The 2nd Annual International Newgrass Festival took place over three days this weekend (8/20 thru 8/22), and by all accounts it was bigger and better than last year. Obviously word of mouth from last year’s inaugural fans has taken hold and the growth trend is expected to continue. Much to my dismay personal obligations prevented me from attending all 3 days but luckily I got there for the entire Sunday lineup, and it was a doozy.

We arrived to the jazz-infused sounds of Ryan Cavanaugh & No Man’s Land. My first reaction was “Hey, are we at the right festival”? I thought that because the unmistakable influence of John McLaughlin (yes, that John McLaughlin, Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, the one who was burning up the fret board way back in the 70’s and had those unbelievable collaborations with Santana) were filling up the air. However, what McLaughlin did with the guitar, Cavanaugh was doing with the banjo. So apparently the banjo qualified this as newgrass, because the band consisted of Kevin Knapp on electric bass and Byron Larrance on drums. All I know was it was smoking and I thoroughly enjoyed it. And that’s what I’m coming to know about newgrass; there’s something for everyone because so many genres are fused into it. Check these guys out at www.facebook.com/RyanCavanaughNoMansLand.

Next up was the Curtis Burch Band. They had played on a previous day with probably a somewhat different lineup, but were nice and crisp today. It was a nice, full band with 6 players, and the songs were definitely more in tune with what you would generally think of as newgrass. And that makes perfect sense since Dr. Dobro (Burch, for those of you unfamiliar with the title) was a founding member of Newgrass Revival with Sam Bush. So with 2 guitars, a banjo, mandolin, and upright bass filling out the sound, it was newgrass at its’ finest.

Dread Clampitt took the stage next, and upped the energy level a bit right away. It is easy to pick up the country and rock influences in their music, but it’s all delivered via Kyle Ogle’s acoustic guitar and Balder Saunders mandolin. The rhythm section of Kenny Oliverio on bass (both electric and stand up) and John Reinlie keeps things moving along nicely. Sam Bush did a lot of fiddling with these guys, and Curtis Burch added some dobro on a few tunes as well. This was a fine set of music. You can hear some streams at www.myspace.com/dreadclampittmusic. Take advantage of it.

Moving right along we were treated to newcomers Mountain Heart. Another 6-piece band, they pack quite a wallop. Now here we are talking lots of rock influences all played on your typical newgrass instrumentation; mandolin, banjo, upright bass, fiddle, and even some keyboards provided by recent addition Jake Stargell. You could tell he has rock roots (was that AC/DC I heard, bluegrass style?). Plenty of foot tapping Americana music here along with country-influenced ditties and rock/folk covers. The variety is part of why it’s called Newgrass and not Bluegrass. Check out Mountain Heart at  www.myspace.com/mountainheartofficial.

Closing out the festival, as they did last year, was Duckbutter, the blues/rock band festival promoter Kenny Lee and Sam Bush have played in for years. With a rhythm section of Byron House (currently touring with Robert Plant’s Band of Joy) and Jeff Jones on drums, as well as Reese Wynans on keyboards, the classic rock was flying. I did see them here last year and can say unconditionally it was a better performance this year. Last year seemed like a very informal jam session whereas this year you could just tell things were tighter. 12 year old Nick Williams returned again this year to do “Pride and Joy”, much to the delight of the crowd and band members alike.

So did you miss this again? It’s getting bigger and better each year, so check out www.newgrassfestival.com to see all the bands that played this year. Then check them all out on the web, listen to some streams, and get some of their CDs. If you do you will be ready for next year’s event. Believe me, if you like country, jazz, folk, rock, blues, bluegrass, etc. you will like the International Newgrass Festival. And if you do, then spread the word. It would be great if Bowling Green had an internationally known music festival to call its’ own, now wouldn’t it? 

About the author: 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