When American roots music, most notably from the Appalachian region, took the name bluegrass, the high-pitched vocals of forefather Bill Monroe and the often bleak subject matter inspired the description “that high lonesome sound.”
On Saturday, the at the in Castle Rock celebrated “that higher lonesome sound,” thanks to our legendary altitude. While it wasn’t all high or lonesome, it did showcase some of the best of what our great state’s bluegrass community has to offer.
The all-day festival featured two stages in markedly different settings. The amplified main stage, or “barn” stage, was typical of a fairgrounds event center, with plenty of folding chairs, concessions and little else to fill the expansive space — consequently, the “barn” stage (OK, I admit, itap an educated guess as to the name). The smaller acoustic or “kitchen” stage was an unexpected and delightful departure. With nothing more than some chairs for guests and a simple platform, bands performed sans microphones.
Inspired by living room or front porch picking among friends, the kitchen stage (an uncanny replica of the coffee and doughnuts room in the church basement) provided an intimate opportunity for bands to spotlight their resonant harmonies and share stories, mostly while tuning up between songs. Conifer’s Mountain Holler revealed their chance formation when four guys got together to help out a local bar owner whose previously scheduled band canceled. Boulder’s gals let slip their fondness of whiskey — and that they’re putty for a good train song. The family band Amber Waves harmonized a glorious “Birthday Song” for their banjo and guitar-playing twins’ 16th.
Between the two stages, ten bands played traditional bluegrass from the days of Monroe, progressive bluegrass (traditional tunes with more progressive arrangements), old-time and originals. Within the heavily male-dominated genre, it was satisfying to see the majority of bands with a female member other than the ubiquitous girl-singer backed-up by an all-male band. Heck, these gals added a whole new dimension to breakdowns and brought some of the strongest and certainly most beautiful vocals of the day. Notably, Loose Cannon’s Lisa Astrella sang a Gospel original on the main stage that bounced between sultry and mesmerizing.
Having a festival that showcases the bluegrass music in our Colorado community is a gift to the talented performers and the great folks who live here. Cowboy hats off to Walter Josey (love the red converse) for organizing the event. But, hey, all you folks in promotions need to get the word out even more in the coming years. With all the Colorado bluegrass festivals to sift through, this one deserves a place among them.
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Jackie Lomibao is a Lakewood-based writer and regular contributor to Reverb.
Jennifer Cohen is a Lakewood-based freelance photographer and contributor to Reverb. Check out her .
