Got home yesterday from the most fun bluegrass festival I've ever been to...The Honey Creek Bluegrass Festival at the gorgeous Honey Creek Resort on Lake Rathbun in Moravia, Iowa. Made some wonderful new friends (Hi Dave, Mrs. Dave...LOL, I'm embarrassed I can't remember your first name, Jerry, Larry, Mason, Earl, Scott, and Jacob) and some new believers and converts after they played my Yates torified Grand. Thanks to Dave for getting Larry's Yates Skillet Head dialed in and sounding killer. In fact I had so much fun talking and listening to all these guys (and gal) I missed an entire set of Joe Mullins, one of my top five favorite banjo players. Not to worry. I made some great new friends.
Huge kudos to Lori King and the Bluegrass Music Association Of Iowa (BMAI) for putting on the most fun bluegrass fest I've ever attended. Such a beautiful setting with a beautiful facility, great food, and great music. Joe Mullins And The Radio Ramblers, Dale Ann Bradley, and all the other bands were outstanding. I got to attend two fabulous banjo workshops with Joe Mullins and Greg Davis (Dale Ann's banjo player) and took home all kinds of tips to improve my playing.
But the highlight for me was meeting and visiting with my new friends mentioned above, along with attending banjo workshops taught by Joe Mullins and Greg Davis. Simply wonderful people, all. Not sure who enjoyed their playing my torified Grand more, me or them. And Larry's Skillet Head was equally impressive, especially after Dave's tweaking of it. I think Warren just might have gained a couple new customers.
I was so cranked up about everything when I got home I went straight downstairs to my music/recording studio and put to practice all the tips I learned. I just went up the ladder another couple of notches as a banjo player. Will be going back downstairs again in awhile to practice some more. I'll likely be laying down some banjo tracks later this week. Can't wait to use some of the new licks I learned and hear them on a recording.
Thank you all soooooo much for a super time at the fest. Can't wait to see you all again. Take care until...???