Grey Fox Wrap Up

I've got to admit my experience at Grey Fox was much different than I expected. Sure I thought I'd be camping, seeing great Bluegrass music, and hanging out with a musician or two, but I was completely unprepared for the artist proximity, wonderful atmosphere, and educational opportunities that were constant throughout my time here. All of my interactions with the other campers were genial and laid back, as were most of my interactions with staff. The nearby creek provided welcome relief from the heat while the ever changing weather reminded us that though we are at an amazing festival, we are still outdoors. Nothing is quite like running from a flash rainstorm to find yourself on a large dance floor with an amazing Bluegrass band playing.
The music here surprised me too. Grey Fox is much more than Bluegrass, inviting bands that incorporate all forms of roots music as well as though putting a new spin on old techniques. Every band at Grey Fox was obviously influenced by and versed in Bluegrass, but there were many who used it sparingly, if at all. The crowd didn't mind a bit, cheering wildly after every song and giving every band (well deserved) standing ovations. That energy went straight into the bands, who were glad to return it right back in their music.
Most festivals will take your money an show you some good music, but Grey Fox will give you so much more than just a stage with some bands on it. Here you will camp, meet fun loving festival goers and artists, learn, and experience Bluegrass in all its forms. Grey Fox makes community music about community again, and it is an incredible experience.

Grey Fox Day 3

Madness. Pure, madness.  That was Saturday night, but we'll get there in a bit. Saturday day was filled with intimate sessions with master musicians, strange weather, and great bands.
I started the day up at the Main Stage, seeing the first set of the day by Rocking Acoustic Circus (working on an artist spotlight for them now), before moving down to see Brian Sutton at the Master Stage, playing some of the most incredible acoustic guitar I've ever heard. After his set I interviewed Bill Keith (inventor of melodic banjo playing) about his long career in the music industry and what he's doing now (watch for that interview here and at Performer soon). When we finished our interview I ran over to the Dance Tent to catch a little bit of Crooked Still, which fortunately put me beneath covering when a large rainstorm passed over and dumped buckets on Grey Fox for about five minutes before the sky cleared up innocently and pretended nothing had happened. Now it was the later part of the afternoon, and seeing as the sun was back in full force I quickly sojourned to the creek to relax and freshen up a bit. As I was resting in the deepest part (I was sitting with my head out of the water) a group of campers in their late 20's came down and began throwing rocks at other rocks, talked about being drunk for most of the festival, and laughing about it all. I smiled smugly and was about to experience a smug feeling of smug superiority when I heard someone upstream say "Hey, is that Garrett?" I turned and saw Alex and the band Chasing Blue building a miniature damn about 60 feet. Forgetting my smugness for a second, I went to help build their dam, make damn dam jokes, throw rocks at other rocks, and laugh about it all.
Sam Bush was one of the Big names playing this festival, and the fact that he did a workshop on the Master Stage is really noteworthy. The fact that he was amiable, genuine, and led the crowd in a rousing mandolin cover of Bob Marley's 'One Love' didn't lose him any points either. Afterwords, I noticed he stuck around to shake hands, sign things, and have his picture taken with crowd of fans who were at once elated and blown away to meet this star. Me? I'd never heard of the dude, so I wondered off to find something to eat.
This is where the Madness starts (that's Madness, capital M). The Tim O'brien began playing at 8 45, and his set was awesome. Tim O'brien is a master mandolinist and soulful singer. His songs range from humorous to touching, especially the songs he had written about his father, who passed away last October. As he was playing storm clouds gathered to the North, and heat lightning could be seen among the crowds. The tricky part was that all the lightning took place out of sight of the performers, so they occasionally mistook the "oh"'s and "ah"s coming from the crowd as laughter at their stage banter instead of the sound a huge mass of people makes when they see a 300 foot long lightning bolt emit no sound.
Tim O'brien and his band finished their set to wild applause, played a quick encore and then cleared the stage for the Sam Bush Band. If this festival had a headliner, this was it, and people waited anxiously for 'the King of New Grass". As the band set up, the storm worsened in the background and grew steadily closer, until it was nearly directly over us. This show wasn't going to be very long, but it would be something to remember. As the band began playing lighting flashed continuously behind the stage, punctuating builds and breaks with the most spectacular light show in the world. The wind began to pick up, billowing the giant 'Grey Fox' poster behind the band and gave them the appearance of warrior musicians, playing with and against all the forces of Mother Nature. Unfortunately, Mother Nature herself wanted to do a bit of playing, and after the fourth song or so began giving all of us a cold, perfunctory shower. Actually, it wasn't so much a shower as it was being sprayed with a fire hose. As the stage crew covered the performance area with tarps and the audience scrambled for cover, I grabbed one of the empty folding chairs beside me and made an impromptu umbrella out it. It worked decently well, until I realized that the rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon and that water was starting to soak through it's canvas hied. Running to one of the crowded festival tents, I stood and watched the violent and beautiful display of power happening in the sky around us as drunken, middle aged festival goers complained and got high.
The rain lessened up, but enough to allow Sam Bush to retake the Main Stage, so the next logical step was to go to the only covered stage still operating, the Dance Tent. More Madness. The place was packed with people dancing, drinking, and reveling in general as the band egged it all on. The Wilders were there to party. The guitarist wore a black cowboy hat and sunglasses and had already broken a string when I arrived. After several songs he broke another, looked down at his guitar, and remarked, "Well, looks like I'm down to four strings, and you know what they say when you're playing with four strings." He paused, "Fuck you" and immediately went into the next song. Everyone who stayed late enough to party with The Wilders got an extra surprise when Sam Bush and Tim O'brien arrived with their entourage to join the already raucous hosts. Madness.
When the dance tent finally died down I met up with Alex and Chasing Blue again. He was getting his Resonator Guitar out of his truck when I saw him, and he told me the rain was just about over. Just then, it started pouring again, and we ran over to the large tent where Maggie, Susie, Mike, Trent, and Chad were holed up from the elements. Finding the tent decently waterproof, everyone decided that playing some fast paced Bluegrass would be a fine idea. I can honestly say it was one of the most epic things I have ever seen. The storm billowed the tent back and forth as lighting and thunder roared all around us. I was at the edge of the tent, and could feel the rain (or possibly hail) as it struck our synthetic home. Susie and Mike sang songs of death, drinking and sorrow, their voices belting out against the storm, daring it to push us harder. There was no light but that of the lightning, only silhouettes punctuated electric white by the flashbulb of the Gods. At this moment, life made sense. The storm and band roared at each other, and I smiled.

