MerleFest combines best of old and new Americana acts

Lisa Snedeker
Correspondent
Published: April 23, 2008

Americana and bluegrass music fans, listen up. The 21st annual musical event known simply as MerleFest starts Thursday and runs through Sunday on the campus of the Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro.

This year’s lineup includes the second only appearance by Old Crow Medicine Show, an alternative country group made up of five guys who originally caught the ear of Nancy Watson, Doc Watson’s daughter, while playing on the sidewalk in front of Boone Drug in Boone.

That led to their first and only gig at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, which led to a job in Nashville, where all the members of the group now reside. OCMS founder and lead singer Ketch Secor describes the group’s music as not quite bluegrass and not quite old-timey. They are best known for their hit “Wagon Wheel.”

Secor has fond memories of MerleFest that he shared in a telephone interview last year.

“We had one little spot on a side of a side stage and we spent the rest of the weekend playing five sets a day, passing a jug of corn liquor,” Secor reminisced. “We were the last ones to leave with a police escort.”

It should be noted that alcohol and illicit drugs are not allowed on campus, which Secor agreed might be the reason the group was escorted from the premises.

Secor is also no stranger to Rockingham County. He spent part of his formative musical years living off U.S. 220 near Madison for a time as well as in Greensboro a little more than a decade ago before founding OCMS. “Madison is a pretty cool little town,” he said.

In addition to OCMS, this year’s Merlefest lineup includes performances by Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys and Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder.

But it’s the lesser known singers and songwriters such as the Carolina Chocolate Drops, the Waybacks and Tift Merritt that make MerleFest a unique experience.

Nearly 79,412 people from 48 states and eight foreign countries attended last year’s festival that celebrates the music of the late Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson.

More than 50 Americana musical acts are scheduled to perform on more than a half dozen stages over four days. The festival provides a mix of traditional and contemporary roots music and brings together some of the best bluegrass, contemporary acoustic, Celtic, blues, folk, old-time, Cajun, jazz and singer-songwriter musicians including Richard Watson, Merle’s son.

While music permeates the festival, there is also food, crafts, family and children’s activities, including juggling lessons. The Shoppes at MerleFest provide a centrally located shopping village featuring demonstrating artists, vendors, the MerleFest post office, first aid, lost and found and internet access.

For those who would rather play than listen, musicians are welcome to bring their own instruments and pick with Hot Buttered Rum, among others, on the open stage at the Pickin’ Place at various times scheduled throughout the festival. There are also numerous musical and songwriting workshops and contests.

The weather during MerleFest can sometimes be dicey, and this year is no exception. It’s going to be warmer than usual with Thursday promising to be sunny with a high of 79 and comfortable lows throughout the weekend in the mid 50s. Friday calls for a partly cloudy high of 80, while the forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms on Saturday and thunderstorms on Sunday with highs for both days in the mid 70s.

MerleFest, whose primary sponsor is Lowe’s Home Improvement, is more than just a music festival. The regional economic impact reached a new record in 2007 of more than $17,135,741 and proceeds from MerleFest have helped the community college make a number of capital improvements, including the Doc and Merle Watson Theatre, the Eddy Merle Watson Memorial Garden for the Senses and the endowment of student scholarships. Over its first 20 years, MerleFest contributed $8,446,057 to Wilkes Community College.

Following are day-by-day highlights of the festival. For a full performance schedule, visit http://www.merlefest.org.

Thursday

4:40 p.m. The Infamous Stringdusters

6:50 p.m. Blue Highway

8:05 p.m. Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives

9:45 p.m. Old Crow Medicine Show

Friday

4 p.m. Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys

6 p.m. Donna the Buffalo

7:25 p.m. The Carolina Chocolate Drops with Joe Thompson

8:45 p.m. The Sam Bush Band

9:45 p.m. Peter Rowan with Tony Rice

10:15 p.m. Avett Brothers

Saturday

11 a.m. Tift Merritt

1:40 p.m. The Waybacks

2:50 p.m. Rhonda Vincent and the Rage

6:45 p.m. Girls for Merle featuring Alison Brown, Sierra Hull, Laurie Lewis, Claire Lynch, Sally Van Meter, Missy Raines and Rhonda Vincent

7:30 p.m. Docabilly featuring Doc Watson, Sam Bush, T. Michael Coleman, Jack Lawrence, Jeff Little, Buddy Greene and Richard Watson

8:45 p.m. Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder

Sunday

10 a.m. The Spirit of Sunday at Creekside with Doc Watson and the Nashville Bluegrass Band

11:45 a.m. Alison Brown Quartet with Joe Craven and John Doyle

2:30 p.m. Jerry Douglas Band

5:30 p.m. Dan Tyminski Band