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!
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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
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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.
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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!
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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!
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Friday night Feb 24th we're at Skunk Hollow Tavern in Hartland VT. Funky little pub; good food and beer. We play 9-12.
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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.
Retired English teacher, Ted writes a thoughtful blog primarily about bluegrass. He and his wife Irene travel the East Coast, have become fast friends with well known artists and advocates in bluegrass.
Bruce is even pictured in the beginning of his 2011 retrospective Photo Retrospective
Chris Jones, from Chris Jones and the Night Drivers as well as a singer, guitar player and songwriter, is also DJ on Sirius XM (why they decided to keep both names for the combined satellite radio I'll never know). AND he's also really funny. I've recently been reading his posts full of suggestions for new bands on Bluegrass Today Chris' page.
Chris Pandolfi who delivered the keynote address at IBMA has a popular blog, Chris is coming from the progressive side of bluegrass; rooted in bluegrass but extending out to larger younger audiences with his band the Stringdusters.
The Murphy Method blog features the whole family's take on various bluegrass events, occasions, happenings. Our friend Casey is a regular here and it's always entertaining.
These are all folks who care deeply about bluegrass, have a good sense of humor and write thoughtfully about the state of our music. Thanks for keeping us informed and amused!
Hot Mustard takes the stage two nights in a row to create our first album. February 3 and 4 (the 4th is Bruce's birthday) at 8pm each night. Cost is $5 donation to Mole Hill Theater at the door.
Dennis Molesky who owns and operates Mole Hill Theater in Alstead NH is kind enough to let us use his place.
By chance on our second gig, we ended up with some recordings by Alan as he recorded audio and video for Railroad House Band.
Hey, look- mandolin player! That's Adam Buchwald. Schedules didn't keep us together but we still keep in touch. He makes guitars at Froggy Bottom Guitars.
What is Mole Hill Theater? Well, in true Yankee tradition; it's a bunch of things at once. A semi retired machine shop, concert hall, performance space, and cool hangout in the middle of nowhere (well, not nowhere, 25 minutes from Keene, 40 minutes from Westminster/Bellows Falls VT).
The stage is set between two giant machine presses (15 feet tall?) painted bright primary colors. There's a pool table, generally pot luck food, bring your own beverages, tables and chairs setup like a coffeeshop and a nice toasty wood stove.
So far every time we've played there it's snowed. I don't expect it to be any different this time.
So, come on out, hoot and holler, be a part of our live recording!
October has come, no more summer festivals. Bruce and I got our last bracelets of the season going to Mass MoCa to see Del and the boys at the Fresh Grass Festival.
We're working on next summer's schedule; and possibly some longer road trips!! Should be a fun time for sure.
Curly has posted his second installment. You can find the text here (I won't try to repost, that didn't work too well). Lets just say the title "All We are Saying is Give Banjos a Chance" is perfect! Second Cousin Curly
Again, can't thank Curly enough for the kind words and interest in our band.
We watched IBMA through friends who were there on all media platforms, XM Radio, Facebook & Twitter. Looked like a good time!
Great to see a tie for banjo player of the year (so.. two banjos is catching on). Congrats to Ron Stewart and Kristen Scott Benson!!
I'll leave you with one more video until next time. We're plotting some recording soon; keep an eye out and maybe you can be in the studio audience, come on down!
Second Cousin Curly came up to us at some point last summer and talked about how much he enjoyed our set at Jenny Brook (after we won the band competition). He asked if he could feature us in on of his series.
At Joe Val this last winter (Feb 2011) he recorded our stage show, and then interviewed us in our room. He asked insightful questions, laughed at our jokes; all this and we weren't even paying him!
Here's the first installment. I'm trying to see if I can just link to his blog, but so far, I don't know how.
Once upon a time, I was walking across the fairgrounds at Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival. It was late in the fest and a maple glazed doughnut and some aspirin was about all I was up for. Then I heard it: a woman’s voice wafting across the field, singing some bluegrass standard in a way that I had only heard on old recordings. You could say that she was belting it out, except her singing had as much color and warmth as it had raw power. I found myself galloping past the concession stands. When I got to where I could see the stage, I discovered Hot Mustard, a group from the frozen north (its members live in New Hampshire and Vermont).