The Morning After...

Bluegrass Academy for Kids

How Grey Fox is ensuring the future of Bluegrass

Bluegrass is a music with a tradition that goes back generations. Unlike so much music that was born in recent times, it was not born of rebellion but out of the emotions, lives, and music of our ancestors. This tradition is one of the things that makes Bluegrass so special, and the people at Grey Fox want to make sure that it is still present and thriving for future generations to take part in. So they created the 'BGA', a four day camp held during the festival to teach kids the how to play this amazing music.
Led by fiddler Brian Wicklund, the BGA gives 100 kids classes in harmony singing and playing as a band. Instruments are divided and taught by sections, including banjo, guitar, cello, bass, mandolin, and whatever else the kids show up with! The tent housing the camp is right on the main drag of Grey Fox, and festival goers are encouraged to stop by and cheer on the kids. The whole thing culminates with a Main Stage performance on Sunday afternoon, which sounds like a great experience for the kids. I can't wait to see these young pickers in action!

Don't Just Watch

At Grey Fox, learning and playing are as much a part of the experience as seeing great bands.

One of the things that has struck me most about Grey Fox is that the festival is designed less to funnel people to the Big stage to see the Big acts as it is to create a community around the music. It does this by teaching and interacting with the variously intentioned tents and stages set up around camp. The Grass Roots Tent and Slow Jam Tent hold individual sessions for each of the traditional Bluegrass instruments all Friday and Saturday, the Bluegrass Academy for Kids teaches young campers how to play, the Family Fun Stage is constantly filled with children, parents, clowns, and performers. The tents are a place for campers to interact, amateur and pro musicians mingle while kids learn or take their minds off all the grown up stuff happening around them.

