Spring Pickin’ Bluegrass
Blain Picnic Grounds
Blain, PA
Written by Elise Olmstead
Pictures by Appalachian Jamwich
The drive to Blain Picnic Grounds to start our festival season off with Spring Pickin Bluegrass was beautiful and scenic, but definitely out of the way from civilization 
as most of us know it. We were definitely in Pennsylvania Amish country, but the skies were clear and the air was crisp and we couldn’t be happier to get away from our usual hustle and bustle. Taco’s eyes were sparkling with excitement from all the promising trout streams we were passing, and he would crane his neck out the window to get a closer look at the water about every five minutes. The weekend promised to be full of outdoor delights and as we pulled in to be greeted by friendly faces, we knew we were in the right place. We find a campsite right by the water and Taco rushes away to try his luck at catching some trout.
It was dark by the time the tent was set up but I could see the excitement just starting to rise. I could hear the band Mamma Corn playing in the distance, but didn’t get to the stage in time to see them. The fishing was over as the sun went down, being too hard to see the fly, so we took advantage of the lull by wandering around the vendors. Alex, our son, could hardly contain himself since our arrival and I let him loose before I was even done staking the tent. I could see him walking back and forth on the path from the campsites to the well-lit vendor area, bringing a new friend with him each time.
Our tummies were growling since we had abstained from stopping to eat fast food on the way there. We visited Hope at Earthly Essentials, one of our favorite vendors. The hand carved and painted wooden plaques with dancing bears, Jerry’s face, hooping girls and other beautiful themes were stacked against a brightly lit truck with revolving trays holding gemstones. We chatted about looking forward to having her at Mad Tea Party Jam and entered a raffle for a gorgeous $300 wire wrap that Hope had made. We bid adieu and almost made it to the food vendors before we were stopped for conversation again. After a few minutes we were able to squeeze in the question “What do they have to eat up here?” and when we heard Shady Grove Wraps, we scurried off quicker than you could say Chicken Bacon Ranch.
The guys at Shady Grove were friendly and upbeat. We talked a bit about festivals they would be at this summer, including Old Farmer’s Ball, which we were attending as well. We left a stack of magazines for them and ran off to catch some of The Hillbilly Gypsies.
I love the way that The Hillbilly Gypsies gather 
around a single microphone, setting a scene combined with their sound that takes you to an older time. The banjo is the obvious tempo-setter, but the rest of the musicians make sure to show their chops as well. The song “Shucking the corn”, which is an Earl Scruggs tune, has me slapping my knee with its fast fiddlin’ and pickin’. The members put on a smile and a show, the female vocalist leaning into the microphone and pulling back as she stretches the note, ending with a snap of her head and her hips, creating a wonderful inflection to the lyrics. They play their song “Deadly Medley”, named because it can wear out the player’s fingers since it lasts so long, then take a rest for a set break.
We get to wanderin’ off again and take a minute to meet some new people and check on Alex. We tuck him into the back of the Jeep; he had outgrown his tent from last year and the back of the car was warmer anyway. There was a definite nip to the air and we quickly decided to change into pants and hoodies. We pour our first drink of the evening–we’ve been so intoxicated by the fresh country air and the excitement of our first festival of the season that we forgot that it was Friday night and we can indulge in a swig of whiskey!
The Hillbilly Gypsies began their second set with a Grateful Dead classic sing-a-long (are they all sing-a-longs, though?) “I Know You Rider” which had people rushing from whatever they were doing over to the stage. They played some traditional songs that made me feel like a little barefoot country girl at a county fair. I was sure grateful for some grass beneath my toes and some upbeat music to make ‘em tap. Everything about a bluegrass festival makes me feel like spring has sprung!
As late night approached we watched as vendors packed 
up their booth and got ready to party in the barn. The main stage closed after the night’s headlining act and a barn at the other end of the path opened their doors to reveal another stage. The building’s ceilings were low and the stage was a cubby nestled into the very back wall of the barn. Projections sprayed waves of patterns over the ceiling and musicians as late night music goers slowly pour in.
