mvyradio @ MerleFest 2008 Sunday 5pm I knew that the Sparrow Quartet would have something different to offer the roots music fans of Merlefest. But it was event wilder
mvyradio went On The Road for the Merlefest 2008 presented by Lowe’s and this year’s coverage was bigger and better than ever.
For years, the Wilkes Community College campus station, WSIF-FM, has carried a feed from the various stages and, this year, mvyradio provided the streaming of WSIF-FM all weekend long through "Radio Free MerleFest". And if you missed a performance, we've posted full sets from dozens of artists, pulled from multiple stages. For more information on Merlefest, go to www.Merlefest.org. mvyradio's On the Road adventures are made possible by Friends of mvyradio and, in part, by Scion. Please help us continue our live recording initiatives by becoming a Friend of mvyradio. Please click here to make a donation.
Audio / Video:
(Please do not record and distribute copies of any of these performances. We respect the rights of the artists and festival and ask you to respect our agreement with both parties.)
Avett Brothers
Performance, MerleFest 2008 
Mixed by: Robert Kirk, Treehouse Sound
Sound by: Cliff Miller, SE Systems
Barefoot
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Blue Highway
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Performance 1, MerleFest 2008
Performance 2, MerleFest 2008
Carolina Chocolate Drops with Joe Thompson
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Claire Lynch
Performance 1, MerleFest 2008
David Holt and Laura Boosinger
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Donna the Buffalo
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Happy Traum
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Hot Buttered Rum
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Jack Lawrence and Tony Williamson
Performance, MerleFest 2008
John Cowan
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Jorma Kaukonen
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Jorma Kaukonen and Barry Mitterhoff
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Levon Helm
Performance of 'Got Me A Woman', MerleFest 2008
Lovell Sisters
Performance, MerleFest 2008
MerleFest Blues Showcase
Performance, MerleFest 2008
MerleFest Hillside Album Hour
Performance, MerleFest 2008
MerleFest Songwriting Contest Winners
Performance, MerleFest 2008
MerleFest Sunday Morning Blues
Set 1, MerleFest 2008
Set 2, MerleFest 2008
MerleFest Welcome Home Jam
Performance 1, MerleFest 2008
Performance 2, MerleFest 2008
Mike Dowling
Performance, MerleFest 2008
New Generation Super Jam
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Ollabelle
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Paul Oscher
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Pete Wernick and Flexigrass
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Polecat Creek
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Ralph Stanley
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Roy Bookbinder
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Ryan Shupe
Performance 1, MerleFest 2008
Performance 2, MerleFest 2008
Sam Bush
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Sierra Hull
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Sparrow Quartet
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Stars in My Crown
Performance (Note: Recording starts after performance had started due to power outage and subsequent signal loss), MerleFest 2008
Terry Garland
Performance, MerleFest 2008
The Infamous Stringdusters
Performance, MerleFest 2008
The Waifs
Performance 1, MerleFest 2008
Performance 2, MerleFest 2008
The Waybacks
Performance, MerleFest 2008
The Wilders
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Tift Merritt
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Tim O'Brien
Performance 1, MerleFest 2008
Performance 2, MerleFest 2008
Tish Hinojosa
Performance, MerleFest 2008
Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan
Performance 1, MerleFest 2008
Performance 2, MerleFest 2008
mvyradio's Journal:
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So this journal starts with another journal---that of Frank Burke’s. Frank just snapped my picture out at the front gate, while I held up the pair of 4 Day Merlefest passes I was handing off to him. "It’s for my photo-journal," he told me. Mvyradio had held a "Tell Us In 25 Words Why YOU Should Go To Merlefest" contest, with the several pairs of Grand Prize tickets. When I told Frank he was going to be the recipient of a pair, the Massachusetts resident told me, "My car is pointed South." Gates open at 2:30 for the four day weekend, and Frank was there waiting at 2:15, making sure he and his son won’t miss a minute of all the musical excitement ahead. We’re here and ready too. Our On The Road crew, which includes Gary Guthrie (the man who has recorded 90% of what’s in the mvyradio Archives) and Nick Cortese (mvyradio’s evening DJ), has been here for 24 hours, and everything we can plan for has been put into place. So were just sitting here, in the calm before the storm, waiting for . . . that thing we didn’t plan for! Giving us some help this year, is a host of other characters, which I’ll introduce you to in the entries ahead. For now, I’m chomping on a pork barbeque sandwich, as we wait for things to begin at 3pm. I was walking through the parking lot behind the main stage, headed to the Master Control booth, and there seemed to be an unusual number of folks hanging out in a group. What was so unusual was that it was a strange mix of young and old, milling about as if on a tour or something. Two white vans pulled up, and there was great excitement in the group. That’s not unusual for the backstage parking lot---were these groupies, waiting for Doc Watson or Sam Bush or Levon Helm to emerge? The van doors simultaneously slide open, and out came . . . Banjos! One after another after another. And all the folks who’d been milling about were grabbing instrument cases. The wheels were turning in my head. These folks didn’t look like trail-hardened roadies, waiting to carry equipment to the stage. OH! You know who’s on at 4:15? Pete Wernick’s Jam Camp.
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Dr. Banjo Pete Wernick runs a camp for pickers of all ages, in the week leading up to Merlefest. And the payoff for these folks who’ve spent the week learning how to jump in with a group of folks and play, is to take their turn on the Cabin Stage of Merlefest. The Jam Campers were preceded by Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band, who got the crowd jumping with their high energy set. Folks are flowing into the aisles and we’re off to a great start. So I haven’t even mentioned that we’re in a caboose.
