Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Some comments from this blog.
Several have commented favorably. Thank you all. Co-founder, Robert Massey, and inspiration for the bluegrass club in Billings sent this from Georgia: "Roger, this brought back a lot of memories." Thanks Robert. Edd Tremblay has informed that the YBA Winter Jam is scheduled for March 1st. Good music, good company and good food. Better put that on your calendars. Hope the weather and roads will be better by then.
Reason for closing of YBA Friday jams
YBA board member, Edd Tremblay, has explained that the Lincoln Jams are closed due to an asbestos problem in the building. An e-mail was sent out to paid up members. I had better pay some dues if I want to be informed about YBA matters similar to this. Thanks Edd. I hope that clears it up for any others who did not receive that e-mail. BTW, it is not surprising that there is asbestos there. I attended junior high there in the late 1940's and my parents had gone there when it was Billings High School back in 1930. Asbestos was a common construction material and was used as insulation around heating pipes as well as in plaster and later ceiling tiles. It is cancer causing if fibers are inhaled including other respiratory problems, too.
Monday, February 3, 2014
For New Viewers
Following is a copy of my first post which is listed below. It will help explain this blog in helpful terms. Thank you for looking in and please give me feedback about this format and it's content.
For quite some time I have published "Roger's Bluegrass E-Letter" which was sent as an e-mail attachment to a list of bluegrass enthusiasts. Several problems developed including difficulty in updating new e-mail addresses, if I even had them, as well as deciding which formats to use for the attachments. Some folks did not want to open any attachments as some could be harmful to their computers, although mine were quite safe. For that reason I have decided to start a "blog", short for web log, in which my posts can be entered at any intervals, even daily at times. Likewise viewers can check them out at any time by clicking on this new bluegrass blog. In a blog the latest post will be listed at the top and earlier posts will be below based on their date of entry. It will be like keeping a journal of bluegrass activity. Readers will now be able to go to this blog at their convenience and it won't be cluttering up their e-mail any longer. People should also be able to comment on any of my posts and I hope many of you will. Any suggestions for improvements or other BG topics will be most welcome.
I hope you find this new site to be worthwhile enough to check it out periodically. Let me know what you think, either on this blog itself, or by e-mailing me at gdaefiddler@q.com. Thanks for reading this first post
on Roger's Bluegrass News.
First Post
A New Site With Bluegrass Music News From Billings, MT and Elsewhere Including WY, ND, SD, ID and National BG Topics.
For quite some time I have published "Roger's Bluegrass E-Letter" which was sent as an e-mail attachment to a list of bluegrass enthusiasts. Several problems developed including difficulty in updating new e-mail addresses, if I even had them, as well as deciding which formats to use for the attachments. Some folks did not want to open any attachments as some could be harmful to their computers, although mine were quite safe. For that reason I have decided to start a "blog", short for web log, in which my posts can be entered at any intervals, even daily at times. Likewise viewers can check them out at any time by clicking on this new bluegrass blog. In a blog the latest post will be listed at the top and earlier posts will be below based on their date of entry. It will be like keeping a journal of bluegrass activity. Readers will now be able to go to this blog at their convenience and it won't be cluttering up their e-mail any longer. People should also be able to comment on any of my posts and I hope many of you will. Any suggestions for improvements or other BG topics will be most welcome.
I hope you find this new site to be worthwhile enough to check it out periodically. Let me know what you think, either on this blog itself, or by e-mailing me at gdaefiddler@q.com. Thanks for reading this first post
on Roger's Bluegrass News.
BIG SKY BIG GRASS
This is a little late to consider attending however you may be interested in the events scheduled this weekend in Big Sky, MT. BTW, you would need a healthy credit card account to take all this in as well. It does show that great events can be held here in the Big Sky State. Following is the PR release from the website:
Welcome to Big Sky Big Grass!
Big Sky Big Grass is Montana's premier winter bluegrass event taking place against the backdrop of majestic Lone Peak in Big Sky Resort's Mountain Village.
What could be better than a weekend of skiing powder by day and
dancing to live Bluegrass by night? The largest winter Bluegrass
festival in the Northern Rockies features some of the country's finest
artists trading licks that will keep your toes tapping, ski boots and
all.
BIG GRASS IS HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE ANOTHER STAGE IN ANOTHER VENUE
CHECK OUT CHET BAR IN THE HUNTLEY LODGE
4P-6P FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
HOOLIGAN ACOUSTIC TRIO WITH BILL PAYNE (LITTLE FEAT)
NO COVER- DON'T MISS
BUY BIG GRASS TICKETS
Regional Bluegrass Activities
MONTANA
MONTANA ROCKIES BLUEGRASS ASSOCIATION
This Missoula based group is in the midst of the annual Ruby's Winter Jams. These are held during the months of December, January, and February on the second Saturday of each month at Ruby's Inn and Convention Center on North Reserve in Missoula. It is very near the Reserve Street exit from US Hwy 90. The February jam is on Feb. 8 and the last one on March 8, 2014. They begin at 2 PM and continue until late in the evening. An excellent pot luck is about 5:30 PM each Saturday. They are very worthwhile to attend. I made it to one last year with my Missoula daughter and her two little girls. She impressed jammers with her musicianship. I was run ragged after the two year old who must have been training for a marathon and also kept crawling under the tablecloths of the potluck. I will add that we all slept good that night. Memberships in the MRBGA are available very reasonably for $10 individual or $l5 per family. Contact the secy/treasurer Jim McCauley at mccauley_kemo@hotmail.com.