Garcia Grass, a bluegrass band that quite obviously plays acoustic Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia music, was our first late night band to groove to. They don’t just play your easily recognizable dead tunes, but also a great variety of acoustic music from the “Garcia Universe” such as Midnight Moonlight by The New Riders of the Purple Sage. Garcia Grass consists of many members of other bands, like Pappy (banjo) and Dylan (bass) from Cabinet, and Anthony (fiddle) from Hickory Project, but Kris Kehr, the mandolin player, is a Garcia Grass original. Mike Mizwinski, the usual lead vocalist, was missing from the lineup of band members, but they weren’t short staffed on stage as they were joined by a member of Hogmaw and a female flute player. The flute added a great touch of whimsy to their songs and a first time Garcia Grass listener would have never known that members had been mixed and matched! Everyone worked together in complete harmony. We saw Pappy later and thanked him for the great set and for inviting all those talented musicians up with him. He remarked that “That’s what bluegrass is all about, everyone playing together.”
Before The Blind Owl Band comes on I want to grab a hot cup of coffee. I’m not prepared for the chilly experience of camping on a cold night and can’t wait to abandon the cold can of beer and replace it with a warm paper cup. I remember the nights of hoodies zipped to neck and doubling up socks from Werkout, where temperatures were around the same, but that happened back in September! The blanks I drew when making the list of things to pack on Friday were suddenly filling themselves in with “hat”, “scarf”, and “gloves.” It’s nice and warm in the barn, though, so we head back in and I get to dancin’.
The Blind Owl Band hails from Saranac Valley in the Adirondacks. They had a distinct, raw sound full of personality, in contrast to a lot of traditional bluegrass that was featured during the day. The music made me want to pound my feet, like a dirtier, more mischievous Yonder Mountain String Band. The guitar player and banjo player share vocals and the banjo player’s voice actually reminds me of a more gruff Daryl Anger. The flat brim hat wearing bass player switches from stand-up bass to electric bass guitar for different songs, switching up the sound, but seamlessly so. Pappy joined them on stage for a couple of songs after several pleas from the band and audience alike, then they played until 6AM, fulfilling a promise they made earlier to jam until morning. We don’t stay up long enough to see the end of their performance; we cuddle up tight under blankets and fall fast asleep on our slowly deflating mattress (I accidentally grabbed the one with a hole—first festival of the season, am I right?).
Eric rouses early in the morning to go fishing and leaves
me to sleep in the gradually warming sun. I’m awoken by music and the nagging pull of those banjo strings to go to the stage. Alex has already scurried off to play with his friends, so excited in fact that the jeep trunk door is still open and last night’s clothes are thrown over top. I gather myself and grab a banana for my one person picnic.
Mountain Ride continues the theme of bringing friends up to play and invites their friend from Jerry Rigged up to the stage, as well as inviting everyone to jam with them later. Their happy traditional bluegrass is the perfect backdrop to a sunny afternoon.
Still Hand String Band plays their delightful
“jam grass” until three, then Colebrook Road takes the stage. Their precise instrumentals have a traditional feel and remind me fondly of Union Station. The day is shaping to be warm and beautiful and I can’t help but wander while I listen. We go by the water to find Dylan, the bass player of Cabinet, wandering with a fiddle in his hand. “I didn’t know you could play the fiddle!” Taco exclaims. Dylan explains he hasn’t played until he was a young kid, but he thinks he might be able to pick it up. He meanders away stroking the strings.
I’m enjoying the warm sun so much I strip down 
to a tank top and fully embrace its rays. It doesn’t take long, though, for it to get a tiny bit cloudy and chilly again. There are kids on bicycles riding by and I stop by a pavilion where a cigar box guitar workshop is being held. There are few people making their first cigar box guitar out of some beautiful boxes.
Launch Pad consists of three members of Cabinet, Pappy, Mickey, and Dylan. They play “The Pappy Breakdown,” a song written by the mandolin player for Pappy to play on the fiddle, but he plays it just as well with a banjo. You can tell these musicians are all great friends and enjoy jamming out together and creating new songs for each other.
Driftwood comes out of nowhere with a non-traditional sound that stops everyone in their tracks. I can see people start pouring in to see where the impressive female vocals are coming from. The fiddle player sings with a strong, deep voice that reminds me of Elesha Shakour from Warren Haynes Band, and she absolutely tears up the fiddle, making it seem as though the strings would be ripped right off with her passionate strokes. The engaging music has some indie/emo sensibilities that remind me of a Dashboard Confessional song (in his acoustic days), but also enough foot-stomping bluegrass to please any fans of the more traditional sound. By the end of the festival everyone was whispering to each other, “Did you see that band Driftwood?” and in fact, I heard people continue to mention them throughout the next week.
