LeMars, Iowa....."As the year 2010 drifts slowly behind us, we are already preparing for our 36th festival of America's traditional country, bluegrass, and folk music." Bob Everhart, the president of the National Traditional Country Music Association since 1975, is still at the helm of an event that is pure Americana and strictly prevails upon the sounds and styles of America's music from the past. "We don't really belong in today's definition of 'country' music anymore," Everhart added, "simply because it's now two very distinctly different musical genres. There are no Hank Williams or Ernest Tubbs or Johnny Cashs in today's so-called 'country' music. It's kind of like what used to be called a comic book, is now called a graphic novel. I guess everyone to their own taste, but 36 years of doing an old-time music festival, has certainly given me some insight into the 'power' of vast over-hype used in today's world of modern country music."
The festival Everhart directs, along with his wife Sheila, began in 1976 as an Agricultural Exposition of America's Rural Life Style, and an extension of the music that has prevailed over the years under that definition. "It was actually a Bicentennial event," Everhart noted, "which was originally set to be a fiddle contest. My wife Sheila and I, record for the Smithsonian Institution, so when the folks in Iowa came to me to help put it together, I agreed to do it if the event also included other aspects of what traditional music is all about. Singing, instruments of original country music, acoustic musical gatherings, an old time Rendezvous Village, music going all the way back to Native Americans. We've been doing it that way ever since."
This year's festival was a reflection of Everhart's philosophy. His wife Sheila who helps with the promotion, added, "We had the legendary Patti Page with us in 2010, and that was an absolutely amazing experience for us here in the really rural-Iowa area of America. Her huge hits "The Tennessee Waltz," "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window," and "Cape Cod," propelled her into one of the largest selling female recording artists in America's musical history. Her appearance at our festival was difficult to deal with. She attracted so many people, we did not have room for them all. Once we reached 1,000 in the main hall we had to turn many away. The same thing happened to Whisperin' Bill Anderson, star of the Grand Ole Opry, and one of the most prolific songwriters in country music, of yesterday and today. He had a prime night, filling one building, and then simultaneously filling another building. The Plymouth County Fairgrounds in LeMars, Iowa, where we hold this event, is huge, but these two amazing celebrities were incredible experiences for us. We're already working on the celebrities that will be inducted into America's Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame for 2011. The only way into the Hall is by nomination from one already inducted."
Over the years the Everharts have what started as a small gathering of rural folks who like their music 'really' country, turning into an amazing event that attracts thousands and thousands of fans. "We don't allow any liquor or illicit drugs," said Sheila. "Perhaps that's why we have so many families attending this event. Neither do we allow loud drums or loud electric guitars. We have so many performers with us over the seven days, we sometimes do not have enough stage-time to include everyone, even though we have ten sound stages set up all seven days."
The 2010 Festival attracted over 650 performers of acoustic country-bluegrass-folk music, which performed on those ten stages set up by the Everharts. "It's not always the quality of a Bill Anderson or a Patti Page," Sheila is quick to add, "but we have never turned anyone away. This is an opportunity for us to provide a large audience for any performer of like-minded music. We have other outlets too, like contests, workshops, small stage intimate shows, and lots and lots of jamming. Jamming is very popular for some players, it's the reason they come. But for some, the adrenalin producing experience of performing on stage before a large audience, is why they are in show business in the first place."
Dates for the 2011 "36th National Old Time Country-Bluegrass-Folk Festival, Contest, and Pioneer Exposition of Arts, Crafts, and America's Rural Lifestyle" will take place August 29 through September 4th. "We have an early-bird free pot-luck on Sunday evening, August 28, which includes a nice program of Gospel music on one of our stages, "The Church Without Walls," said Everhart. "It gives us an opportunity to share some time with our many volunteers who help put the event on, as well as the many RV campers that come to plug in to electricity and the music. This is the only fundraiser of the year we have for the Pioneer Music Museum, which is located in Anita, Iowa, and America's Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame, which is located in the museum. More information is available at our website http://www.orgsites.com/ia/oldtimemusic |
