[jck_strw]

I know we have some Carolina peeps, so I wanted to see if anyone is going. I've been going for the past...6 years? I've gone (and still go) to a lot of music festivals and, overall, this is the best run festival I've ever been to. Super smooth, no hassles, well run, well organized--it's amazing. Merlefest has 6 main stages running for 4 days and very rarely do they fuck something up.

4 days of bluegrass/americana/awesome music in only 23 days. I can't wait.

[jck_strw]

Nobody? I'm shocked.

[weirimpressed]

never heard of it, who is performing?

[jck_strw]

Here's the list. There's always a few special, unannounced guests though. John Paul Jones (of Led Zep fame) is a frequent drop-in to some of the picks. Bob Weir was there 2 years ago. If Jerry were alive (and not touring constantly with the Dead), he'd be at this festival (unannounced I would think, otherwise you'd get hoards of the unwashed showing up). :)

Susana & Timmy Abell
The Alberti Flea Circus
The Avett Brothers
Banknotes
Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan
Buffalo Barfield
Bearfoot
Blue Highway
Roy Book Binder
Laura Boosinger
Alison Brown Quartet with Joe Craven
Sam Bush
The Captain’s Crew
Bob Carlin & Cheick Hamala Diabate
The Carolina Chocolate Drops
The Circuit Riders
T Michael Coleman
The John Cowan Band
Donna The Buffalo
Robert Dotson
Jerry Douglas
Mike Dowling
Ruthie Foster
Terry Garland
Buddy Greene
Mitch Greenhill
George Hamilton IV
George Hamilton V
Levon Helm and the Ramble on the Road with Special Guests
Bob Hill
Tish Hinojosa
Willette Hinton & Family
David Holt
Hot Buttered Rum
Clint Howard Band
Sierra Hull & Highway 111
The Infamous Stringdusters
The InterACTive Theater of Jeff
Phil Jamison
Carl and Kelli Jones
Jorma Kaukonen
The Key City Boys
Jim Lauderdale
Jack Lawrence
Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands
Mark Lippard
Jeff Little
The Local Boys
The Lovell Sisters
The Claire Lynch Band
Bill Mathis
Andy May
Tift Merritt
Cliff Miller
Nashville Bluegrass Band
Tim O'Brien
Ollabelle
Old Crow Medicine Show
Paul Oscher
The Pine Leaf Boys
Polecat Creek
Dirk Powell & Riley Baugus
Missy Raines
Tony Rice
Peter Rowan
Tom Sauber
Scythian
Shana Banana
ShoeFly
Ryan Shupe & The RubberBand
Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder
Joe Smothers
Solas "Reunion" with Karan Casey & John Doyle
Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mtn Boys
Rafe Stefanini & Clelia Stefanini
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
Rodney Sutton
Tut Taylor
Joe Thompson
Happy Traum
Future Traditions
Dan Tyminski Band
Sally Van Meter
Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
Bil VornDick
The Waifs
Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet featuring Bela Fleck, Casey Driessen & Ben Sollee
Doc Watson
Richard Watson
The Waybacks
Charles Welch
Pete Wernick & Flexigrass
Whitetop Mountain Band
The Wilders
Wilkes Acoustic Folk Society
Tony Williamson

[weirimpressed]

whats the address for the festival, cant be that far from the A.

[jck_strw]

What's the A?

It's in Wilkesboro, NC.

http://www.merlefest.org/MerleFestCMS/default.aspx

[weirimpressed]

Atlanta

[paulee]

I live in the Triad region of NC...about an hour from Wilksboro.....

Love some merlefest!!!!!!

[FairTheeWell]

Jct Strw....

This festival will alway remain close to my heart. Lived in NC all my life and now I live in CA. How lucky and fortunate I was to attend this gathering each year and now due to distance and funds I can't go. I was thinking about "stimulating" my need to attend with my "stimulation" package coming in the mail but I believe it will not arrive in time.

Bobby was great at his fesitval a few years ago...

I thought it was great how everyone, mostly old bluegrass folks from Wilkes County, were seated all day just having a ball listening to great music. Come 530p or so a sea of tie-died, long hair freaks stromed the grounds of Wilkes Community College to see Bob and The Waybacks. They were scared as shit! Anywho....a great night and a great closer that evening with many guest and a solid "Rolling Stone."

For everything holy in Gods green earth anyone around the area please go see...true, pure, great, music and a great group of musicians and honest people.