Larry Keel is a favorite of ours and we love to see all the members of The Natural Bridge as well. When we saw their van pulling in we followed like loyal puppies, eager to share a smile and a hug. We spotted Jenny first, then Will Lee, then Mark Shimick, then out comes the legendary, and conspicuously clean-shaven Larry. We chat for a moment then make sure we are front and center at the stage for their set.
They play a song by the late Richie Havens 
“Fighting Prohibition” that brings an air of nostalgia and inspiration. Everyone is milling closer to the stage and the biggest crowd of the weekend is forming. All the band members are smiling and joking with the crowd. Larry announces that they are playing a “Will Lee” song as they break into Bob Dylan’s “Lily of the West.” Will’s raw, passionate voice and the band’s high energy pickin’ creates a version of the song more rousing and exciting than the original. Everyone is entranced by not only Larry’s incredibly fast flat-picking, but also the skill and precision of Mark’s mandolin playing and Will’s banjo picking. Jenny is of course a fan favorite because of her sweet smile and graceful bass playing.
“If you like us, we’re Larry Keel and Natural Bridge,” says Larry. “And if you don’t,” Mark adds, “We’re a String Cheese cover band called Polly-O.” The crowd giggles and Mark winks at Taco. “Taco taught me that one,” he admits. After a short break and incessant yelling from Taco to “Get weird!” the band returns on stage and obliges Taco’s request. Starting with a cover of “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash, everyone is grooving and smiling. 
They really know how to feed off the crowd’s energy and got more excited as we got more excited. “How Can it Be Wrong If It Grows Wild” has us all singing and swaying, the band harmonizing and Jenny’s sweet voice coming through. “It will ease your mind, it will make you smile,” they sing as we all nod in agreement, putting our arms around each other in camaraderie. Larry announces that it’s his wedding anniversary with Jenny tomorrow and we all hoot and holler in celebration. It feels like we are all friends gathering together rather than an audience in front of a stage.
Rumpke Mountain Boys joins the band on stage to everyone’s delight, and continuing the theme of “Getting Weird” they play a long, jamming version of “Lime in the Coconut” that makes us all dance and delight. The set-ender was a great way to introduce Rumpke to the festival and get us ready for their late night set.
After a little chat with Mark backstage, Will, the Keels, and he jump in the van and scoot over to the barn to catch a little of the late night set. Rumpke
Mountain’s Boys’ “Trashgrass” breathes a fresh air of energy over the crowd gathering in the barn. The Keels mingle with friendly fans as the Boys’ tear up their instruments on stage. Their skillful playing seems effortless and passionate, instruments are like limbs to these boys. I shake and jive a little bit, but as soon as Larry and the rest of Natural Bridge has to leave (the Keels need to get to their anniversary vacation!) we engorge ourselves in some Bacon Chicken Ranch fries then head to bed. Everyone talks about how fun the Rumpke Mountain Boys were in the morning and we are not surprised that it was one of the most anticipated sets of the weekend.
Sunday my phone has officially died and I’m ready to have a lazy day. Alex gets in as much playing with his new friends as he can, rushing off early in the morning as soon as he has his campsite packed up. I leisurely pack up our camp as Taco gets his last minute fishing in, it seems everyone has something on their Sunday agenda besides me. I’m just happy to have the upbeat tunes of Big Valley Bluegrass and Tussey mOuntain Moonshiners as I pack. I drink my last beer and make my boys a turkey sandwich before we head out. We unfortunately miss Backwoods Experiment and Hickory Project but hope to catch them again this summer.
It was a great way to start our festival season
andwe all left with smiles on our faces. We made new friends and were united with old, and got a little sunburn and a lot of fresh air in the meantime. We are looking forward to Kind Roots Fest at the same location in July, headlined by Keller Williams and Kung Fu! Thanks Monkeylion Productions, Big Country, Blain Picnic Grounds, and Shady Grove wraps for the plethora of Chicken Bacon Ranch wraps they served us over the weekend. We’ll see you all again soon!
