Hooked On Bluegrass

I’d never been to a festival before
But agreed to go with AL to Weiser
Really had no idea what was in store
The way Al described it, was a teaser

The Weiser Festival is a week long
We stayed in Al’s camper; kept the cost down 
On this kind of trip, I couldn’t go wrong
All night playing music in the campground

I mostly played folk, wasn’t bluegrass wise
I’d had the mandolin less than a year
We stopped on the way and bought our supplies
And that included four cases of beer

Al said, “When the campground picking begins,
“Playing circles will be formed all about”
“If the group is tight, you don’t barge in”
Join an outer circle and check things out” 

That first night, I couldn’t believe my eyes
From circle to circle the pickers would go
 The whole jamming scene was homogenized
I just stuck with Al and went with the flow

The music was great, joined in where I could
But playing Bluegrass isn’t that easy 
Went to bed at four, couldn’t go when I should
Didn’t sleep, as the music wouldn’t let me

Sleep half the day; take it slow; there’s no strife
You’re ready for the picking to begin
I get hooked, this night, on bluegrass for life
And given a choice, I’d do it again

A hot bluegrass band had a circle tight
Al had set it up for me to enter
I didn’t know Al had made it alright
But there I was, in circle’s dead center

Inside that circle, music all around
An experience that no one can buy
Before long I was consumed by the sound
I experienced a “musical high”

That’s how I got hooked; became such a fan
And so to me, Bluegrass music is king
In fact, I now have my own Bluegrass band
Just loving the music; doing my thing!
Copyright © | Year Posted 2011

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October 21, 2011 at 8:49 AM
makes me wish i had gone p.d.
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