BLUEGRASS 1st CLASS - ASHEVILLE, NC

 We have attended Bluegrass First Class, an Asheville bluegrass festival every February since we moved to WNC in 2006, with the exception of the one Covid cancellation.

This year's 29th annual event didn't disappoint......great bands, great music, great friends that we've gotten to know over the years of attending.

Our reserved seating has remained the same front row seats now for nearly all the years we attended. Can't tell you how that special experience adds to the enjoyment.

Some highlights, in case any of you readers are bluegrass lovers....these are 'must see' groups.

A new 'in person' experience for us, The Malpass Brothers.....a bit more country than bluegrass but one forgets that the moment they begin to play. (I like Country too!). Their stage presence is professional and yet personal....they had the audience in fits of laughter many times.

The Seth Milder & Midnight Run band brought back an old bluegrass tradition where the players gather around one microphone for their vocals......several other groups do that too.......love it!!

Authentic Unlimited is the updated version of Doyle Lawson's Quicksilver group (one of my all time favorites).  Doyle retired after being on the road most of his life and happily many of the band members continued under a new name.  Their harmony is outstanding.

Appalachian Road Show is a newish group that has been making headlines wherever they go.  I especially enjoyed learning where they obtain their material and songs.....lots of research including the Smithsonian, resurrecting tunes from the late 1700's grown out of the mountains of Appalachia.  Great story tellers!!  An interesting detail...the guitar player on the right is Zeb Snyder.....we first saw him as a preteen at this same annual event years ago, probably in 2010.  Their group was the Snyder Family Band....father, son and daughter.  We all knew Zeb's talent would take him far. His sister Samantha is also a success and works as a coveted session player in Nashville.  Zeb was an amazing guitar player as a child and he's probably one of the best in the bluegrass world now.

Here's little Zeb back when he and sister Samantha....plus dad  playing the base in their family band.  It's one of the many things I love about this music.....family orientated, audiences are always respectful and it's just darn fun happy music and there's always a little attention to trains, death, love, and lots of story telling.

Even though we are moving across the country....there is planning underway to attend the 30th Bluegrass First Class in 2025!!