NORWICH – Growing up in Eastern Kentucky, James Reams remembers being able to walk up to his heroes and shake their hands – heroes like Bluegrass legends J.D. Crow, Carter Stanley and Earl Scruggs.
Thirty years later, Reams has his own Bluegrass band, and says making the common connection with fans and fellow musicians is still at the heart of the music – literally and figuratively.
“There’s no barrier between the performers and the people going to the shows,” said Reams. “They were and are common people who hoe fields and raise kids and they write songs that tell their stories. That’s why I think it’s so great that places like Norwich embrace it.”
“James Reams and the Barnstormers” is one of over a dozen national and local performers rounding-out the 2007 Norwich Family Bluegrass Festival happening this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Chenango County Fairgrounds.
“Bluegrass music is of the people, by the people and for the people,” said festival organizer and performer Mike Tirella of “The Cabin Fever Band.” “It is real.”
Known as “Dr. Mike,” Tirella and his wife Maryann say the festival is branching out – performance and popularity-wise – in their second year organizing the event. A resurgence in the local festival and Bluegrass music nationwide is, in part, a response to the demand for truly family-oriented events, he believes.
“We take pride in offering an event where parents can bring their kids and they can have fun in a safe and nurturing environment,” he said. “It’s a community.”
The music starts at 1 p.m. Friday and runs until Sunday until roughly 4 p.m. Aside from the main stage, workshops, lessons, kids activities and 24-hour jam sessions will carry on throughout the weekend – a great opportunity for local musicians or people interested learning how to play the banjo, mandolin, guitar or bass to “pick” with some of the best.
Reams said the laid-back atmosphere at a Bluegrass festival often lends itself to hosting mini-festivals.
“You could have a family reunion there if you wanted,” he said.
Sometimes the main stage isn’t even the main attraction.
“A lot of times there are people who don’t even watch the performances,” Tirella said. “They just come to relax or to jam all night on their own.”
Fans should be sure not to miss performances by first generation Bluegrass pioneer Smokey Greene, who will be playing a special set with former band mates, calling themselves “The Reunion Boys.”
“That is going to be awesome,” Tirella said.
Three-day advance tickets are $36 and $45 at the gate. Those prices include free camping. Single tickets Friday and Sunday are $12, and $24 for a single day Saturday.
Other acts, hailing from Virginia to New York state, include “Miller’s Crossing,” “The Blueridge Mountain Boys,” “The Nearly Brothers,” “Dan Paisley and the Southern Grass,” “The James Kind Band,” “Dave Nichols and Spare Change,” “Seneca County Bluegrass,” “Bill and Maggie Anderson,” and co-organizer “The Doerful Family.”
“The talent level of the bands here is all top-tier,” Tirella said. “These are Bluegrass bands that have been in the business for years. I’m talking decades.”
Reams doesn’t think festival goers will be disappointed.
“Bluegrass performers bring a passion to these shows and festivals,” said Reams. “That passion is exciting to see and hear.”
Thursday at 6 p.m. there will be a pot luck dinner under the big tent. Camping opens today at noon for $5 per night prior to the shows.
There will be a gospel sing and service Sunday morning.
For more information or a complete schedule, visit www.norwichfamilybluegrass.com.