6/18/2010
A lot has changed since our last trip. Philip was born on May 27th. Less than a month old and he’s already become the latest victim in our quest across America.
The Bill Monroe Bluegrass Festival is… a bluegrass festival. A big one. In fact, it’s the largest in the US, and held every year in Bean Blossom, Indiana. Well, a bluegrass festival would have to be held in a place called Bean Blossom, wouldn’t it?
After the four hour drive we reached the Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park. (Apparently, Bill Monroe is considered the father of bluegrass.) When we arrived a teenage girl sold us our tickets. She had a nametag that read, “Hello. My name is Hot Legs.” Um… When you’re still wearing braces you might not want to make those kinds of riffs on your nametag. You’re only going to make normal guys feel creepy and creepy guys… do we need to find out?
After we parked, a guy in a golf cart offered to give us a ride up to the outdoor stage. He seemed stoned out of his mind. Laura believes that was just “his look.” We walked.
Ok. The festival. The musicians were awesome. Laura and I know nothing about bluegrass (Daniel and Philip know even less), but they were great performances. It was a very relaxing evening, sitting on folding chairs in the grass, drinking overpriced lemonade and listening to some good tunes.
We got the feeling the acts were well-known to bluegrass aficionados and in between each song the performers spoke in solemn tones about the late Bill Monroe – sentiments that seemed well-appreciated by the audience.
There were a few stands hawking the usual junk, but they were pushed to the back and mostly ignored. It’s very clear that this festival is still all about the music. A lot of fun to listen to – and even more fun watching Daniel tap his feet to the beat.
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