DELFEST: POSTSCRIPT (Items on The Del McCoury Band, Dierks Bentley, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Trisha Yearwood)

Just got back from the closing night of the first annual Delfest music festival in Cumberland, Maryland...and WOW...WHAT A NIGHT!
I arrived while Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet were cruising through a sweet set with guest Bela Fleck.
'Touched base with Del McCoury and his people, a hard working bunch that spans from Tennessee to Florida to West Virginia to California.
Met up with my bluegrass amigo, Jack Duke, "The Duke of Bluegrass," who'd been doing some extremely heavy lifting on my behalf throughout the festival (appearing on stage more often than not...and filling into emergency public address announcing when needed)...Jack's just one of the best people there is...
Del was about-it's his festival-and was available for everyone. I saw him shake a ton of hands, sign guitars, hats, shirts and...other things. I saw him consent, always with a smile, to be photographed with an endless line of fans. Both while in the signing area with Dierks Bentley (where I noticed Del constantly walking over to the fence to shake hands and, yeah, be photographed with fans, again and again) and backstage, where every request was met with a smile and a friendly consent to be photographed. I especially noted a young man who shaked Del's hand and thanked him for bringing the festival to Cumberland. Those were certainly sentiments I echoed.
I got a kick out of getting to greet Del again after spending an hour with him several days ago and was delighted that he remembered me while shaking my hand...Del has that effect on people, he and his band are the most-awarded ever in bluegrass, but he's a people person extraordinaire-there's no other way to put it.
After my session with Del this past week, I mentioned to Jack the positive impression he'd left on me...I've interviewed/met many of country's biggest, but there was a special feeling after spending time with Del; He leaves a definite, positive impression: He left one of my co-workers (a 23 year old female co-worker, mind you) swooning.
Del's impression is everywhere...a chap who works for another radio station in the area reported the same thing I did after spending time with him...the man's a prince!
Meanwhile, and let me sidebar, here...I couldn't get over how youthful the crowd at Delfest was. Oh, sure, members of Phish and Nickel Creek were appearing at the festival. But the most-enthusiastic "Del-Yeah's!" coming out of the audience were young and I noticed though out the evening a throng of young people (and I'd be lying if I didn't admit that many of these were, um, young women) walking and cheering about the Del-faithful.
At this point, and this meant a lot, the McCoury family came together on stage. They talked about Del's half-century in music, about the music and the reason they were there, on stage, at that moment: Delfest, a collective celebration of what Del McCoury music is all about.
So anyway, time comes to bring on Del and the band...I will admit to stage-fright, but the McCoury people put me at ease, completely. Jack and I strutted out to present the premier bluegrass act in the world and it was great! I've never felt so at comfortable at a show while handling the stage microphone!
...And what a show it was! After working hard the previous two days with long sets at their festival, The Del McCoury Band was as fresh as ever on closing night, pounding out the hits and the harmonies on the Maryland side of the Potomac River under the stare of mountain cliffs that belong to West Virginia.
After the DMB set, Jack and I presided over the drawing for a guitar, generously donated by Collings Guitars that had been signed by all of the artists performing at Delfest. Some signatures were so fresh, I feared buckling up the case in case I'd smear the new Sharpie-signatures adorned on it. Del himself caught sight of the instrument in Jack's hands and realized he needed to apply his John Hancock to it, as a matter of fact...



















So with our first ticket drawing,...WE HAD A WINNER! A young (did I tell you?) woman from Florida (one of at least 38 states represented by visitors to Delfest) won the guitar and was she ever excited!
You wanna get more excited? The Delfest organizers made a huge commitment to the Cumberland area and this raffle was only one example of the mammoth financial tie they made to our community; All proceeds for the guitar raffle (over $4,000, at least) went to the local Union Rescue Mission as well as a similarly-themed project dedicated to rehabilitating members of our community.
So time comes for Dierks Bentley to perform. But this would not be the usual DB set. You see, Dierks wanted to specifically perform with The Del McCoury
Band...and what a set!



















Dierks started with a several hits with a sideman and then continued on with several McCoury sons/band members and then Del joined a rollicking set of his songbook.
The crowd was crazy!
A fitting, perfect cap to the first annual Delfest, which, as Del, told us when the McCoury family came out, would continue in 2009, in Cumberland, Maryland again, at the Allegany County Fairgrounds again with the second annual Delfest!
Hurray! All around...
In the meantime, between now and then...
DMB's new album, "Moneyland," is slated for release on July 8. This song cycle is an ambitious effort, pegged to the plight of the American farmer and the average American who sighs in disgust at the gas pump these days.
Meanwhile, McCoury Music is clicking on all cylinders...
In addition to Del McCoury Band music, there's son Ronnie's children's album (featuring brother Rob and Del), "Little Mo' McCoury," that brings bluegrass to the toddler set....and when Merle Haggard decided it was finally time to put out a bluegrass record, he went to the Del. The result of which is Merle's "The Bluegrass Sessions."
...and did I mention that Del has a box set coming soon? 50 songs from along his career to celebrate his 50-odd years in the business of song? Recording is underway...and the result is on the way...


The Thunder Rolls: You can X out Country Thunder USA concert in Dallas, at least the 2008 edition. Despite headliners like Tim McGraw and Carrie Underwood, ticket sales were too slow to mount the effort this year.

Coda: Here's a Memorial Day message from Trisha Yearwood to which I'd like to add, "Amen..."

Best to you and yours on Memorial Day 2008...