Flash forward a couple of years, and Hot Mustard are going stronger than ever. This summer, they played a number of dates around New England. It’s time that the wider world got to know them, so I’m wrasslin’ up a new series of Ye Olde Performers Showcase featuring this fine quartet. Here’s a quick getting-to-know-you installment that features a performance from last winter’s Joe Val Bluegrass Festival.
If I close my eyes and open my ears, Hot Mustard’s sound is just as natural as a mountain stream or a Stanley Brothers hymn. But when I take a look— dang! Double banjos, rhythm guitar and bass is their default set-up, with Bill Jubett only occasionally trading his banjo for a fiddle. I need hardly point out that this is not your standard bluegrass line-up. Then there is the gender distribution. While a number of the top bluegrass acts are fronted by women, there remains a substantial testosterone imbalance in the genre as a whole. Not so with Hot Mustard, however, which maintains a perfect male/female equilibrium.
The group is, in fact, comprised of two couples. The Stockwells— that would be bassist Kelly and banjoist Bruce Stockwell— have been married for some time, but the Jubetts— lead vocalist April and banjoist/fiddler Bill Jubett— just tied the knot within the last month.
I had the Jubett nuptials in mind when I chose the band’s performance of “Elkhorn Ridge” as the tune to accompany this first showcase installment. April mentions that she listened to a lot of Kate Brislin and Jody Stecher growing up, and I assume she learned “Elkhorn Ridge” from Brislin and Stecher’s fine recording from twenty years ago. As rendered by that duo, this traditional number is an unalloyed paean to flat-out, head-over-heels love. To wit, it contains a verse that consists of just this:
Crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy
Darlin’, I’m crazy about you
The rest of the stanza is AWOL, as if the singer has indeed plum lost his or her mind. Who can argue with that sentiment?
Here’s wishing the newlyweds all the crazy love they can stand. As for the rest of you, check back for more Hot Mustard in the coming weeks.
Yer Pal— Curly
Addendum for the Late Edition: This just in from Richard Hamilton: “Elkhorn Ridge is generally attributed to Oscar Wright, a fiddler/banjo player from Princeton, WV. There are some recordings of his playing available. His version of Elkhorn on banjo looks like it is on Clawhammer Banjo Vol 2. from County.” Thanks, Rich!
I'm sure there will be more pictures to post as they get emailed, shared, posted on Facebook etc. These are the ones that I took, along with Eric Aldrich's picture snagged from the Facebook.
Bruce and I, along with Dick Bowden, two Hobarts, Jesse and Colby both April's brothers, performed the ceremonial music. Candy Gal, Roxanna's Waltz, and then Shave and a Haircut after the kiss (shouting "Jubetts!") and Foggy Mountain Breakdown recessional.
Very cool, very bluegrass. Their vows were filled with love for each other and for their music. Dennis Molesky of the Mole Hill Theater was the JP; and he did a great job.
ceremony: photo by Eric Aldrich
Bill and April Jubett
April and I had our mustard shoes on.
the cake including bride, groom, kayak and dog!
first dance, Bruce Hobart proud papa sings and plays for the newlyweds.
Post dinner music supplied by friends and family; Dick Bowden was emcee and herder of cats for the event and he did a fine job.
sort of dark, and I only had my phone for pictures. stage on the newly made deck (thanks Shawn Griffiths!) Dick Bowden is always recognizable in silhouette by his hat.
flower girls captivated!
All in all, a great bluegrass wedding with a happy ending, unlike all those bluegrass songs about weddings with bad endings. No one had to be drowned.
It's not often bands get to experience a wedding from within!
We're about to go from a band of three last names, Hobart, Jubett and Stockwell to just two last names, Stockwell and Jubett.
From the wedding we played for Pandi and Tim last weekend, after the service before the reception.
We were at a cool spot in Wallingford VT.
Bill and April met each other at Joe Val 7 or 8 years ago. April met Andy Sicard at Banjo Camp North After meeting Andy who is in The Goodtime String Band (formerly the Goodtime Charlies) she got introduced to the rest of the band; one of those members was Bill Jubett. She soon joined the Charlies.
I (kelly) did a brief stint with the Goodtime Charlies, but only having played bass for 6 months, there was no way I could keep up with the immense song list, which included many old time tunes that were so crooked they turned back on themselves.
Below is a picture from The Birch Benders, Bill and April's duo page. Caption from the website says this is from 2006. Aren't they cute?
Soon to be married couple number 2, Bill and April.