Fun times right outside the Famliy Fun Stage

The Dance Stage and Master Stage both feature many of the bands and performers playing on the Main Stage, but provide a different environment for musicians and audience members to interact. The Dance Tent is self explanatory, instead of seating there is a large wooden dance floor, and the music goes late into the night. The Master Stage features the most talented musicians and bands giving one hour concert/workshops. Questions are encouraged, and these sessions can focus on a single instrument, style, or simply giving a great artist a stage to share their knowledge. Today I saw Brian Sutton on the Master Stage playing guitar, there were a few questions, but the crowd really wanted to just hear him play and that's exactly what he did. Several hours later Sam Bush took the Master Stage to talk about Mandolin and his career. Among his topics of discussion were his childhood on a farm, how he 'chops', and being influenced by every style of music. He only played three songs, including a cover of Bob Marley's 'One Love' that had the entire (Bluegrass) audience singing along.

Brian Sutton at the Master Stage

These sessions and workshop help people understand, appreciate, and partake in the music. When Sam Bush goes on the Main Stage in a couple hours there will about 200 people in the audience watching how he chops in his songs. Seeing a band several times in a matter of days works in this way, because each setting is different and lets the audience experience the band in a different way. By the end of the festival fans will have developed a lasting relationship with bands they had never heard of before, and no band or fan can ask for anything more out of a festival. The past two nights I saw Donna the Buffalo, Thursday on the Main Stage and last night in the Dance tent until 2:30 am. This morning I woke up humming one of their tunes, and can guarantee that I will go see them anytime they come to Boston.

Photos by Alex Muri

Who are you at the Festival?

Whether you're single, have a family, or a performer, Grey Fox makes sure you're taken care of


Everyone at a summer music festival is different, and the big trick for organizers is to make sure each one has a good time. At Grey Fox they've been at it for more than 20 years, and at this year's festival I haven't seen a frown yet.

Fans: Camping with hundreds of other Bluegrass fans and seeing a stellar lineup of world famous and locally brilliant musicians is just the start. Fans at Grey Fox can expect to meet many of the musicians at the various workshops and smaller venue events put on around camp. Tents are provided at every venue for those who wish to stay out of the sun or hide when the rain comes. A large selection of vendors sells food, clothing, and just about anything else you could need while camping in upstate NY. Free water is provided at several stations set up around camp, and a creek nearby is a perfect retreat from the heat of the day.

Families: In addition to all the above mentioned benefits, families can take advantage of the Family Fun Stage and Bluegrass Academy for Kids. There are designated "Quite Camping Areas" that are kept quite between 10 pm and 8 am every night, so light sleepers and families can avoid the ruckus of late night jams taking place throughout the other camping areas.

Performers: Have it made. A portion of the farm is designated for Performer and Sponsor camping, and a free buffet (accessible by Performers and Staff only) is provided behind the Main Stage for each meal. Playing at Grey Fox doesn't mean one show for most of the bands here, but two or three in several different formats. The audience at Grey Fox is here for some good music, and bands that put on a show and mention they'll be signing CD's at the merch table are moving stock.          

No matter who you are at Grey Fox, you can be sure you'll have fun and enjoy some amazing music.

Photos by Alex Muri

Complex Simplicity

It's often the simplest of things that touch us the deepest.

*Note: This post is about traditional Bluegrass songwriting. Many modern bands are expanding the Bluegrass genre harmonically with amazing sonic results.*

After several folk songs at one of his concerts, an attendee shouted at Neil Diamond that it "all sounds the same," to which Neil promptly replied, "it's all the same song". This is often a complaint lobbed at folk and roots music, and Bluegrass is no exception. To discover the intricacies of any music takes a basic understanding of it, so in this blog post I'm going to explain Bluegrass harmony, and why it's often simpler than jazz or other styles of modern music. Bluegrass is created using relatively simple chord progressions, moving primarily between the first, fourth, and fifth chords of the key. This does not mean that Bluegrass is simple music or 'dumbed down'', far from it. Bluegrass musicians rely on simple harmonic structures that are rooted in tradition, helping give Bluegrass its signature sound. Players focus their efforts on instrumental virtuosity and playing from the soul instead of trying create a radical new sound to turn heads.
Any person who picks up any instrument will sound different from anyone else who plays the same instrument, and any band that plays any song will play it differently from any other band that has ever played that song. This is an over simplification of the hard work and sweat Bluegrass musicians put into their songs, but it will give you an idea of how this community works.
Bluegrass musicians love playing, when they're not on stage you'll often find them jamming on well known standards in living rooms, on stoops, or, at Grey Fox, outside the tent. The music is a means of self expression, but it is also a community. Players speak more with their instruments than they do with their mouths, many friendships (and bands) started as impromptu jam sessions.
This love is shared by the fans. Bluegrass and Roots music have the most loyal and supportive fan base of any music scene because the fans know what they like, and will give back tenfold when a band delivers. The combination works well, because Bluegrass musicians love playing good music, which is exactly what audiences want to hear. This isn't to say they're not open to the new, bands like Greensky Bluegrass, Crooked Still and the Rocking Acoustic Circus are combining their roots with more contemporary sounds to the delight of Bluegrass crowds. Audiences here like a band that pays homage to its roots, and if they do it well they can expand their sound in any way they see fit.
Bluegrass can build incredibly layered and complex songs on some simple chord progressions, and touch people as deeply as any other style of music. All musicians and writers can learn from this. Instead of adding so many big changes and turns in art, why not focus on the subtleties? The melodies being played and the rhythm of the back up instruments, the clarity of your notes and tone of your voice. Remember, the way your singing the words is often more important than the words your singing.

