The small team in Westport have pulled off yet another successful production, their seventeenth, to continue the high standards of what has been rightly declared as one of the top boutique festivals in Ireland. The weather this year certainly helped to show off this beautiful Mayo town at its best, while the programme was as good as ever.
Pulling off somewhat of a coup, the headlining act was The Kody Norris Show, direct from East Tennessee, currently one of the top bluegrass bands in the US. They certainly cut a dash around town all weekend, clearly loving every minute of their first visit to Ireland (and Europe) and making friends everywhere they went, in their coordinating outfits adorned with tassels & rhinestones. Not only were they dressed in homage to their bluegrass heroes, though, but they also have the musical chops to carry on the tradition. This they did with much humour and aplomb, their newly penned songs (mostly from the pen of Kody himself) demonstrating that they will progress the genre, as well as carry the torch for the traditional material. There has always been an emphasis on old time American (or mountain) music in this festival, and this year was no exception. One of the headliners for the Friday night Town Hall concert was the trio of Austin Derryberry (fiddle) and his wife Courtney (guitar and flatfooting) and Prof Greg Reish (guitar) who are well known exponents of this string band genre, that originated in the late 19th and early 20th century, particularly in the Appalachias. The other headliner that night was Bill & The Belles, a string band trio from Tennessee, who stretch the genre into more pop and jazz territory, much to the appreciation of the sold out venue.
One of the draws of this festival for music lovers is the ancillary programme that runs alongside the (mostly free) day and night time gigs in the pubs. Drawing on their experience of N American festivals, Uri, Tim and Freda have had the foresight to add workshops and allied events to the already extensive choice of gigs. This year included a Square Dance, with tuition for the uninitiated, the Gospel Hour on Sunday morning in the architecturally important Holy Trinity Church, the Red Room Mystery Gig, and two workshops on the Saturday afternoon. The aforementioned Prof Greg Reish, of the Centre for Popular Music in Middle Tennessee State University, is a musicologist and scholar as well as a musician, and gave a fascinating lecture about the restoration of the almost lost tapes of the hugely important old time fiddler, Ed Haley. Austin Derryberry followed this with a workshop on old time fiddle.
In addition to this, punters and musicians alike happily rubbed shoulders all weekend, including impromptu jams on the street and later sessions in the hotels until well into the night.
Sat night’s concert, MC’d expertly again by Kerry Fearon, opened with a too short set from Nashville’s Jacob Groopman & Melody Walker, formerly of Front Country. Melody has become known for her songwriting in particular, and gave her own take on songs that she co-wrote with Molly Tuttle for her Grammy winning album, The Crooked Tree. Fog Holler, another sartorially coordinated foursome, hailing from Portland, Oregon also proved popular tonight and over the weekend with their blend of original edgy bluegrass, their fiddler Lillian Sawyer being particularly impressive. Headliners were, of course, the unforgettable Kody Norris Show, demonstrating why they were voted Entertainer of the Year and Instrumental Group of the Year at SPGMA this year.
Europe was represented, as always by the very accomplished and entertaining Rustic Robots (Czech Rep), Lluis Gomez Bluegrass Quartet (Spain) and Lunch Special (UK). Unfortunately, Lonesome Highway couldn’t get around to seeing all of the acts, which also included the local Rocky Top Stringband, The Pond and the Demolition String Band (US) and Niamh Dunne (Irish folk).
The dates for next year have been announced (June 7-9, 2024) and accommodation books up very early, so put it in your diary and start planning now. You have been warned.
Report & photos by Eilís Boland