The Big Storm

As I went to sleep last night I was anticipating to wake up to a winter wonderland this morning. But.....NO!! That huge storm heading toward us all but skipped over us and left a little bit of snow and a lot of slush in its wake. All day long we were hearing that we would possibly get a significant snowfall and that I-40 was ground zero for the storm. I guess the operative word there would have been "possibly". Just before turning in I noticed that it was spitting snow, sleeting, raining, snowing big wet flakes, then sleeting, raining, sleeting............you get the idea. Oh, well, I'm sure that there are a lot of local children disappointed today since there isn't a lot of snow. But there are certainly others who are relieved that the weather wasn't too bad. Hopefully, the slushy roads won't freeze tonight. That's so much worse than the snow.
Lots of businesses closed early last night and some may even be closed today. We were looking forward to attending the Hillbilly Ball tonight but it has been postponed to a later date.
If you haven't already noticed take a look at my last post for the latest additions to the lineups for 2010. I still have one more to go and will add it as soon as I get confirmation.
We hope wherever you are that you are warm on this cold day. M

2010 Festival Dates & Bands

As we don't have the website working at the moment, I thought maybe I need to post the dates again for those of you looking for that info.
The dates for JuneFest are June 10-11-12.
The dates for September are 16-17-18.
JuneFest Bands:
JD Crowe
The Travelin' McCourys
Bluegrass Brothers
Paul Williams & The Victory Trio
The Expedition show
Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time
Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain
Barry Scott & Second Wind
Jimbo Whaley & Greenbrier
Jerry Butler & The Blu J's
Balsam Range
Lou Reid & Carolina
The Boxcars
Junior Sisk & Ramblers
September Bands:
Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
Lonesome River Band
Balsam Range
Dailey & Vincent
The Grascals
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
James King Band
Darin & Brooke Aldridge
G-2
Brand New Strings
Paul Williams & The Victory Trio
Jimbo Whaley & Greenbrier
Next Best Thing
Shadow Ridge

Upcoming Local Events

Well, it may be cold and we are currently experiencing a wintry mix. But this is a hot week for bluegrass. We started on Saturday with a show at the Pottery House Cafe in Pigeon Forge (also one of our favorite places to eat). The Early Morning Stringdusters and also Brand New Strings performed for the WDVX blueplate special. There was a large crowd in attendance and the entertainment did not disappoint anybody. It was a beautiful day Saturday anyway and everyone's spirits were lifted even more by the great music.
While there, talk turned to the upcoming Tennessee Shines on Wednesday of this week. This week's lineup includes some great talent. If it isn't sold out, check it out.
And there is another event coming up on Jan. 30.............The Hillbilly Ball at the Knoxville Museum of Art. This will be our first time to go. My big dilemma is what to wear. Any suggestions? We will be sure to take photos and post them on the blog. hmmmmm........I wonder if Joe still has those teeth he wore during his surprise appearance with Rhonda Vincent & The Rage last September.
It's been good hearing from our festivarians lately. Several of you have been calling to check on and make your reservations for camping this year. JuneFest will be here before you know it. It's going to be GREAT! Then not long after that will be our 11th Annual September show. Can you believe it will be the 11th one? If the old barn could talk, I'm sure we would be happily entertained by its tales.
M

Random Thoughts.....................

Well, It's rainy and dreary out but at least it isn't freezing anymore! We've had some really cold weather for our neck of the woods. Hopefully, that's gone for now.
For all of you bluegrass fans, there is music to be heard in our local area. There is the upcoming Tennessee Shines with a good lineup this month (info at wdvx.com) as well as local groups playing in various places. The Leadbetters play regularly at Wild Wings (check the schedule before you go...........I think they play on the first Tuesday each month).
We want to congratulate Darin and Brooke Aldridge on the release of their new cd. There is a cd release concert for that project on this coming Friday night in Shelby, NC. You can find out about that at their website.
Unfortunately, it's a little too cold for outdoor festivals here in East Tennessee right now. But it's not too early to be making reservations for upcoming events. We have JuneFest coming up June 10-11-12 followed by our September 17-18-19 show. I know that seems like a long time from now but it will be here before you know it. And if you are planning to camp with us, you need to get those reservations in soon.
We look forward to seeing you all here this year. I'll try to keep you updated on the happenings here in Kodak. You can also find us on Facebook on our Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Festival fan page.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti at this time.