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I had told Nick, on our way down here, "Our set up is in a caboose." When we got to Wilkesboro, I parked on top of the hill overlooking campus, and pointed to the center of the scene, telling Nick, "See that red thing? That’s the caboose." But it wasn’t until we were standing right in front of it did Nick say, "I didn’t realize you meant it was an actual CABOOSE. I thought it was just the name of the building." Yes, we are in an actual, red caboose that once was part of a train. For real. All our On The Road equipment is in here, and we’re running Radio Free Merlefest and the rest of our show, from it. You can see photos on the picture page.
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We’re ready for Day 2 of Merlefest. The Carolina Chocolate Drops are already on the Americana stage. When we got to campus at 9am, they were doing soundcheck---and a crowd had gather just to hear that. Just hearing Rhiannon Giddens sing her mic check, "Onnneeeee, Check Twooooo, Check Check Threeeeeeeeeeee," was worthy of applause from the gathering crowd. We’re looking forward to more from The Waifs, and the appearance of Sam Bush, The Avett Brothers and Doctor Ralph Stanley. Thursday 4pm There was a little lull in the action at Lunchtime, so a couple of us headed over to the Food line, which is right behind the main stage. And because there was no one playing on the Cabin Stage, we took our plates of food and sat on the porch bench. The Waifs were hanging out there too, with their small children in tow. The littlest one, who was probably only three, had pulled a microphone down to his level, and his mom was telling him to sing. "No!" I thought he was shy. "You play bass!" Mom mimed a bass, and he said into the mic "Buy my CD!" We’ve seen some great sets today. Ralph Stanley hopped on stage with Doc Watson. The Lovell Sisters rocked on "Folsom Prison." And The Welcome Home Jam was my first visit with The Waybacks of the weekend. More to come . . . Friday 10am Tonight has been all about forward momentum. After being a little late getting to the stage, Donna The Buffalo put forth a good groove. The Carolina Chocolate Drops continued to win fans over, with a really rootsy set with Joe Thompson. Ruthie Foster was soulful and Sam Bush was transcendent. And the Avett Brothers, well the Avett Brothers are thriving on the anticipation of their late night set. In this early part of the set, their very acoustic, with simple instrumentation, and when they do something impressive, you can actually hear a great collective draw of air as the tens of thousands in the crowd, breathing in, to scream out. Friday 3pm Well, that last entry was cut short by a big bolt of lightning, that knocked out power to our set up, and has brought the festival to a
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standstill. Torrential rain and big jagged bolts in the sky have sent the audience under tents, and the performers off the stage. I sure wouldn’t want to be holding a microphone stand right now. Anyway, I was saying that Tift Merritt was at the autograph tent, which is right outside our caboose. She was perched on top of a folding table, in a sundress and cowboy boots, cheerfully signing autographs and posing for photos. It’s another nice side of Merlefest---the accessibility of the artists. Saturday 1pm The way the sun was bearing down at 11am, you wouldn’t have suspected those dark clouds to be rolling over the ridges just a few hours later, but it looks like were in for some thunder---and I don’t just mean Ricky Skaggs backing band. On the Can’t Miss list today---The Waybacks in the Walker Center, with a surprise set list, Levon Helm tonight, and Tift Merritt this afternoon. Tift already played a set this morning, and just a few minutes ago she was at the autograph t Friday 10:30pm I’ve seen a lot of things get applause at shows, but today was the first time I’ve seen a paper clip get the crowd’s appreciation. The rain was still sprinkling and the wind was still blowing when the Waybacks and John Cowan were on-stage, and Cowan’s lyric sheets got caught up in a breeze. A stage hand was fast with a paper clip, and got the lyrics back up in front of John. Why did he need a lyric sheet? Because, as a surprise, The Waybacks and Friends recreated "Led Zeppelin 2" in its entirety. There aren't enough words to tell you how awesome it was. Especially know how difficult it must have been, to pull off. Even the sound guys got into the act, making sure that the crazy solos panned back and forth from right to left, to create the swirl effect found on the original album. What could have potentially been a real trap, the drum showcase "Moby Dick," turned out to be one of the highlight’s of the show for me, with lead singer James Nash giving the head nod to the dozen players on the stage (including some of the Wilders, Byron House, Pete Wernick and more) to each take a turn at the mini-solo punches originally done by Page, Jones and Bonham. Cowan had the Herculean task of hitting those Robert Plant notes---and to be sure, when it was over, the ovation he received louder than anyone’s (including the paper clip). Saturday 2pm Whooooo. Wearing down. I just heard one of the gang say that he was glad that it’s only a four day festival. We’re all running on fumes (and turkey sandwiches from the chow line). Levon Helm was outstanding last night. There’s a guy who is happy, happy to be alive and making music. I even heard that he doesn’t usually like to sign autographs, but he graciously obliged for our girl Jane. Nick was manning the Radio Free Merlefest board until 2:30am, as the Midnight Jam went on and on into a good night. This morning has been filled with beautiful, gentle gospel tunes, now segueing into the Celtic sounds of Solas. Still to come, some heavy-weights, including Jerry Douglas, Dan Tyminski and Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet, featuring Bela Fleck. Cool! Saturday 6pm Dan Tyminski is on stage now. The Union Station man is debuting some music from his new Dan Tyminski Band release. Though we’re all taking bets about how soon he gets to "Man Of Constant Sorrow." Nick and Larry are winding up cables. Jane is hunting down autographs, Lindsay has taken his last photos, and I’m tip-tap-typing my last entry here. We’re all thinking about a big hot meal, and a soft hotel bed. I’ll say to you what everyone here is saying to each other, "Hope you had a great Merlefest!"