Last night The Bluegrass Experience played a 35th anniversary concert at the Barn in Fearrington. Guitar player Tommy Edwards acted as the concert mc, and he made much of how old the band members are, how many musicians had passed through (or “passed on”), and how long ago they’d started playing together. But, for a bunch of self-proclaimed ancient geezers, they sure had a lot of stamina and energy. The concert started at 8:00, with an audience that seemed to fall in two age groups — those around 70 and those around 50. Not many folks in other age ranges. At 10:45 members of the audience had started creeping home to bed, but the band was still going strong. This is a tribute to their high energy, and not a comment on their wonderful music.
All of the musicians were technically adept, lively, enthusiastic, and engaging. One guest vocalist, Leroy Savage, took bluegrass singing to the next level. Definitely check him out.
And, what can I say? Chatham is the best county around. All those people in the audience whom I’ve seen around for 20+ years, the kids who have grown up, the whole Chatham thing – Orange, Durham, Wake, Alamance, Lee, Johnston – sorry guys, you ain’t got it.
Many Happy Returns 