Krauss’ stylings cast spell

By JERRY LANKFORD
Record Editor

    As Alison Krauss’ amplified voice filled the air, an ocean of fans spread out before the Watson Stage on Saturday night. These fans  — who were part of the nearly 82,000 who attended MerleFest 2002 — covered the grounds from the backstage service road to the food tents some 200 yards away. This was the biggest single crowd of the four-day festival. Krauss and her band, Union Station, seemingly hypnotized the congregation of listeners. Her sweet, soulful delivery of soul-deep lyrics entranced the cool night as a shining moon peered from behind silver clouds. Couples held each other and swayed. Others simply gazed wide-eyed up at the pink-lit stage as if the music had carried their thoughts to many longed-for places.  Dobro great Jerry Douglas added a break to Krauss’ two-hour set. The sound of his resonator guitar added fired to the cool night air. A roar from the fans overtook the grounds as Union Station guitarist Dan Tyminski’s voice broke the night. Tyminski boomed the intro  (“In constant sorrow, through all his days”) to Ralph Stanley’s I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow — perhaps the most well known lyrics in Americana music today — as the fans became frenzied. Krauss and her band — who are as good as the genre has to offer — dug deep and gave the roots music followers a performance to remember. Their applause only begged for more. But no lull came after Krauss left the stage. 

   Sam Bush and Tony Rice kicked in a hardcore picking set on the Cabin Stage as sound technicians readied the stage for Nickel Creek. Although some of the fans faded as the evening grew later, those who remained made up for any shortcomings. Chris Thile and other members of the California-based Nickel Creek were pumped to play when they walked onto the stage. Thile, who had been backstage mingling with fans and signing autographs earlier in the evening, praised the artist before there. “Can you believe those guys?” he asked, and his band began. Nickel Creek’s one-hour performance reminded the audience what the band demands to be seen live — with expanded instrumentation of songs from the first CD. After an encore, Thile (on mandolin) and brother and sister Sean (guitar) and Sara Watkins (fiddle) receded into the artists’ secret quarters only to be mobbed by autograph seekers when they emerged. At last, secured on a golf cart, the band was quickly carried up the hill to the John A. Walker Community Center to perform at the midnight jam. As the golf cart passed the exiting admirers, one teenaged girl waved, saying “Bye, Nickel Creek.”

MerleFest 2002:

The biggest ever

 By JERRY LANKFORD
Record Editor

The invasion of music fans began in force on Thursday morning as mobs passed through the big tent where the tickets were sold. They carried guitar cases, collapsible chairs, blankets and babies. They swarmed through the multitude of vendor tents, lined up for food varying from pizza to Thai cuisine. And, they filled Wilkes County’s hotels, motels, restaurants and stores. MerleFest 2002 was the biggest ever. Festival officials reported on Monday that the 15th annual event brought an estimated total participation of 81,753. That marks an increase of seven percent compared to last year. About $14.5 million was pumped into the area economy, which is about $2 million more than last year.  MerleFest 2002 participants purchased 35 percent more Saturday-only tickets at the gate than in 2001, producing MerleFest’s biggest one-day audience yet, officials said.

The record crowds were drawn by performances of nearly 100 Americana music acts. Those acts included annual favorite Doc Watson. The event was organized to honor Watson’s son, Merle, who died in a 1987 tractor accident. Merle’s son, Richard, is also on the annual bill. Among the long list of MerleFest 2002 performers were Patty Loveless, Earl Scruggs with Family & Friends, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Jerry Douglas, Nickel Creek, Sam Bush Band, the Waybacks, Kate Campbell, Jorma Kaukonen, John Cowan Band, Gillian Welch, Railroad Earth, Yonder Mountain String Band and Leahy.