Weather report for today is perfect, low humidity, sun and tonight a full moon. Looking forward to the wedding and the picking party afterward.
And to clarify, here's me and Bruce, the other married couple.
Married couple number one, Bruce and Kelly Stockwell
Year of the Labbit: Night of 1000 Cupcakes: "Pipkin's friend Kelly from Hot Mustard invited him to listen to the band play at the Cupcake Festival in Jaffrey NH yesterday. It was a rea..."
Hot Mustard has been invited to play the Jaffrey Cupcake Festival. Yes, Cupcakes! It's our first time although Bill and April have played it before. Temperatures are supposed to be upper 90s, so there will be melty cupcakes.
(I'm hoping to see some Dexter cupcakes like the last picture)
We play off and on in between auctions, raffles and announcements of the winners from 5:30-8:00.
Think there will be a Hot Mustard cupcake? Not sure I'd eat it.
Ossipee Bluegrass Festival July 21-24!
We're really excited about this one! South Hiram Maine, we play the main stage from 2-3pm Friday; then a dunk in the brook (another hot one). Last time we went, we camped near the yellow bulldozer, not sure where we'll be this time.
Here’s the 2011 lineup: The Grammy Nominated Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, The Grammy Nominated Infamous Stringdusters, The Kruger Brothers, Sierra Hull, Red Molly, The Wiyos, The Spinney Brothers, The Hillbenders, The Frank Vignola Quartet, Eilen Jewell, Old Sledge, Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade, GiRL Howdy, Cribstone Bridge, The Bagboys, Wide Open Spaces, Hot Mustard, Local Circus and some more that we will tell you about later!
Wow!
Deerfield Festival July 30th!
Lets blend Bill & April's love of churning white water and kayaks, and Hot Mustard. We're playing at the annual Deerfield Festival to benefit the White Water association.
First I guess I should update you on Jenny Brook. We had a great time, we hosted the Sugar Shack Jam Friday night, and had two sets Saturday. The weather sure didn't co-operate, but it was a pretty full house there anyway. We had fun hanging out with friends, camped near Dave and Shawna, our CT crew, Elise and her smurf tent, Grace & Sam (finally met the infamous Steve Roy who performed all of the Scoobie Doo theme Saturday night on mandolin).
The TN Mafia Jug band brought up Shad Cobb, who was amazing. A violent thunderstorm interrupted the Jug Band's last set; we sat in the rented camper waiting it out. I guess some buildings were hit by lightening and a number of campers felt the tingle of electricity. I decided it was a good idea to get on stage and dance with Lonesome Lester. Not sure there's any video of that, so far I've found one picture. Dick Bowden told me I dance like Elaine Bennis of Seinfeld. That's sort of what I expected.
All in all, it was a lot of fun!
Following Weekend was Mineral Springs in Stafford Springs CT
We had a great time at Mineral Springs Bluegrass Festival. It was the first time there for everyone in the band but me (Kelly). I drove down last year because my friends were playing there. Bruce was working with the brothers and couldn't go. They had The Old Time Bluegrass Singers, Grassroutes and TrueGrass.
Those bands were all there again this year, along with Phil Zimmerman's band Last Fair Deal (who played a lot of the non bluegrass tunes you would hear if my ipod were on shuffle, John Hiatt, Gillian Welch, Bob Dylan etc. They were fun, and Tom had a sweet little button accordion.
We got to camp near the frog pond again, and man can those bullfrogs hit some low notes! We figured out they were mostly in A, though would adjust to the key we were playing in. Here is Bruce in front of the frog pond. I wish I had gotten a picture of our compound, we camped with Tex and Robin Orlomoski, and Phil Zimmerman & Marcia Goodman. Others joined us over the weekend.
Tex was sporting a new guitar from Ebay, it's a pretty sweet Martin.
Eileen Anderson took some nice photos of us onstage.
Looks like we're invited back for next year, and we're looking forward to it! Thanks to Bill Goodale for hiring us (he was the first festival promoter to hire us last year) and to Harry Grant for doing sound. We tried out our new microphone, Audix SCX-25 (lollipop mic bought from Cobra sound who did sound at Strawberry Park). Reviews were great of our sound, we'll keep using it.
We're off to Hancock NH tonight (Thursday July 7th), Keene NH tomorrow (July 8th) at Fritz Fries, Newbury NH Saturday (July 9th), and Greenfield MA Tuesday (July 12). Check our schedule online for details.