Photo by Alex Muri

Grey Fox Day 2

I'm sitting in a seat just off the only aisle that cuts the huge mess of camping chairs that is the Main Stage seating. The Del McCoury Band just took the stage to an incredible amount of applause (Del has one many awards and has been playing bluegrass for 50+ years) and people keep giving me funny looks for having a laptop in my lap. I'll admit I do feel pretty out of place when I pull out my computer to type these posts, but c'est la vie. Del just finished his first song, they're awesome!

Del

 After last nights post we witnessed the more contemporary stylings of Donna the Buffalo, the first band yet to have a drumset and electric guitar. They played roots informed music that also drew on elements of blues, psych, and rock, with a fun interplay between their front womans beautiful voice and charm by their front man's mumbly singing and laid back style. Word has it they're playing in the dance tent tonight till 1 am, and I think I might be there. After the Main Stage closed Alex and I headed back to our tent where we found our swedish neighbors having a jam session around a flashlight (fire's aren't allowed). Alex pulled out his bass and sat in with and the neighbors on the other side of the truck for a few songs, it was wonderful.

Alex      

This morning I was awoken by a sudden heat rise inside my tent as the sun came up and promptly turned it into a miniature oven. The early start gave me a chance to dip in the stream before plowing headfirst into the reeds of Bluegrass. I pulled the guitar out of the pickup and headed to the Slow Jam tent, where an hour long slow jam was directed by one of the artists. Songs were kept simple and slow so everyone could play along, and I got the chance to learn a little about Bluegrass guitar in the follow up sessions that focused on each instrument individually.
 Bill  

After putting the guitar back in the truck, I found myself at the Master Stage, just in time to catch some of the banjo picker's session. Bill Keith, Greg Liszt, Mark Cassidy, and Jason Mckendree are masters of the craft, each playing different styles and variations of banjo. Their session gave me a glimpse into the complexity and subtlety of banjo playing, as did Bill Keith's Banjo Playing 101 later in the afternoon. After the banjo player's I the tail end of Tristan Clarridge and Emma Hardin's presentation about how they play cello in two groups that fuse Bluegrass and contemporary styles. Tristan plays in Crooked Still, and Emma plays in the Rocking Acoustic Circus. which I saw play a set at the Master Stage several hours later.
At 7pm the Master Stage featured a showcase of the Berklee Roots music program. They somehow jammed 4 acts into an hour, featuring my friend Alex and several of my classmates playing classic bluegrass and originals of their own. I'm pretty beat right now, and in a little hurry to catch some more of the mainstage acts. The wifi area here is in and out, so I'm trying to make the blog a little more attractive with the limited internet and battery time I have.

Photos by Alex Muir (except the one of him, I shot that, cool angle right?)

Grey Fox Day 1

Hey there! I'm Garrett Frierson and I am your connection to this year's Grey Fox Bluegrass festival. First a little about the festival.
Grey Fox Bluegrass is the premiere bluegrass festival in the Northeast. Each year hundreds of volunteers, musicians, and fans descend on a farm in Oakhill, NY for a four day weekend of camping, relaxing, and bluegrass. It features many of the biggest names in bluegrass and (I'm told) is a hoo-haw of a good time.

Next, a little about me: I'm some dude who lives and works in Boston.

Great! Now that we're all on the same page, let's get started.