BIG SKY BIG GRASS FESTIVAL
February 6-9 at Big Sky, MT. http://www.bigskybiggrass.com/
DEER LODGE
In Western Montana pickin-n-grinnin is on Saturday, February 22, 2014, from noon til?? (Double check on this new date.) Dinner for $5 donation, too, at the The Office, 511 Main. Bill and Charlene Anderson host this annual event. Billings picker Bruce Lee is a regular at this jam and has gone for several years.
LIVINGSTON
Open jam. Pine Creek Cafe. Thursdays 8:30 -10:30 pm (406)222-3628
WYOMING
THERMOPOLIS
Recurring jams at the Southside Exxon on most Fridays at 6 PM. Info from Ed Capen.
NORTH DAKOTA
Frozen fingers Old Time Music Festival in Minot, ND, February 14-16. The Rough Riders bluegrass band will be performing. No more details at this time.
Regular monthly jams in Bismarck and Valley City. Weekly jam in Jamestown.
MORE DISTANT ACTIVITIES IN WASHINGTON AND MINNESOTA
Big time festivals include WINTERGRASS in Bellevue, WA. http://www.acousticsoung.org/
Minnesota: 2014 Winter Bluegrass Weekend is a festival of Bluegrass and Old Time Music and Dance at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West, Plymouth, MN Feb. 28 - Mar. 2, 2014. More than 40 groups will perform on 2 stages. Featured group will be Michael Cleveland and Flame Keeper. Last year nearly 3000 people attended. Many activities of all types. For more details go to www.minnesotabluegrass.org.
MONTANA ROCKIES BLUEGRASS ASSOCIATION
This Missoula based group is in the midst of the annual Ruby's Winter Jams. These are held during the months of December, January, and February on the second Saturday of each month at Ruby's Inn and Convention Center on North Reserve in Missoula. It is very near the Reserve Street exit from US Hwy 90. The February jam is on Feb. 8 and the last one on March 8, 2014. They begin at 2 PM and continue until late in the evening. An excellent pot luck is about 5:30 PM each Saturday. They are very worthwhile to attend. I made it to one last year with my Missoula daughter and her two little girls. She impressed jammers with her musicianship. I was run ragged after the two year old who must have been training for a marathon and also kept crawling under the tablecloths of the potluck. I will add that we all slept good that night. Memberships in the MRBGA are available very reasonably for $10 individual or $l5 per family. Contact the secy/treasurer Jim McCauley at mccauley_kemo@hotmail.com.
BIG SKY BIG GRASS FESTIVAL
February 6-9 at Big Sky, MT. http://www.bigskybiggrass.com/
DEER LODGE
In Western Montana pickin-n-grinnin is on Saturday, February 22, 2014, from noon til?? (Double check on this new date.) Dinner for $5 donation, too, at the The Office, 511 Main. Bill and Charlene Anderson host this annual event. Billings picker Bruce Lee is a regular at this jam and has gone for several years.
LIVINGSTON
Open jam. Pine Creek Cafe. Thursdays 8:30 -10:30 pm (406)222-3628
WYOMING
THERMOPOLIS
Recurring jams at the Southside Exxon on most Fridays at 6 PM. Info from Ed Capen.
NORTH DAKOTA
Frozen fingers Old Time Music Festival in Minot, ND, February 14-16. The Rough Riders bluegrass band will be performing. No more details at this time.
Regular monthly jams in Bismarck and Valley City. Weekly jam in Jamestown.
MORE DISTANT ACTIVITIES IN WASHINGTON AND MINNESOTA
Big time festivals include WINTERGRASS in Bellevue, WA. http://www.acousticsoung.org/
Minnesota: 2014 Winter Bluegrass Weekend is a festival of Bluegrass and Old Time Music and Dance at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West, Plymouth, MN Feb. 28 - Mar. 2, 2014. More than 40 groups will perform on 2 stages. Featured group will be Michael Cleveland and Flame Keeper. Last year nearly 3000 people attended. Many activities of all types. For more details go to www.minnesotabluegrass.org.
January 31st YBA Jam ? ? ?
In an earlier post I commented on the good turnouts for the January YBA jams in Billings. Well last Friday, January 31, 2014, I arrived at the Lincoln Center about 6:45 PM. No one was at the door. The previous two Fridays door openers were there about 6:30. After sitting in my car and seeing few other vehicles parked nearby after about 10 minutes I checked on the door and still no one. The jams are scheduled from 7 to 9 PM. When 7 PM arrived and still no one showed up I quit and just drove home. What is the deal, YBA? I was planning on making sure a fiddle was present at most jams in 2014, just as I did a couple years ago. A fiddle is basic to most well known bluegrass bands. Yes, there had been a snow storm last week and it was a bit chilly, but I had no difficulty with the plowed streets. Next Friday, February 7, I certainly won't waste my time and gas to head down there again. A round trip is 9 or 10 miles for me. We will have more snow and very cold below zero weather for much of the week. Has the YBA adopted some new "fair weather" policy? If so will some please clue me in? I did see about 4 others trying to get in last Friday. Thank you for letting me vent on this subject. I told you a blog is a type of journal and this comment is an example of that.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)