So I was at DelFest this weekend

I like camping. I like music. I like drinking beer. It seems like I should like the music festival scene. But I just got back from DelFest (bluegrass festival), and I have to say, I was less than impressed. With everything, except some of the music.

First, the weather, which was beyond anyone's control. It rained REALLY hard Friday when we driving in. I couldn't see, period. Four ways on, driving at 10 mph on an Interstate, I think there was an 18-wheeler next to me, but I couldn't be sure, because I couldn't see out the windshield. It looked like going through a car wash. So, that made the "camping area" quite swampy. And by camping area, I mean grass parking lot. In the high-traffic areas (particularly the entrance to the music area) was 5" deep of mud. Horrible. Camping conjures up the image of...well, a campsite.

Second, the music. I went to a bluegrass festival expecting, you know, bluegrass. What I got was a tiny bit of bluegrass and a lot of hippie crap, with some rock and roll thrown in. Old Crow Medicine Show? Not bluegrass, sorry, having a mandolin and banjo doesn't mean you play grass. Warren Haynes? Cool, but not bluegrass at all. Yonder Mountain? At least they're kind of bluegrass.

Third, it's a music festival, not a take-as-many-illegal-substances-as-possible-at-once festival. I'll temper that with the fact that yes, I was a little drunk some nights, but there's drunk, and then there's I cannot stand because I'm a berkeleytard and ate shrooms while high AND drunk. Good thing I was taught it's impolite to punch people in the face, or else I would've been doing a lot of that. One guy stumbled up to the soon-to-be Mrs. Twin_Cam and proceeded to tell her how he wanted to make out with her. Keep moving, pal, or you'll find out what it's like to have a mini cooler come across your face at a high rate of speed.

The only good parts of the festival were my friends' band playing in the band competition (though they didn't win), and that the security people didn't care when I brought bottles into the stage area. I only brought beer in bottles, not cans, and didn't have any plastic cups.

So who else would do the festival scene a lot more if it wasn't for the shiny happy people that ruin it?

Yo. Went to Ozzfest a few years back, and it was a mess. Was really cool to see a few bands I wanted to see, but the whole scene turned me off. Epic cash grab if i've ever seen one.

Pasco teen boy accused of fatal stabbing at Redneck Games 15 or so miles from me as the crow flies

Karl La Follette wrote: Pasco teen boy accused of fatal stabbing at Redneck Games 15 or so miles from me as the crow flies

:florida:

more deaths in imagine that houston

http://www.ultimatememorial.com/stories/238781-ktrk-clues-scarce-in-spring-branch-stabbing-death

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7584395.html

Bluegrass/Olde Time music festivals worth checking out:

Merlefest, run by Doc Watson in memory of his late son, Merle

WayneFest, run by Wayne Henderson, the famed luthier.

Also, it looks like you might have missed the good ones. I'm looking at the lineup, and they have a few of my favorite bluegrass bands:
Trampled by Turtles
Daily & Vincent
Punch Brothers (might not be considered bluegrass)
Travelin McCourey's

I have two music festivals within 80 miles of my house, one country, one rock. Both have great bands, and I attend neither. Because of drunk/high shiny happy people.

mtn wrote: Also, it looks like you might have missed the good ones. I'm looking at the lineup, and they have a few of my favorite bluegrass bands: Trampled by Turtles Daily & Vincent Punch Brothers (might not be considered bluegrass) Travelin McCourey's

Saw all of them, in fact. I saw Dailey and Vincent just two weeks ago at the Gettysburg festival, too. They do the same act everywhere, word for word Still entertaining, and damned good pickers.

I like the Turtles, but they had the stage presence of a pile of bricks.

The Punch Brothers were just sick, Chris Thile is a freaking beast. When Del's band was on stage, they invited him up to play a song with them, it was sweet.

One band that I didn't know before that stood out was the Emmitt Nerschi Band. Crazy good.

Ever heard of the Kruger Brothers? Best musicians I've ever heard. Their genre's range from Bluegrass to classical, so some of it might not be your taste, but they are some damn good pickers.