I've been aware of the
Summergrass Bluegrass Festival
in San Diego County for about
five years, and have thought about attending before. However, I
always had good reasons to pass it up - too far, too hot, too
much traffic between Fresno and San Diego, and conflicts with family
camping plans.
This year there were no
conflicts, and although it's no closer than ever, I decided I
could handle the 380 mile trip at least once. Having talked to a
couple of people involved with the festival and with traveling up
and down California, I avoided the LA traffic by going through
Mojave and Adelanto to I-15. First, as I have done four times
previously this year, I headed south on California 99 and turned
east at Bakersfield on CA 58. Unlike the other trips, I did not go
all the way to Barstow, but instead turned south on US 395 at
Kramer Junction.
This leads to Adelanto,
and a few miles further, connects with I-15. Although I could have
made it all the way in one trip, this would have meant driving
through the Riverside and San Bernardino metro area late in the day,
so I stopped a little after 2 p.m. and the RV park in Adelanto. I
was able to get in my daily swim, something that I'll miss during
the rest of the trip.
I got a lot of reading
and TV watching accomplished, and got on the road about 9 a.m. The
festival location is at the Antique Gas and Steam Engine museum, a
complex of dozen or more buildings, with lots of antique cars and
trucks, as well as engines large and
small. There's also plenty of
space for RV parking, and I paid the extra fee to have electricity,
something that has proved well worth while with the warm weather
here.
Not long after entering
San Diego County on I-15, I turned west on CA 76, which joins I-5
at Oceanside. Just a few miles before that, a road south leads right
to the museum, so I get there and got set up before noon.
Music the first day
started at 3 p.m., with Chris Stuart and Backcountry. This is a San
Diego area band that I've seen a number of times in Parkfield,
and one of the main attractions that convinced me to attend.
Although their regular fiddler, Chris Ward, was absent, he was ably
replaced by Megan Lynch, originally from California but now based
in Nashville, where she plays with Pam Tillis and others.
All the groups the first
day were ones I'd seen, and most were ones I was eager to see again,
especially Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper. Chosen fiddle player
of the year seven times, Michael is perhaps the hottest fiddler in
bluegrass today, and always puts on a great show.
I also enjoyed another
performance by Jonathan Reischman and the Jaybirds, who live in
Canada and Northern California, and who I've now seen three times.
Several times in between
sets there has been a band of teenage musicians playing as
"the demo band," to show off several instruments that are
being raffled off. Although they do only one song each time, this
group could perform a full set on stage and would not be out of
place.
It's now Sunday
afternoon, and another bluegrass festival has flown by
quickly. Arriving around noon on Friday, only a few hours before the
start of the show, made a difference; in the past, I have often
arrived on Wednesday and had a free day before the festival.
The groups that are new
to me, Bluegrass Brethren, Lonesome Otis and the Tail Draggers, all
played today. All are southern California bands, all competent but
fairly average. Well above average were Special Consensus, Michael
Cleveland & Flamekeeper, and Chris Stuart and Backcountry, all
of them groups that would make me think about attending any festival
where they were playing.
A pleasant surprise is
the continued progress of the kids in the Anderson Family. It's been
close to four years since I first saw them, and they were not really
ready for public performance back then. Now they are developing into
above average singers and pickers, and I look forward to their next
performance at the Hobbs Grove
festival.
The location is very nice
- it's about ten miles from the ocean, and we've had a good breeze
most of the time. I sat in the sun most of the morning, and was not
uncomfortable, although it was nice to move into the shade part of
the time. The place is a lot like a fairgrounds, with various
buildings containing exhibits, although the exhibits here are
permanent, and the place is open all year. Although it was a long
drive, it was an excellent festival, and I'm glad I finally decided
to check it out.
--Dick Estel, August 2010
