Red Wing Roots 2016: Review & Photos

July 8th – 10th, 2016 ~ Mount Solon, VA
Written by Matthew J Hunnicutt
Photos by Milo Farineau

 

Nestled away in Mount Solon VA, in the very heart of the Shenandoah Valley, Red Wing Roots Music Festival is quite possibly the premier Grassroots music festivals the region has to offer. I was lucky enough to be in attendance for this year’s festivities and I’m still reeling from the experience. Join me for a glimpse of the folk, food, and fellowship as The Steel Wheels present the 4th annual Red Wing Roots Music Festival.

 

I don’t feel I risk hyperbole when I say that Red Wing Roots is hands down the best family festival I have ever had the pleasure to attend. Set aside the Brilliant musicianship and world class food and craft vendors, you will be spending a relaxing weekend in the scenic Shenandoah Mountains in the very shadow of one of the East Coast’s many geologically unlikely rock formations, the Natural Chimneys. Vibrantly lit at night and mercifully shady in the day, the Chimneys provide an endless supply of fun and wonder. As do the rejuvenating waters of the cooling creek a mere 50 yards from front row center. Best of all, the festival is located on the lush green lawns of the Natural Chimneys campground, a full service campground complete with permanent and temporary showers and bathrooms, hiking and biking trails, playgrounds, and even an inground swimming pool.

When I arrived Friday afternoon I’ll admit, I was a little worried. There seemed to be kids and families everywhere. This is not something I am used to and I immediately assumed I would be in for a whine heavy snooze fest (as opposed to a wine heavy booze fest). It could not have been further from the truth. I barely had time to make the quick stroll to mainstage and grab a handcrafted brew from South Street Brewery, before I was confronted by the most friendly, polite, and well attired people you could ever want to spend a weekend with. In fact, by the time Anna and Elizabeth hit the Shenandoah Mountain Main Stage to kick off the festivities on Friday afternoon, the park was nearly full of them.

Home to some of the weekend’s most moving and musically mystifying moments, the Shenandoah Mainstage faces a lush green lawn known as the Music Meadow. On the opposite side of Music Meadow lies The Southern Stage. More modest and homey than the Main Stage, the Southern Stage is the designated home of the Sunday morning Steel Wheels Gospel set.

Friday evening felt like a welcome home party to a world long forgotten to me. The Steep Canyon Rangers dazzled a sundrenched crowd with a progressive string ensemble performance delicately balancing on the line of hometown hoedown and sophisticated symphony. Over at the Roots stage, adjacent to an amazing merch hub and South Street Beer Garden, Driftwood filled a huge, shaded, and beautifully adorned music tent with refreshing folk melodies rich with acoustic string and perfectly balanced harmonies.

Jarekus Singleton let his freak flag fly over the Southern Stage with an irresistibly danceable display of his own breed of Southern Blues Funk. Dawes reminded the Main Stage what it means to be an all American touring rock band, sticking together and rocking us out. As Taylor Goldsmith sings “may all your favorite bands stay together”, the the title track of the recently released All Your Favorite Bands, I can’t help but feel the same about all my favorite festivals, a list which Roots is rapidly ascending. Meanwhile, at the Roots Stage, Yarn introduces an eager audience to an Americana Sound both authentic and unique. The Black Lillies Close the night with a blend of Tennessee Country Rock and Appalachian Music.

 

As the sun rousted me from my hammock Saturday morning, I realized I had broken two of the most important rules of safe celebrating. I was extremely dehydrated and hadn’t eaten since breakfast Friday a.m. It’s safe to say I was feeling the burn. This was when I discovered Crazy Cakes. This innovative pancake stand serves every kind of cake you can imagine. From s’mores pancakes with mini marshmallows, gram crackers and chocolate chips, to Cheese burger flapwiches with ground beef and melted cheese cooked right in the flapjack. Look for them on Wolf Street Market in Harrisonburg, VA.  After procuring one of the latter and stopping by Kleen Kanteen’s free water filling station, I made my way down to a shady spot on the bank of the river and proceeded to replenish my body and soul with all that of which it had been deprived. From my picnic spot I could clearly hear Dom Flemons Trio on the Southern stage.

