Grassroots for some is a flat out, no holds barred party that lasts from Monday morning the week prior to the event through Monday morning, the day after the event. It is solid...and hard work...but for these folks, this is IT. THE experience. I have never been in this category. Not a party gal. There is a style for everyone--and our technique is to hear the music we want without getting nuts about missing stuff, visit with our friends from Corning, Elmira, Tburg and Ithaca, and partake of the fare that is offered--and leave when we feel tired....or sometimes just before we feel tired. And we can weather the whole experience and enjoy it. So, in that vein, we woke up a little later, ate breakfast, sat outside and then got the gumption to get going....just in time for the Chicken Chokers.
The Chokers were excellent. Really on their game. Tight--and the crowd LOVED them...which feed a great performance. It was "who do I know that I would never expect to see at Grassroots" for me as streams of people I like and love found me and we had a little catch up along with sandwiching in some picture taking as the tent was a beautiful venue for pix. It was great. There was a very hot and active clogging man in pressed tan trousers, tapping the whole time. Much of the Old Time Tburg locals were there to take in the show. It was really nice. Much too short.
We heard a bit of the Duks who were very good...and towards the end, a little bit of the Turtle Duks that folks were dancing up a storm to.
Found the buffalo bicycle. Here it is.
Visited with a whole bunch of people...and then it got late.
It wasn't hard to sleep.
All in all. Grassroots this year was one of the better ones. The weather, outside of the downpour on Thursday, was perfect--low humidity, no clouds, cool. The scheduling and programming putting the right people in the right venues was very well done. Though it felt like attendance was down, those that were there were in good spirits without the wild and shaggy thing that happens from about the middle of Saturday afternoon until the end of the weekend. It felt orderly and respectful...not tons of weaving and wavering teens and early twenties zoning out. They were there, but not en masse. And the musicians were all excellent and pushing their personal boundries a bit. We noticed that there was a lot more electronic influence in many of the groups we didn't expect this change. Interestingly good...
We will be buying tickets for next years Grassroots on Valentines Day 2008. Starting the saving...