Well, woke up early on Saturday and got some chores and errands done because I had to be ready to roll by 3 PM because Deepwater Bluegrass was going on a ROAD TRIP!!! YAH!!! We actually had a gig that was a WHOLE STATE away from us! It was still in Ohio, but as we are almost at the western corner of the state, this was almost to Pennsylvania at the eastern part of the state!

I packed up all my gear… banjo, and tshirts and CDs and the play list and my audio and video equipment and of course my knitting. (I HAD to finish my other sock you know….) and I was on the road in plenty of time to stop and wash the car! Poor Jessy’s wagon was getting really wintery and yucky with all the salt and such, so I ran it through a fancy car wash and boy, did it look purdy! Can’t wait for my own wagon to be done… sooooon…. soooooooon….

What a good car this has been, let me tell you. We’re in love with her, Jessy calls her Dragon, as in Dragon Wagon. She likes dragons. Old Draggy has been a gem of a car since she came to live with us last summer. Not a lick of trouble at all. Wonderful car.

Well Rob and Clint had just arrived and were sitting in his van listening to bluegrass CDs… imagine that. I had to get out and take a few pictures because I was determined to document this trip. We don’t take that many trips that mean a couple hours in the van and a new place to pick, so I thought I would take you all on the ride with me! The boys don’t mind.

Of course, our tour bus arrived within minutes… HAHAHA

Actually it was kind of funny… I came back over to talk to Clint and Rob and all the sudden the bus driver came over to ask me why I was taking photos. He was very nervous about it, thought I might be reporting him or something. When I just explained I was a goofy scrapbooker and we were in a band and all, he relaxed. We all stood around and talked about his fine ride… it has wi-fi and satellite TV and all on it! I wish we could afford a bus, but this is probably more like a normal bluegrass band bus….

Well, Jeff and Tim arrived and we packed up Jeff’s Journey and off we went down the turnpike! We had a hoot the whole way there as the guys decided to form a fantasy bluegrass band from all the players in the area. That was a good 2 hour discussion with many laughing moments and lots of debate. Apparently we could not decide and then moved on to the national bands. Needless to say, that was even trickier to try and decide among the best of the best. It certainly passed the time.

We made good time and arrived with some to spare so we headed back into town to grab some sandwiches at a local Subway shop. Bluegrass food is so often hot dogs or maybe sloppy joes and such and well, we just not in the mood for that. Plus there wasn’t anyone there yet, so we decided it was a good idea to just get dinner done and out of the way.

It’s pretty amazing that we get 5 adults and 5 instruments and other band gear into Jeff’s SUV. And that include a FULL SIZE DOG HOUSE BASS. Which is really like added another person to the mix, it’s big. But we get it done, which is good because a road trip can quickly eat up the night’s pay with gas and toll fees and such.

The community center was nice, clean and ready to put on a show. Nice big stage, sound was decent, and the people really nice. Too bad there weren’t a lot of them, but that seems to be a norm for bluegrass a lot. It’s sad… these community shows are a lot of fun and good entertainment value. Fun for kids and all ages. Economy seems to be hitting them a bit hard, people are just not spending and going out as much.

They had a nice place for the bands to practice and mingle, and there were a lot of great folks around. Debbie was one of the show promoters and a very nice lady, and of course, Charlie Lape was there and he’s quite the showman and did all the MC work. Nice man. Nice place! We felt right at home and visited with everyone. I even got to meet and hang out with one of my dear bluegrass friends, Jimmie Skinner and his wife Fonda. They’ve been going through some rough times and can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so that was just wonderful to see them both and visit in real time! We talk on the phone and all, email a bit, but being face to face is just wonderful!

Jimmie and the guys got a lot of bluegrass talking in, that’s what we musicians do at these shows. Talk about other bands and other venues and then of course, discuss the sound and the setup and the band’s performances and our instruments and who we say last time and who we’ve seen lately and of course, the latest band gossip and all that. It’s very important you know. Very.

Well, we had a nice two sets and were offered two more gigs from two different promoters there! Wow… never had that happen before. And a third festival is interested in us for 2011. Lots of nice compliments and hardy handshakes. It was really a nice time. We sold the most CDs and shirts that we ever have at a show, which helped, because our cut of the door was slim pickings. Especially after it cost us $18 in toll fees and $30 in gas to get there. The CD sales helped greatly and made up for the book shortcomings. Three bands had to get paid out of the pool, so that’s tough. All in all, we had a great time and that’s what matters most. It’s hard to make a full time living at bluegrass, that’s for sure. I wish more people would come out to support these community shows. It’s such a shame to look out and see only 40 or 50 people at the most. I remember these shows to be packed to the hilt, standing room only, but that just doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. It’s sad.

Well, of course, I have a little video to share of the show and a fun treat… an audio recording of our second set, complete and non-altered. It’s got all the MC fun and chat and all the songs and singing. Something to get a bit of the whole experience of a small show like that.

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We got done around 10:30 or so and packed up and were back on the road by 11:30 or so. Another fun car trip home and we arrived around 2:00 in the morning or so at our rondevues spot. Another half hour and I was home to a eagerly awaiting Gypsy. The girls are with their dad, so it was just me and the livestock. It was a fun night, but something we won’t do all the time. We try to stay within 200 miles of home and 2 hours driving if we can help it. This was 151 miles, so that was not too bad. Too much traveling makes it hard to get paid. But yet, it’s a good fun and bonding time for us as well. Normally when we get together, we’re playing or we’re at a show, etc. So to get 5 hours of chat time in, that’s not usual and it’s fun. I had a nice day and evening and I think the guys did too. It was all good.

I love this last one because I got the kick off right!!! Yah!!! It’s a hard banjo kickoff and well, I’ve been practicing it over and over until everyone on in my house hates me. Even the kitties look at me with a little grump when I sit and do that hard slide over and over. But I just hate doing it badly because then the whole song looses something… it’s so tough being a bluegrass banjo player!!! (hahahaha)