The festival didn't start till Thursday, but my trip began sometime last week when I took an impromptu trip to Montreal via Craigslist rideshares, which didn't end up depositing me back in Boston until 10:30 Tuesday morning with no sleep. The next two days are a blur of laundry and internships which somehow ended with me on the couch of my friend and photographer Alex Muri, playing a guitar in a tuning I didn't recognize and packed for a four day camping trip. We packed the truck, cut my hair into half-assed mohawk, and went to bed prepared to leave the next morning.
After a quick 3 hour drive we arrived in Oakhill, NY, about 150 miles North of NY city. Check in was easy and painless, and we soon found ourselves pulling into an unoccupied spot of the large field that, for the next four days, is dedicated to camping, lounging, and all things bluegrass. The camping areas are divided into quiet camping (no noise between 10 pm and 8 am, and the 'Picker's Paradise', where I'm told you can hear jam sessions at nearly any point of the night.
After setting up camp (1 tent and a truck), we ventured out to explore the festival that will be our home for the next 4 days. Besides the rows of tents and campers, there's a section of the farm dedicated to vendors and the smaller stages. As we were walking we came across a band at the 'Family Stage' singing bluegrass and country classics to parents and their kids (they started into a bluegrass rendition of Folsom Prison Blues as we walked away). Further on we found the 'Dance Stage' with its large wooden dance floor before moving on to the rows of vendors selling food, hats, clothes, instruments, and all sorts of other knick knacks for the sunburned festival goers. The Master stage is the most prominent of the smaller stages, featuring great bands in a small venue in a relaxed, open ended format that allows the band and crowd to interact, cut loose, and learn a little bit about each other. The great thing is Master Stage is right along the path we take to get anywhere else here, so no matter where we're going we end up passing (and usually stopping to listen too) some amazing bands playing to a crowd of about 100 or so. Today we had the chance to experience Della Mae, Greensky Bluegrass, and as I was walking to the small wifi area to upload this first posting I was distracted by the incredible Tony Watt & Southwest Expressway.

**Ambiance Break: two teenagers are fighting with tethered glowsticks, the kind you might find at a rave or toyshop. One just got hit in the stomach and fell to the ground, they're all laughing. They're up and... they're gone. Also, a truck with various large hoses and pumps is about 200 feet away, emptying out the port-o-poties.**
Over a small hill to the Northwest of the rest of the festival is the Main Stage, where the big names will be playing all weekend long. The stage is set at the bottom of a curved hill, creating a natural amphitheater on which rows of chairs and tarps have been lade out. Today on the mainstage we witnessed the amazing harmonies and lightning fast picking of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and the amiably uplifting Josh Williams Band. As I write this I'm in the crowd, watching Greensky Bluegrass lay through expansive compostitions that combine bluegrass musicality and dexterity with larger and more complicated song structures.

So far, Grey Fox is turning out to be exactly what it's advertised as: a down to earth, good times bluegrass festival. The best thing about being here is just that, being here. No matter where you are in camp you can hear the sound of people talking, laughing, cheering, and, of course, playing good music. All the bands sound great, and when were not at a stage were mingling with our fellow campers and music enthusiasts. The guys right next us are on vacation from Sweden, and we overheard one of them playing some mean banjo earlier this evening. Alex and I'll pull out our instruments and jam with one of these nights, because that's what you do hear. Informal Jam sessions pop everywhere, there's even a tent dedicated to jamming and teaching people the basics of it! This country is as beautiful as it vast. Huge swaths of sky frame the forests and fields of upstate New York. Clouds and sunlight take their time to reach each other here, and when they finally reach they're low key about the whole affair. Fields lined by trees give ways to shallow streams and moss covered rocks that are much better to look at then to walk across, as I found out during our first trip down to the swimming hole.
So as our first day here at Grey Fox winds down, I find myself limping, sun-burned, and smiling. Just getting out of the city for a few days is a lucky break for me, and a chance to leave the city to camp and spend four days surrounded by amazing music and people is like winning the lottery. I'll update with more pictures and stories soon, with artist interviews and tales of all the workshops, dancing, music, and madness happening here at Grey Fox.

For more information on GreyFox and a complete lineup of this year's artists, check out their website at www.greyfoxbluegrass.com

Check out Della Mae at www.HeyHeyDellaMae.com
Check out Greensky Bluegrass at www.greenskybluegrass.com
Check out the Josh WIlliams Band at www.joshwilliamsmusic.com
Check out Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver at www.doylelawson.com

Photos by Alex Muri