Website Update

Look for the Dumplin Valley website update soon. Due to technical difficulties, we haven't been able to add to or make changes to it and are in the process of redesigning the entire site. It should be ready in the next few weeks. In the meantime, I will put news on here and on the Facebook page. The website address is: www.dumplinvalleybluegrass.com.

You Can't Always Trust Your GPS

I know some of you have seen the big sign in Sevierville warning you that your GPS is wrong. Well, it was brought to our attention at our last festival that those of you approaching us from the East and traveling West on I-40 may be routed off I-40 at the wrong exit. When you come to Dumplin Valley exit the interstate at #407 no matter which direction you are traveling. That is the quickest and most direct route to get here. We are a short 1 1/2 mile from Highway 66 (the road you will be on after you exit the interstate). When you get off the exit, head toward the McDonald's on the north side of the exit. That is East Dumplin Valley Road and we are at 525 East Dumplin Valley Road. This road runs parallel to I-40 and is easy to navigate. If you have any questions, please call us: 865-397-7942. BUT don't trust that GPS lady if she starts telling you to "turn here" or starts telling you to turn around when you go by the other exit. You want to exit at 407; turn toward the north side of I-40; take the first right (East Dumplin Valley Road); travel 1 1/2 miles and we will be on your left. It's pretty simple. But it won't be if you take the wrong exit.............just ask the Lonesome River Band's bus driver!

New Bands in 2010

In addition to some familiar names in our lineup there are a few that you might not be too familiar with. Let's start with The Boxcars. This is a brand new band made up of Adam Steffey, Ron Stewart, John Bowman, Keith Garrett and Harold Nixon. With talented musicians like these this group is bound to become popluar with all you bluegrassers and JuneFestivarians.
Another band which is fairly new......Brand New Strings.....some of you may already have seen them perform as they were winners of the '09 SPBGMA band competetition. Check them out at www.brandnewstringsband.com. They will be here in Sept.
We also have for the first time this year in the Sept. lineup, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, a wonderful husband and wife team who have recorded some great songs. You can find more info on them at www.darinandbrookealdridge.com.
Jerry Butler has a new band...Jerry Butler and the Blu-J's with a new cd worth checking out.."Haulin' Grass". We're sure you're going to enjoy them at JuneFest. And we always look forward to seeing his #1 fan, Miss Sami :)
You might want to check out G2 on the web at:
www.g2bluegrassband.com. This band comes to us in September all the way from Sweden. And, yes, they are a bluegrass band! Let's make sure we show them what southern hospitality is like :).
The Travelin' McCourys. hmmmm where have we heard that name before?? Oh, yes.........as in Del McCoury......... But Daddy Del won't be part of this ensemble. Here's your chance to see what the boys are up to when Daddy isn't around! Plan on joining us for JuneFest to hear this band.
Last, but certainly not least, we are bringing a familiar name with his band to Dumplin Valley for the first time........Lou Reid & Carolina. Lou has performed here a couple of times with Seldom Scene but this will be his first trip here with his own band. We are certainly looking forward to this. He'll be joining us in JuneFest.
Now that we have filled you in on the new additions to the Dumplin Valley family of musicians, we want to remind you that in addition to the above mentioned groups we are bringing back some of your favorite bands in 2010: June: Bluegrass Brothers; Paul Williams & The Victory Trio; Jimbo Whaley & Greenbrier; The Expedition Show (formerly Williams & Clark Expedition); JD Crowe; Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice; Balsam Range; Barry Scott & Second Wind; Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain (mmmm hope she brings Moon Pies with her again!). September: Rhonda Vincent & The Rage; IIIrd Tyme Out; Dailey & Vincent; The Grascals; Lonesome River Band; Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper; Paul Williams & Victory Trio; Jimbo Whaley & Greenbrier; James King Band.....& if I have left anyone out........sorry......let me know. Several of the bands have new projects in the works. Keep checking back and I will post news here when I get it. Also, check out our Facebook page.
As you can see, the festival season looks to be an exciting one this year at Dumplin Valley. Many camping reservations have already been made so if you are planning to camp with us, please let us know soon.