Festival organizers “B” Townes and Jim Barrows will be figuring final numbers of participants and money spent over the next several days. With the annual flood of funds, the proceeds from MerleFest have made it possible for the college to make capital improvements, including the Eddy Merle Watson Memorial Garden for the Senses, the Doc & Merle Watson Theatre, fiber-optic wiring for the campus, and the endowment of scholarships for its students, festival officials said. MerleFest is also a promoter of music, both professional and amateur. Kate Campbell, Si Kahn, Gillian Welch, and contest chair Jim Lauderdale judged the finals of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, which attracted 853 entries, according to a news release. The results were: General Category: 1st: Witness by Cindy Kalmenson of Nashville, Tenn.; 2nd: Room Enough to Love by Scott and Melanie Bomar of Los Angeles, Calif.; 3rd: Right or Wrong by Cindy Kalmenson of Nashville, Tenn. Gospel Category: 1st: The Baby’s Name by Michael Reno Harrell of Charlotte; 2nd: When Mama Bowed Her Head to Pray by Billy C. Smith, Jr.; and 3rd: Send the Angels Down From Heaven by Mike Burns, Purdys, N.Y. 

Country Category: 1st: Penny Wishes by Cheley Tackett, Nashville, Tenn.; 2nd: Hallelujah by Martha Scanlan, Johnson City, Tenn.; and 3rd Broken Moon by John Lilly, Charleston, W. Va.; Bluegrass Category: 1st: Little Bird of Heaven by Martha Scanlan, Johnson City, Tenn.; 2nd: Bluestone Mountain by Mark Brinkman, Pickerington, Ohio; and 3rd: Dig Real Deep by Mary Huckins, Kittredge, Colo. First place in the Doc Watson Guitar Championship went to Scott Fore of Radford, Va., with Steve Lewis (banjo champion) of Todd taking second and Robert Schafer from Elkview, W. Va., finishing third. Steve Lewis of Todd captured the Merle Watson Bluegrass Banjo Championship. Ben Krakaner of Charlottesville, Va. took second with Jason Ericsson of Natrona Heights, Penn. taking third. Aaron Ramsey of Morganton won the MerleFest Mandolin Contest, followed by Chris Hale of Blacksburg, Va. and Joel Whittinghill of Bowling Green, Ky.

Nickel Creek adjusting to new celebrity

By TIM PRESTON

Special to The Record

The spotlight of celebrity is still strange to members of Nickel Creek. A year ago, Chris Thile, Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins were just like everyone else who played at MerleFest, spending time walking around and setting in on jam sessions whenever they got the chance. This year, however, they are critically acclaimed artists with a gold record and a crowd of autograph hungry fans everywhere they go. The young band performed on several stages during MerleFest 2002, with eager audiences awaiting each show. Each of those audiences being a blend of young and old, with several sections of younger female fans showing Chris and Sean the sort of attention usually reserved for pop stars. The group’s Saturday night performance, following Alison Krauss & Union Station’s seamless show, held the massive audience spellbound as they moved from foot-stomping reels to tender ballads showcasing Sara’s feathery soft vocals with crystalline harmonies provided by Thile and her brother, Sean.

The band also debuted new material, much of which is expected to appear on their next album, with instant approval from the Saturday night audience. Performing without their bassist during their last appearance Sunday, the band still shined despite sound problems and a broken string on Thile’s mandolin. While the band received rabid enthusiasm with each tune they presented, Thile seemed shocked at the demand for yet another rendition of The Fox, possibly the band’s most traditional offering on their debut CD. “We’ve already played The Fox twice. Are you sure you want to hear it again?” Thile asked the crowd, sitting only a few feet away from the Austin Stage on a hillside. With the crowd’s thunderous approval, Thile was happy to oblige with his seven remaining strings. The young mandolin virtuoso launched into the tune as it was recorded, then replaced the words with rapid fire lyrics from a song by the band Barenaked Ladies, and a few verses from Bob Dylan’s classic Subterranean Homesick Blues before bringing it all back to the original song.

After the show, a sweat covered Thile spent several minutes with a television crew, joking that the band still calls one another to make sure their record is still gold. A nearby mandolin-playing fan asked Thile for advice about picking techniques and any semblance of celebrity he may have adopted instantly melted away as he offered his encouragement. When asked about a jam session with a 10-year old girl earlier in the day, Thile said he considers such “lessons” a chance to repay those who helped him pick up the mandolin at an early age, and pointed the spotlight back to his unidentified young picking partner, saying it is rare to hear a girl that age “play that hot.” While Thile received much of the media attention, Nickel Creek’s brother and sister members, Sean and Sara, were also surrounded by fans. While Sean seemed quiet by nature, Sara welcomed questions and signed every autograph with the words “Seek Him,” above her signature.

