Lots of friends have bands playing at Mineral Springs as well, and we're looking forward to camping and staying up picking with them.
Hoping to get to Mineral Springs early afternoon to setup and enjoy some leisure time by the pond before we're off to New Haven tonight.
New Haven
First though we're off to New Haven CT Friday night after setting up camp at the festival. There's a Hoedown happening in Bruce's old stomping grounds. Cafe Nine is hosting and there are 3 bands on the lineup (we're first at 9pm). We are going to find us some of that fine New Haven pizza while down there.
Second Cousin Curly
Finally, Second Cousin Curly has posted his final Hot Mustard post. You can find it here. Below is Curly's video. Thanks for the attention Curly!
Cupcakes
And finally, as Curly mentions, we're at the Night of 1000 Cupcakes again this year in Jaffrey NH. It was hot enough to melt cupcakes last time, and it should be fun again.
All of Hot Mustard attended Jennybrook. We weren't in the festival program, but all of us did get involved with a stage performance in some way shape or form.
Weather was perfect this year at Jennybrook, warm sunny and only an hour or so of rain all weekend. The brook was perfect for cooling off after camp setup on Thursday. Seth and Candi Sawyer do a great job with the festival, we've really seen it grow over the years.
Bruce and I were lucky enough to have friends camp nearby; Tex saved us a spot (as our usual area began filling up Wednesday). There were chairs saving the space next to us. Sure enough; Amy, Hans, John and Nelson were there for the space.
Neighbors! Hans' sweet retro camper! (photo by Thomas Sayers)
They were worried about being loud and rowdy; but if you join in there are no problems! Luckily the rules were spelled out.
how could I forget this from the Hans Camp? (photo by Marla Singleton)
Check our Marla's Photos, she and her family travel to lots of bluegrass festivals and takes some great shots!
I was up all three nights until I could hear birds singing. Many others watched sunrises.
All this late night business is tiring, so it's good to be able to nap during the day.
This was JD Crowe's last New England date, he's calling it quits.
We were sure to be front row for his sets.
We got to hang with the Armisteads and the TN Mafia Jug band again at Jennybrook. Mike is responsible for many of our super cool posters; and he's an all around great guy. We're hoping to setup a showcase with him in TN this fall during IBMA
Mike, Leroy and Lester (photo by Marla)
At 4am Saturday morning, the all girl band The Boom Chicks signed up for the Grass Seeds Gazebo stage. This is a band competition encouraging all forms of bands to sign up and play for a chance to get a main stage spot on Sunday morning. I think it was Saturday late morning when I heard about it.
The Boom Chicks formed at Thomas Point Beach last fall. An all girl band, we decided to do a guerrilla set on the main stage at 2am Monday morning (the stage is cleared of equipment). We worked up 8 songs or so, and headed over. Soon a small crowd drawn by the natural amphitheater sound to the stage. Heckling was encouraged. We got a brief mention in Dick Bowden's assessment of TPB.
We also did one set at the Cantab, and another guerrilla set at Joe Val (2:30 am).
Current lineup of The Boom Chicks: April Jubett, Grace Van't Hof, Elise Laflamme, Laura Orshaw and Kelly Stockwell.
Saturday at Jennybrook we rehashed our material and took the stage. We made the top 3, and then performed again for the judges... and won!
So, at 11am we headed to the main stage for a real set. Not our best hour, we did just fine and had a real good time.
with our trophies and Michelle Canning who runs the stage
(photo by Todd Shattuck)
Bill Jubett was brave enough to join us and play "the villain"
(photo by Marla)
in the Boom Chicks, everyone sings. And, while we don't play like girls, we all throw like girls
(photo by Marla)
We had a blast playing our set. I didn't get the memo about flower print dresses and borrowed the green John Deere Tractor colored dress (thanks Grace!)
Bruce made it to the main stage on Sunday as well as part of Tony Watt's Bluegrass University. Bruce had a few students on Friday; and I think the gang is honing in on a really good formula. Thanks to Seth and Candi for being supportive of it! Teachers at Jennybrook were: Laura Orshaw - fiddle Bruce Stockwell - banjo Mary Maguire - lead & harmony singing Tony Watt - guitar Steve Roy - bass
Bruce rocked out on their set, standing in the same place JD Crowe had stood two days earlier.
photo by Marla
You can read Ted Lehmann's Blog report of all of Jennybrook or just Sunday.
afternoon jam with the CT contingency who were kind enough to save us space across the way
(photo by Robin)
Dick and Bobbi Bowden, Dave Shaw, Tex Orlomoski, Robert Fraker, Bob Mavian along with me and Bruce
All in all, it was a pretty fun filled weekend, playing until 3:30 or 4:30 in the morning, hanging at the campsites, laughing until our sides were sore and enjoying time with friends.
Mineral Springs Foot Stomping Festival is next. Only 40 miles from Worcester; it's affordable ($20 for Saturday) and a lot of fun. This will be Mustard's second year there, my 3rd year going. Bill Goodale who runs it is one of the nicest guys out there.
