Tug Hill Bluegrass Fest returns

LOWVILLE — Organizers of the Tug Hill Bluegrass Festival were happy last year when the second annual festival doubled its attendance from the previous year by drawing 300 people.

But Shelene Atkinson, who helps to book the music for the festival, dreams of much bigger gains.

"It's a beautiful site for a festival," she said of Maple Ridge Center, a Kentucky-style ranch at 7421 East Road that overlooks the Black River Valley. She said there's room at the center for several thousand people.

If the weather cooperates, the musical lineup Mrs. Atkinson has helped to put together for the third annual festival June 21 should make its attendance numbers grow. The lineup includes national acts David Parmley and Continental Divide and Audie Blaylock and Redline.

Also, local bluegrass fans know that Mrs. Atkinson's band is nothing to shake a banjo at.

The Atkinson Family Band, based in Harrisville, is getting national attention with its CD, "Angels Rejoice," released in March on the MasterShield label out of Virginia. A single from the album, "Friday," has been selected by Prime Cuts of Bluegrass, a radio marketing service that sends radio stations CDs of the best sounds of bluegrass nationwide.

"Friday" tells the story of Jesus's crucifixion from the viewpoint of the workers who nailed him to the cross.

The song was written by John Cadley of Fayetteville, whose band, The Lost Boys, will make its third appearance at the festival.

"The Tug Hill festival is a wonderful mixture of national acts and regional acts," Mr. Cadley said.

He added such small festivals give those regional bands an important outlet. "It's a chance to boost the local music scene," he said. "It gives us a chance to sell our CDs to a wider audience."

The Lost Boys have recorded three CDs. Two have been honored with Syracuse Area Music Awards for best bluegrass recording.

Mr. Cadley has written many songs for established bluegrass artists like Tony Trishka. He said the idea for the song "Friday" came to him as he was driving down the road one day.

"I just had this image of hammer and nails," Mr. Cadley said. "I'm not a Christian writer and I've never written a song like that. But the image was presenting itself as a song. Then I started to ask, "Who was using the hammer and nails?"

The power of the song, Mr. Caldey said, is its contrast. "For the workers, it was just another day of work," he said. "It's the contrast of the mundane activity and the enormous world-changing event they were participating in."

AUDIE BLAYLOCK AND REDLINE

In 2005 and 2006, Audie Blaylock and Redline were nominated for the International Bluegrass Music Association's Emerging Artist of the Year award. Last fall, he was honored at the International Bluegrass Music Awards as a member of Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper. That band was named instrumental group of the year.

The band recently released a single, "Lonesome Weary Heart," which earlier this month was No. 9 on the Sirius Satellite Radio's Bluegrass Countdown.

Mr. Blaylock, speaking from his home in Garrett, Ind., said he started playing guitar when he was 8 years old. He describes the music of Redline as hard-driving traditional bluegrass.

"We also do material that's more modern, but it's all in the way you perform it," he said.

Mr. Blaylock said keeping a fresh spin on bluegrass is essential to attract new audiences.

"If anything stays the same, it won't survive," he said. "Ultimately, the way to survive is to keep getting young people interested in it."

He added that interest in bluegrass also tends to run in cycles. "I think we've seen more young people involved in the past six or seven years," he said, noting many were drawn to the music through the soundtrack of the 2000 movie, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE

Mr. Parmley is a founding member of the internationally acclaimed Bluegrass Cardinals. In 18 years, the Cardinals recorded 15 projects, made appearances at the Grand Ole Opry, the "Ralph Emory Show" and performed at the White House for President, Jimmy Carter. In 1994 Mr. Parmley teamed up with banjo great Scott Vestal to form Continental Divide.

The band became an instant success, claiming IBMA's coveted, "Emerging Artist of the Year" award in 1995.

THE LINDSEY FAMILY

Making a return trip to the festival will be The Lindsey Family, which relocated to Kentucky last year from Remsen, Oneida County. The group is a family band consisting of parents and five children ranging in age from 10 to 16.

"They'll be back up for this event," Mrs. Atkinson said. "They're going to be a show-stopper."

Band member Tammy Lindsey said she's confident the Tug Hill festival will continue to grow. "The setting is ideal with lots of space for families to enjoy the outdoors," she said.

The Lindsey Family's new album, "Shine," released this month, will be available for purchase at the festival.