Nadine and John from The Stetson Family have returned from their recent Nashville excursion. They were one of 10 groups chosen to present their own composition “O Winding River” at this year’s IBMA World of Music Conference and festival showcase. Nadine explains some of their experiences below:
What a week it was – we were loving ourselves as we were driving our Chevy out of the airport until we turned left directly on to the airport exit ramp – we weren’t going to let that Wrong Way Go back sign tell us what to do. Okay, so now we’re back on the right side of the road, we’ve had a bit of sleep, we’ve eaten some ribs, got some Oreos and we’ve been to see the Tennessee Titans show those Detroit Lions how it’s done. All good – now it’s down to business.
Our five-minute gig (no pressure there!) went off without a hitch. All nerves aside, it was a lot of fun and we met some great people and saw some of the most incredibly talented pickers who’ve grown up with bluegrass coursing through their veins.
The next few days we just took in all the music and sights and sounds of Nashville and saw the very cool Alabama Shakes play on the steps of the courthouse. They’ll be here in January – be sure to check them out.
All in all we felt pretty chuffed to be invited over there and to be amongst some of the greats. It’s not every day you get to sit around a table with John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) and hear first hand how in 1972 they managed to get together two generations of musicians, amongst them Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Maybelle Carter, Roy Acuff and Merle Travis and record in one weekend the album, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, that’s gone on to be one of the finest documents of folk music and musicians ever to be gathered under the same roof.
Back home now, but I can still hear the night-time circus of crickets and that American sound of freight trains sounding their whistles off in the distance – Nad and John.
The band is ready for their next excursion touring New South Wales, South Australia, Melbourne and Regional Victoria.
O Winding River Tour:
- Sat 13 Oct – Grand Junction – the Junkyard, Newcastle NSW, free
- Sun 14 Oct – Folk in the Foothills Festival, Illawarra NSW.
- Tue 16 Oct – Live to Air: Evenings with Lindy Burns 774 ABC Melbourne, 9.30pm
- Fri 19 Oct – The Thornbury Theatre – Velvet Room, JamGrass Festival, Thornbury VIC
- Sat 27 & Sun 28 Oct – Fleurieu Folk Festival, Willunga SA
The band is scheduled to play the Maldon Folk Festival and the Brunswick Music Festival.
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