This was also the first time the four of us travelled in the recently purchased RV (a 2006 Chateau Sport). Determined to leave Wednesday night for CT we left the driveway (requires 2 backups to make the switchback to the road) headed south.
photo by Bill Evans
Bill and April sat in the back dinette, seat belts on, and plastic glasses filled with ice, tonic and probably something else. They played Skip-bo on the way down, a game which involves keeping piles of cards on the table. The wonderful state of the Massachusetts highway system meant their cards were moving all about the table.
We finally pull into the campground at 12:30am, two bunnies ran across our path (well out of our way), Bill starts singing "there's a rabbit in my tread, and he ain't got no head" to uproarious laughter.
Thursday we move to the festival's picking lot, and get ready for our workshop on double banjos and 6pm set (kicking off the festival).
You can read Ted's account of SP on his blog. He and Irene do a great job writing about their bluegrass travels.
Friends started arriving and camping nearby. Tex Orlomoski came in with some scissor jacks to stabilize the camper (thanks Tex!)
We had a fun workshop and there were plenty of folks in the audience for the start of the festival! That night was John Hartford night at the camp site. We stayed up late playing his songs and telling stories.
This is what happens when you have too many banjo players in the band.
All 4 of us have played banjo at one point.
We had our second set on Friday. Warming up behind the stage in-between a camper and a shed had a nice little twister of wind going, eventually blowing my mustard dress up over my head... thankfully the band were the only people in the area. I still recommend the dress, but maybe I should attach some lead lures to the bottom. Mod Cloth dress. Amy Gallatin suggest sewing quarters into the hem!Picture this, but with more wind.....
We hung around until 6pm staying for the cocktail hour that usually happens with our CT gang. I stick with snacks knowing there's a 5 hour drive ahead.
Somewhere in PA we stopped at a super market for dinner and to stock up. We then sat in the parking lot, eating fried chicken and soup; Bruce said it was like some sort of Coens Brothers film.
what to buy for festivals. the can is Pillsbury biscuits.
Sometime around midnight, the heavy rain, single lane because of construction put us in a rest stop for the night. It was pouring! Inches of rain fell. Can't do this in a popup!
The next morning it has stopped raining and we find NEPA! Pull in and wait to find a spot. Danny Stewart meets us, and directs us to an area. I keep driving through the soggy field, until it doesn't go forward, I try reverse; one foot and nothing. We're in mud up to the side step (oh yeah, 15,000 pounds). Within in minutes a guy has put down his beer, got his pickup and a chain and hooks on. I think yeah right, that won't do anything. But he pulls us right out!
Sheepishly we back into a spot and setup for the weekend.
April said she would never show this picture or even take it, she would be embarrassed. I think it's hysterical I did this.
We played two sets at NEPA, both on Saturday. One was on the Traditional Stage after Larry Stephenson and before Smokey Greene; and one on the Progressive Stage after supper break (they are at so many festivals!).
Great responses to both sets, maybe better on the traditional stage. NEPA certainly caters to the younger crowd with their Progressive stage. There were tons of folks in their 20s/30s, not something you see at every bluegrass festival. Everyone was really nice; and it was a fun time. We were tired and turned in early.
On the way back we went north and drove by the Tunkhannock Viaduct which was really cool Phil Zimmerman told us to check it out, and we drove alongside it a few times.
5 hours later we were home. It was a fun trip, no fights (other than my disagreement with a GPS).
I realize that we've now been to Jennybrook since I started this post... I guess more on that later.
Directions:From Keene: Rte 10 North to Gilsum Village. From the Village Store go 2 miles north; turn right onto Baine Way. From Bellows Falls: Rte 123 to East Alstead, Right on Gilsum Mine Rd.go 3.5 miles; turn left onto Baine Way.
Well, our time of leisure is over. After a few months off, time spent rehearsing, plotting, scheming, we're back at it!
----------
Come on out this Sunday afternoon (the Pats will have beaten the Broncos the night before so there's no football conflict) we're at the Firebox in Hartford CT. Show is 5-8pm. Fun format, an hour of the band (us), an hour of your hosts Nick and Joe along with whoever wants to join in, and then another hour of us. They have great food and it's easy to get to, right at I-91 and I-84. All things Facebook, here's the link for the event. The event is free but there is "pass the boot" for the musicians.
Following Saturday we're at the Corner Coffee House in Hadley MA. We're excited about being a part of this music series. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8pm. Tickets are $15
--------
February 3 & 4th we're playing in Alstead NH at the Mole Hill Theater, and recording for our first CD!
We've commissioned the great Mike Armistead of the TN Mafia Jug Band to make us a poster.
Come on out, hoot and holler and get on the recording; hopefully not yelling Martha White.
------------
Next April and Kelly are joining a few other women and playing the Cantab as the Boom Chicks on Tuesday Feb 7th. Should be a fun time!
------------
Hot Mustard returns Feb 12 at the Grafton Tavern Concert series. Sunday at 3pm in the Phelps Barn. This is a great room, $10 per person, free if you stay for dinner!
-------------
Friday night Feb 24th we're at Skunk Hollow Tavern in Hartland VT. Funky little pub; good food and beer. We play 9-12.
-------------
We'll leave you with a big happy birthday to Earl Scruggs. Here's Bruce and Earl from 1972 when Bruce along with the Green Mountain Boys opened for them in Putney.