The Wilkes County Public Library Chess Club continues to meet Saturdays from Noon to 3 p.m. in the Friends of the Library Meeting Room. Chessboards will be provided, and the club is free and open to all levels of players.

TOPS Take off pounds sensibly. Join us every Monday at 5 p.m. at St. John’s Church Education Building located on C.C. Wright School Road. For more information, call Margaret at 696‑2442.

A child passenger safety seat check by Certified child safety technicians takes place the third Wednesday of each month between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. at the Wilkes County Health Department. No appointment is necessary. You must check in with the front desk receptionist. For more information, call 651-7478.

The Family To Family Support Group of Wilkes, a support group for families of those with mental illness, meets at 7 p.m. each second Tuesday of the month at New River Behavioral Health Center. For information, call 973-3382.

Oakwoods Baptist Church is offering a ladies Bible study on Fridays from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. For more information, call 667-7838.

Mobile Expanded School Health will be at West High on Mondays, North High on Tuesdays, Wilkes Central on Wednesdays, East High on Thursdays and the Career Center as scheduled on Fridays.

A Tobacco Cessation Support Group will meet at The Wilkes County Health Department education room on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month from noon - 1 p.m. Call 651‑7478 for more information.

A Caregivers Support Group is being held at St. John’s Catholic Church the second Saturday of each month from 2-3 p.m. Call Jane to learn more at 696-4874.

The Wilkes Senior Center is offering the following classes: Crafts on Tues., Horticulture on Wed., Basic Sewing on Thurs., Beginning Pottery on Mon., Cake Decorating on Thurs., Calligraphy on Thurs., One Stroke Painting on Mon. Call 667-2644 to register and learn more.

Clingman Family Resource Center is offering classes for Adult High School/general education degree. They are also offering English as a Second Language. Classes are free and scheduled M-F 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with some evening classes. Childcare is provided for day classes. Call 984-4047 for further details.

Clingman Family Resource Center will be offering a Motheread class starting on Friday, April 5, and will continue through May 14. Classes will be on Tuesday and Friday from 10:30-11:30 am. Motheread is a class for men and women, parents and non-parents. During the class children’s books will be read and discussed, with a focus on four components: reading, writing, speaking and listening. One of the focuses of this class is that students will be able to read to appreciate that value of reading to their own children. High School Credit will be given for those who need it. This class is free of charge and free childcare is available. Please contact Kina Gilley Crumpton at 336-984-4047 for more information.

BROC will hold its Executive Board meeting Thursday, May 9 at 6:30 pm at the BROC conference room on School Street in Wilkesboro.

MESH will hold their annual board meeting on Monday, May 6, at the Wilkes County Health Department Conference Room at 4pm. The public, interested parents and high school students are invited to attend.

Women’s Health Fair sponsored by Wilkes County Health Department, Wilkes Regional Medical Center and the American Cancer Society at the Clingman Family Resource Center on Wednesday, May 15 from 9 am until noon.

Wings of Wilkes Soccer Association is holding tryouts U10 through U18 girls and U10 through U14 boys on Saturday, May 4 from 10am until 3 pm at the Rivers Edge Soccer Complex. Please bring a copy of an original birth certificate and be prepared for a parent or guardian to sign a medical release form. For more information, call Karen Freeman evenings at 667-0835.

Maple Springs Community Center on Hwy. 421 west will hold a chicken-que on Saturday, May 4 beginning at 10 am with the proceeds going to the Community Center

Cricket Baptist Church will hold a revival May 6-10 with the Rev. Kenneth Wiles as guest speaker. Services will begin at 7 pm with the prayer room opening at 6:30 pm.

Brushy Mtn. Community Center will hold a chicken-que on Saturday, May 4 beginning at 11am. $5 per plate or 1/2 chicken for $3.50. Proceeds go to Brushy Mtn. Community Center.

