The Curtis Burch band performs at the International Newgrass Festival on 8-22-2009 at Ballance MotoX in Oakland, KY. Photo by Pennman.

The first ever International Bluegrass Festival was held right where Newgrass all began some 35 years ago, in rural Warren County, KY, just north of Bowling Green. The three surviving members of the band “New Grass Revival”, credited for developing the genre, all came together for the event. These seminal members are Sam Bush (the Father of Newgrass), John Cowan (the Voice of Newgrass), and Curtis Burch (Dr. Dobro). They were joined by many other acts over the three-day event, which is a testament to the popularity growth of this once-new, now established art form.

Festival organizer Kenny Lee said he was encouraged by the turnout. He would like to make this an annual event but there are a lot of variables that will go into making that decision. Number one, he would like the 3 founding fathers (Bush, Cowan, and Burch) to return next year. It seemed from the on-stage reactions that the three were agreeable. Also, the financials will need to be analyzed in the near future. But for now, things are looking up. On Saturday (the main day of the festival), the field was nicely filled with blankets and lawn chairs. To my unprofessional eye I would guess 750 to 1,000 people were enjoying the music, food, fresh air, and luckily, the great weather. You couldn’t have hoped for a nicer three days, although some of the campers might have been a little chilly overnight.

As for the music, how could you go wrong? On Friday, the Greencards gave the festival its’ international flavor (2 members are from Australia and one from the UK). Also, established stars The Grascals did a nice set. Several other bands filled out the Friday schedule quite nicely (I heard Cadillac Sky was hot). It was good exposure for some of the lesser known bands and a new listening experience (I am sure) for many in the audience.

Saturday started out with several other goods bands leading up to the stars of the festival. The Curtis Burch Band played a nice long set mid-afternoon. Accompanied by his wife Ruth on guitar and vocals, they played originals and a few old standards too. Burch was also highlighted solo on the dobro, blanketing the audience with deep, rich sounds as he slid his way up and down the neck. It was touch and go for awhile as the John Cowan Band was fighting several travel delays and arrived an hour late. But Burch did not wear out his welcome, covering the gap until the Cowan truck made its’ way up towards the stage.

After a quick as possible breakdown and set-up, Cowan’s band took the stage. It didn’t take long to get into that booming bass and great voice of Cowan. His set was a nice mix of more traditional Newgrass mixed with Newgrass-style rock songs. I particularly enjoyed their rendition of the Moody Blues “Tuesday Afternoon”. The band seemed in great spirits despite the travel ordeal and Cowan told the crowd he’d like to be here all three days next year. That’s a good sign.

Topping off the evening was the Sam Bush Band. But first, Sam got the key to the city from Judge Mike Buchanon in recognition of the local boy’s contributions to Newgrass. With anticipation building, most of the crowd (many from all over the USA) expressed the anxiousness to see Bush play. He did not disappoint. Playing mandolin, guitar, and fiddle, he went through a set that varied from more traditional-leaning Bluegrass to his own brand of more eclectic Newgrass. His sounds are variably rich, frenetic, expansive, and rootsy. His highly competent band both backed him up and occasionally stepped into the spotlight brilliantly.

On Sunday there was more Newgrass to start off the day. I caught some of the Farewell Drifters. These twentyish guys were great and received an encore call from the audience. It was a good look at a fresh, new Newgrass band that should go far. Then the festival shifted gears. Burch sat in on pedal steel with the Michael Gough Group to lay down some blues. Pedal steel does fit in nicely with a blues band. Gough’s vocals and bass playing were strong, and his band energetic.

This set the stage for Duckbutter. Since the early 80’s the boys reunite from time to time to play rock and blues in this band in the Bowling Green, KY area. They were basically just jamming and not very well rehearsed tonight, but the mostly (by now) local crowd were treated to a blast from the past. One note of interest was the introduction of 11 year-old Nick Williams, a local guitar student, who can play Stevie Ray Vaughn with the best of them. It was also interesting to see Bush rock out on guitar after all the Newgrass.

Hopefully this event will be an annual affair and grow bigger each year, both as a draw for Newgrass bands and fans. I’m sure the fans who came this year will spread the word, and if what you read here appeals to you (or people you know), then you can spread the word too. For more info on what went on here go to newgrassfestival.com. I really hope this becomes a Bowling Green tradition.            

The International Newgrass Festival was at Balance MotoX, Oakland, KY on 8/22-23/2009

Pennman bought his first 45 at age nine and has been hooked on rock ever since. He has spent much of his disposable income on music, especially live performances. He writes reviews of the shows he sees and keeps a keen lookout for upcoming shows in or near Bowling Green. He has a BA in Communications, specializing in journalism, and has dabbled in music himself, both as a player and instructor. Find more of Pennman’s work at www.associatedcontent.com/user/165511/pennman.html or visit him at www.myspace.com/pennman_bg or www.facebook.com/pennman