What I couldn’t hear, and what likewise finlay pried me from my moistened perch, was the unassailable force that is The Judy Chops. This upbeat outfit wowed the crowd with their mashups, remixes, and original Mountain Swing tunes. Exhausted from the effort, I decided to take a swing in one of the hammocks provided by Eno, in the shadow of the Chimneys and a stone’s throw from the Main stage where Chris Smithers was seated with his guitar across his knee. His cascading rhythmic fingerpicking style was the perfect backdrop to emotionally involving and deeply intellectual lyrics. I was so comfortable by the end of this set I was inclined to spend the rest of the afternoon in that very spot. Luckily, I was well within earshot and eyesight of the angelic Good Lovelies as they cast their spell on the mesmerised folks at the Southern Stage. As the breeze swayed my body the Lovelies soothed my soul and the pair lulled me into a much needed and stuporous afternoon nap.

Upon resurrection and after a long day of dancing in the sun, I was craving something fresh and hardy so I stopped by Bowl of Good for a Bankok Bowl. Southeast Asian slaw, cilantro, peanuts, spicy thai peanut sauce and chicken all on a bed of rice was exactly what the Dr. ordered.

By the time the Steel Wheels took the mainstage saturday evening I was well fed, well rested, and in the company of nearly everyone on the lot. The music meadow was packed to the gills with loyal Wheels fans and Red Wing family members as the boys wove a tapestry of timeless tales and forgotten folk tunes. J.P. Harris took the Roots Stage back home with the authentic country Style that put Nashville on the map. He Effortlessly channels Hank, Merle, and George like no one i’ve ever seen.

At the Mainstage, The Lone Bellow united in a single melodious voice mixing Folk, Gospel and Rock like only they can. Mountain Heart wrapped the evening with an electrifying stage performance that redefined the boundaries of acoustic music.

Reeling from the music and starving from the movement, I was determined not to repeat my mistake of the previous night.  When the latenight munchies hit, sometimes it’s the simple things you crave the most, and there are few pleasures so simple as a classic grilled cheese. Grilled Cheese Mania goes far beyond the your mom’s grilled cheese, however, and when the munchies struck me at 11pm on Saturday night, Mania’s Triple Lindy with cheddar, colby, monterey jack, spinach, and bacon on a sourdough bread was a welcome twist on an old favorite.

Sunday morning began with a gospel set from the steel wheels. Gentle Gospel Bluegrass favorites filled hearts and air as all reflected on the beautiful weekend behind. As the afternoon sun crept in I sought refuge in the shade of the roots tent and found reminders of a time past. Shenandoah Alley took me back the the good old days of riding around on my dad’s lap in his old yellow datsun, singing along to the Country Gold heros that sparked my love of Country music.

As lunch time rolled around my mouth started to water in anticipation of the walk down the food vendors alley.  Since my misstep Friday afternoon, I had been eating often and eating healthy, but now I decided it was time to really dig into something epic. For this I needed only go as far as Jack Browns, where I had a burger that was just that. The Elvis Burger, with peanut butter, Mayo, and Bacon, lived up to its name. Eating this monstrosity with a side of scrumptious sweet potato fries, I truly felt like a king. In addition to innovative food options, Red Wing Roots also featured a diverse array of creative crafters from all over the region. Although every vendor brought collections displaying expert craftsmanship and creativity, my personal stand out was Katie Did It, a boutique collection of three dimensional stained glass art inspired by nature and music. I highly recommend searching her on Etsy under Katie Did It Glass.

After a browse through the grounds, I mosied on over to the Kinfolk stage to see The Ragged Mountain String Band provide the tunes for Caller Grant Hunnicutt’s old fashioned square dance. Here I was once again reminded of just what a family affair this truly had been. Complete strangers, both young and old, joined hands in dance and fellowship for an uproariously fun time. In fact, when I asked 9 year Old Kiley Bunjo of North Carolina what her favorite part of the weekend had been, she responded immediately and in panting breath fresh from the promenade, “Square Dancing!” pausing only briefly before hurriedly adding “And The Creek!” as a very “close second”.

I soon made my way back to the Southern Stage for an allstar performance by The Wheels and what seemed like members of nearly every other act still in attendance.  Also in attendance was the beautiful and spirited fans that made this experience possible. In fact, by the time Shovels And Rope performed the salutary set at 6:45 Sunday evening,  I would estimate well over half of the full attendees were stage side. S&R’s Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent are South Carolina’s answer to Jack and Meg White. Their stage performance is as invigorating as it is personal. The talented duo took turns on keys, guitar, and percussion, at times performing all three at once.

And there you have it. Another Red Wing Roots Music Festival in the books. Were you there? I sure hope so. If not, I hope you’ll join us next year when we get to do it all over again. I know I will. Until then, keep on Jammin!