5th Annual North Wilkesboro Elementary School Golf Tournament at the Sumerset Golf Course on Saturday, May 4. Entry fee is $35 per player, and includes 18 holes of golf with cart, 1 free Mulligan, breakfast pastries, drinks, snacks, and lunch. To sign up call (336)838-2872. Lots of prizes. Limited to 20 teams, so sign up now. Proceeds will be used to purchase educational resources for students.

Seven Class Reunion Planned

Wilkes Central High School Classes 1960-1966 are planning a reunion for Aug. 17.

Former students are asked to contact the class representative named below to obtain information and reserve their place at the reunion.

Class of 1966 graduates, need to contact Patsy Love Jones at    667-3962 or e-mail rpjones447@charter.net.

Class of 1965 graduates, contact Becky Holland Jones at 921-3227 or e-mail Linda Johnson Joines at lindajoines@hotmail.com, or Marcia Bumgarner Little at                mblittle99@aol.com.

Class of 1964 graduates, contact Brenda Church Colvard at 667-5912.

Class of 1963 graduates, contact Brenda Hall Cashion at 838-3640 or e-mail oillady@aol.com.

Class of 1962 graduates, call Becky Benton Welborn at 838-1280 or e-mail rebeccabwelborn@cs.com.

 Class of 1961, contact Eric Williams at 838-5891 or e-mail ericwilliam@wilkes.net.

Class of 1960 graduates, contact Olivia Pardue Bentley at 667-7327.

Oak Grove Baptist Church, Millers Creek, presents The Southern-Aires in person.  They will be at the church on May 5, 2002 at ll:00 a.m.  For more information call 937-426-0310.

 

North Wilkes High School Class of 1992 will hold their class reunion on May 18 from 7 pm until 12 pm at the Elks Lodge. If you have not received an invitation, or would like more information, please contact Tammy Myerhoffer Stanley at 336-667-6630 or Dale Ellis at 336-667-3645.

The 2nd annual Women of Western NC Arts Festival will be at Wilkes Community College Pitt Auditorium & Student Commons Center on May 4 from 9 am until 6 pm. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted at the gate with all proceeds going to SAFE, Inc.

A benefit supper for Rick Laws, son of Gary and Betty Laws, of Speedway Road will be held Saturday, May 4 at 5 pm at Fishing Creek Baptist Church, Old Hwy. 60, in the fellowship hall. Donations will be used to build a much-needed handicapped accessible bathroom for Rick’s use.

Yadkin Valley Baptist Church will have a professional wrestler speaker on Saturday, May 4 at 5 pm. The wrestler will be speaking about drug and alcohol abuse. A hotdog and hamburger supper will follow. For more information, call Kathleen Wyatt at 973-3303.

Car wash, hot dogs, hamburgers and yard sale items.  Saturday, May 11 from 7 am –until at Samaritan Way Baptist Church, 615 Cherry Street, North Wilkesboro. For more information call 670-3748.

DNA LifePrint National Child Safety Program will be at Lowe’s Hardware, US Hwy. 421 West North Wilkesboro on Saturday, May 11 from 9am until 3 pm. This event is free and open to the public.

Arbor Grove United Methodist Church in Purlear will sponsor a chicken-que on Saturday May 10 beginning at 10 am. The dinners will consist of 1/2 chicken, baked beans, homemade cole slaw, cake and a roll. Cost is $6 per plate. For call-In orders, please call 973-3733.

Revival services will be held at Friendly Grove Baptist Church of Millers Creek May 6-10 at 7:30 pm nightly. Prayer room 7:15, Rev. Don Hayes will be the special guest preacher. Special singing nightly. Pastor Jimmy McGlammery and congregation invite everyone to attend.

Show of shows. Performing groups include Blue Voices, Northern Lights and Northlanders. Sponsored by North Wilkes High School Theatre. Wayland Fellowship Building at North Wilkesboro First Baptist Church. May 16-17 at 7 pm. Call Robert Matthews at 957-8601 for ticket information.

Fund raiser for Communities in Schools on May 4 at 10:30 am serving fresh fish—catch of the day and pork BBQ. At the home of Brenda and Jr. Sales, 1826 Red, White & Blue Road, Roaring River.