MerleFest 2009 enjoyed great weather last weekend in Wilkeboro, NC. More than 70,000 music lovers filled the campus of Wilkes Community College for this festival honoring the memory of Eddy Merle Watson and the musical legacy of Doc Watson and the entire Watson family. This great family oriented event spans generations of music fans. It's great to see the younger generation of performers on stage with some of the legends of Blue Grass traditional music, as well as Blue Grass groups performing the songs of the Rolling Stones, Jimmie Hendrix, and others of diverse genres.
MerleFest honors the memory of Eddy Merle Watson and the musical contributions of Doc, Merle and the entire Watson family. The event started in 1988 and is the biggest fund-raiser for the college.
Over the festival's four days (April 23 - 26) more than 70,000 music fans filled the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro for MerleFest 2009, presented by Lowe's. The weather in western North Carolina felt more like summer than spring, with sunny days and high temperatures in the '80s. One storm blew through on Friday evening, delaying some of the performances for just a few minutes.
"We have had an incredible weekend, with so many dedicated fans taking advantage of the beautiful weather and enjoying a wide range of musical performances," said festival director Ted Hagaman. It's great to see the younger generation of performers on stage with some of the legends of Blue Grass traditional music, as well as Blue Grass groups performing the songs of the Rolling Stones, Jimmie Hendrix, and others of diverse genres.
Performers at MerleFest 2009 included Doc and Richard Watson, Linda Ronstadt with Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Emmylou Harris, Travis Tritt with Jerry Douglas, The Waybacks, The Del McCoury Band, Blue Highway, The Grascals, Dailey & Vincent, Mountain Heart with Tony Rice, Sam Bush, John Cowan, The Waybacks, The Greencards, The Dixie Bee-Liners, The SteelDrivers, Wayne Henderson, The Kruger Brothers, Missy Raines and the New Hip, Sierra Hull and Highway 111, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, The Gibson Brothers, The Duhks, Jim Lauderdale, Ollabelle, Scythian, Pete and Joan Wernick, George Hamilton IV, Polecat Creek, The Lovell Sisters, Bearfoot, The Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, T. Michael Coleman, David Bromberg, Tift Merritt, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, and more.
The legendary Doc Watson performed throughout the weekend including a memorable Docabilly set, featuring Doc and friends applying their style to classic pop tunes.
The Midnight Jam on Saturday, hosted by David Bromberg, featured Angel Band, Bearfoot, Cadillac Sky, The Dixie Bee-Liners, Missy Raines and the New Hip, Spring Creek Bluegrass Band, The SteelDrivers, The Belleville Outfit and Ollabelle, with opening act The Farewell Drifters.
In addition to promoting "traditional-plus" music, a term coined by Doc Watson to describe the wide variety of musical genres and styles celebrated at MerleFest, the festival also featured heritage crafts demonstrations, instrument picking lessons and jam sessions, dancing, instrument contests, and the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. The Shoppes at MerleFest, located in the center of the festival grounds, was a popular area filled with merchandise vendors, the official MerleFest Gift Shop, concessions, and valuable services including an information tent, lost and found, overnight storage, and more. There was also an R&R tent for festival-goers who needed to take a break and escape the heat.
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MerleFest prides itself on creating a family-friendly atmosphere, and a key part of that effort is the Little Pickers area, sponsored by Charlotte and Greensboro Area BURGER KING Restaurants®. The area included a stage with special performances for children, as well as crafts and other activities to add to their enjoyment of the festival.
A significant part of MerleFest's mission is to give back to the community. In that spirit, the outreach program took place on Thursday, with more than 25 of the artists at MerleFest giving performances at local schools, churches and community centers. In addition, on Friday morning, over 3,000 school children from Wilkes and surrounding counties were invited to attend the festival and flooded the event grounds.
MerleFest attracts a lot of eco-conscious attendees, and the organizers are adopting measures to reduce waste and to recycle at high levels. Recycle containers were everywhere, and each reserved seat at the main stage had its own bag for waste. There was VERY little litter to be seen. The program is printed on recycled paper, and boxes at exits encourage attendees to recycle their used programs.
Next year's MerleFest will be held April 29 - May 2, 2010.
For more information on MerleFest visit: http://www.merlefest.org/MerleFestCMS/default.aspx
