Each year in the fall for the past 7 or 8 years (I think?) I have headed down to the International Bluegrass Music Association's annual convention called World of Bluegrass. When I first started going, it was in Louisville, KY. More recently it has taken place in Nashville. Although I liked it better in Louisville for multiple reasons, I really enjoy getting to hang out in Nashville. The beginning of the week is a business conference. The awards show is a big deal and it always happens on Thursday night. In Nashville it is held at the historic Ryman Auditorium. This is the home of the original Grand Ole Opry. Then from Friday to Sunday there is Fanfest. The doors are then open to the public and all of the major artists perform at this indoor festival held in the Nashville convention center. IBMA is jokingly referrred to as standing for "I've Been Mostly Awake". The official band showcases go til about 11 or so, then there are the late night showcases hosted by various organizations and companies in some of the convention center's conference rooms. Then there is even later-night jamming -- usually til about 5am. The hotel designates certain floors as "jammimg" floors, and you can just wander the halls all night finding good music being played and sung.
Usually my goal is about 3am each night. If you go to bed earlier than that, you are missing something. Any later, and you're going to be missing something good the next morning.
There is also a trade show that goes on all week and into the Fanfest weekend as well.
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| This is a view of the Ryman Auditorium from the 20th floor of the Rennaisance Hotel |
I have made so many great friends through the years at IBMA. This year Gail and I flew down together and we roomed with my friend Bonnie from Arizona. We laughed when we walked into the room and found out there was only one bed!! But we got a roll-away for Bonnie and Gail and I shared a HUGE King size bed. We had a corner room with the biggest bathroom I have ever seen in a hotel, so it actually worked out great for 3 girls! Bonnie and I had met at IBMA the first year I went and have been great friends ever since. We pretty much only see each other once a year there, but she did fly out for my 40th birthday 3 years ago. I also got to hang out with my friend Tim Kruzic from MD a lot this year, and my good buddy Emory Lester from Canada. Emory is now playing with the band Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa and we had dinner with them the night of the awards show.
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| Me with some of the Appaloosa band on Thursday night at Merchant's Restaurant |
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| The whole crew ready for a good dinner: Keene, Wayne, Gail, Lee, Me, Emory, and Bonnie |
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| I found out that Lee will keep you laughing ALL night! |
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| You can dress us up, but you really can't take us anywhere! |
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| Me and Bon! |
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| What a good looking crew!! |
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| Gail is kicking up her heels! |
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| Kind of dark, but this is the entrance to the Ryman. |
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| This was the John Hartford tribute at the end of the awards show. |
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| This is Lee taking a walk in my shoes at the end of the awards show. He says it takes a real man to do that in the Ryman!! It takes something anyway! |
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| Here's Gail and I being escorted back to the hotel. |
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| This is my artsy photo for the night. It was taken at the 3rd floor bar after the awards show. My feet hurt too bad to keep the shoes on. Lee didn't stretch them out enough for me! |
So it was a great week for some of my favorite people. The Podunk Bluegrass Festival (from right here in East Hartford CT) won event of the year at the Special Awards Luncheon. That's a really big deal!!
Also, The Gibson Brothers won two awards at the Awards Show on Thursday night. They are from upstate New York and are one of my favorite Bluegrass bands -- both musically, and as people. They are just the nicest guys, and they haven't gotten the accolades that they deserve in the past. I was so excited that they won -- I jumped out of my seat and gave them a standing ovation both times. People around me thought I was nuts, but I'm old enough not to care about things like that anymore!
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| I was too busy clapping to take a picture, so I took this off their FB profile. Hope thry don't mind! |
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| This is a group of winners. In the middle is Roger Moss from the Podunk Festival (Event of the year!). On the left is KatieWilson who won the band competition at Podunk this year, and on the right is Gail - who won the songwriter contest at Podunk this year. |
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| A really cute kid playing with one of the members of the US Navy Bluegrass Band (bet you didn't know there was one of those did you?) |
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| Podunk's booth at the trade show. |
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| A vintage Martin : $68,000 The look on Gail's face ... priceless |
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| Bonnie and Tony |
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| Tim and Tony |
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| Gail and Tony |
On Friday night Gail, Tim, Bonnie and I hit Broadway and went to dinner. Nashville is definitely a town of night life! We also did some shopping for cowboy boots, but didn't buy any.
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| Gail finds horses everywhere! |
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| What happens in Nashville........ Do we see a pattern here? |
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| The Ryman at night |
So, somehow I missed taking any pictures on Saturday. We saw a lot of good music at Fanfest and went out for Mexican food. I didn't stay up too late, but from the picture below you can see that the week had caught up with me anyway! I'm getting old! Can't hang like I used too!
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| Me Sunday morning Is it really time to get up??? |
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| Gail at the airport. I think she feels the same way! That's Brian from Podunk behind her. We were all headed back to CT |
Can't wait til next year!!!
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