Drove up Sunday in good time, stocked up at Walmart and headed to the camp site to set up. Didn’t know where the Coyote Camp was actually located (our friends from Texas) so we camped in the vicinity. Found a fabulous tree with heaps of shade as it was still really hot the first few days. Even though the festival was not due to start till Thursday we were astounded at the number of campers already well set up – some had been there for weeks. Elaborate camps everywhere with great decorations. Miles of campsite area to walk!!!! We wandered around in amazement, checking it all out in the first few days. Some amazing jams going on and organised tune sessions. One called Camp Carp with about 30 people, many of them reading music on ipads or in folders, playing the most obscure tunes often in sets of 3. Another camp site, which I think was called fiddler’s festival, played the more common tunes and most nights also had 20-30 players. It is all very relaxed with each camp having a leader calling the tunes and arrangements. All too fast to play guitar, but good for my mando playing, just sitting in the background. Tuesday night there was a Mardi Gras party at one camp – reminded me of Nariel Creek with everyone in fancy dress.
Peter hooked up with Tricia Spencer from Kansas pretty quickly. Richard MacEwan had tuned us in at Beechworth to look out for her. Wow! Amazing furious Old Time fiddling with such intensity. She was working on the fiddle stall in the instrument halls so there were some intense sessions taking place there most days. They did some work on Peter’s new fiddle at the shop also – J.J. from Beautiful Music, in Lawrence, Kansas. Did a great job! Highlight also was hooking up with Tommy Jordan from Georgia, who we had happened to meet on our last night of the Kaufman Camp last year. Ends up he was staying in the Coyote Camp. Great guitarist and clawhammer player and a great guy. We scored a half hour performance spot on Stage 5 and Tommy came and helped us out with about 30 minutes notice. The rains had come by that stage but people were still out in their raincoats partying on.
Coyote Camp was amazing…. all catered for with the most amazing set up – a big warm tent with couches and gas heaters, coffee on tap… must have been the warmest, dryest camp on site when the rains came! It was a 4 seasons affair over the festival – from 100 degrees F to wet and cold. We had to buy gumboots and hoodies and raincoats – because of course, we didn’t have them to start! The campsite roads turned into mud and it was sometimes like rally driving in mud a foot deep, trying not to get bogged! Pity about the weather as it killed some of the outdoor jamming and in front of Stage 1 it was a sea of mud where normally you could sit and watch the bands.
What can I say, so much to see – National competitions in Flatpick, Fingerstyle guitar; mandolin, hammer dulcimer, banjo, old time fiddle, autoharp….and a fabulous line up of bands. Saw Greencards and Claire Lynch for first time… and thoroughly enjoyed the Steel Wheels -a bit of young modern/old time combo with heaps of energy! Mountain Heart are great value… Jim Hurst is amazing as always, Dan Crary’s trio was sounding awesome. Missed a few that I should have seen but maybe we’ll see them at the next one….