In July, Del McCoury began sending out hand rolled parchment invitations to a select group of deserving musical participants to join his DelFest 2018 Bluegrass Congress.

This fall and winter, music fans will have a chance to experience numerous incarnations of the music of Del McCoury and family, the renowned and revered bluegrass master, as he launches his most extensive tour in more than 15 years. The 35-date run will feature a different configuration of the McCoury family each night and includes dates billed as The Del McCoury Band and Del and Dawg, plus shows by The Travelin’ McCourys, which includes sons Ronnie and Rob McCoury.

Horning’s Hideout in beautifully forested North Plains, Oregon kept its tradition this year, hosting the 16th Annual Northwest String Summit on July 13th through the 16th. The long-time festival boasts an eclectic gathering with several event stages, a wide variety of string-instrument bands and features camping, vendor booths, a children’s village, yoga and mindfulness sessions and more.

Sometimes I think I am so full of shit. Ask my wife, and it’s probably safe to drop sometimes I think. But coming to Grey Fox Bluegrass Music Festival, a festival I come to every year, trying to think of a new way to make you, fair reader, understand that it is unlike anything that you have or ever will experience? I am full of shit to think I can do this. But thankfully, this year mother nature is co-writing this review, and she’s writing in the blurry ink of rain.

Delfest is going all out for their 10th Annual Festival lineup with additions including Railroad Earth, Tim O’Brien, The Gibson Brothers, artists at large Sierra Hull, Bryan Sutton, and Billy Strings, and multiple workshops. Delfest takes place over Memorial Day weekend, May 25-28 alongside the Potomac River in scenic Cumberland, MD. Ticket prices go up on March 7th. 

Just announced lineup additions: 

Railroad Earth

Tim O’Brien

The Travelin’ McCourys’ show in Nederland on Friday wasn’t a voracious late night affair fueled with moonshine fumes and guest sit-ins. It wasn’t an improvised, slam-grass stomper. It was five musicians atop their craft advancing in banter and harmonious bluegrass memories while chiding one another between songs like a vaudeville act.

DelFest is excited to be celebrating 10 years of music, family, friends, and fun this year over Memorial Day weeks May 25-28 in Cumberland, MD.  Early Bird Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at a deeply discounted price here: http://bit.ly/2h36WfH On-site RV, Dry RV, Vehicle, and DELuxe packages will

I have a moleskine book I keep in my pocket at concerts. My wife gave it to me as a gift years ago. She always gives the best gifts. This tattered little vestige to my musical history is used solely for notes at concerts I am reviewing. Nothing could better embody who I am, not just as a writer, but as a person. Every time I write in the book, it is a process. I have to take the now stretched out elastic rope off of the book, turn to the page marked with the connected bookmark and pick up where I left off.

Will you be one of the lucky ones? When it’s all over will you be able to say that you were there? That you attended The 2016 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival at the Walsh Farm in Oak Hill, NY? The stories you’ll tell…