Another Contest – This one was at the “Jenny Brook” Bluegrass Festival, specifically for bluegrass bands. From 2006 to 2016, I was part of a band called “Out of the Bluegrass” with three very talented fellers, and then me. We would go to these festivals together mostly just to play our tunes at the campsite and let anyone else join in who might “happen by.” This one year at the Jenny Brook Festival (ca. 2014), some wise guy (I don’t remember who) entered us in this Bluegrass Band Competition.
The Politics of Music on Display
Two days prior to the contest, entrants were allowed to put up posters saying “vote for us folks” in this Saturday’s band competition. They would send out the bluegrass music equivalent of political activists to walk around to campsites in order to promote their particular favorite bluegrass band “candidate.” It was only then that I realized the contest was determined primarily by audience vote with a tiny little input from a few judges.
Now there were just four of us guys in the band and our spouses involved in this deal. We didn’t have a “Super PAC” to go around and promote Out of the Bluegrass and tell everyone how great we were. I’m not even saying we were “great”, but that issue not withstanding, we didn’t even have a following to go around to campsites and at least stretch the truth of our “greatness” a little bit.
“Rest Room” Politics
On the first evening of this “Multi-Band Campaign”, I’m standing in the rest room doing what we men do, and I’m facing this beautiful poster with some band’s name and picture that says “Vote for so in so this Saturday at the band competition.” Then as I’m washing my hands, I see a second poster from a different band with a similar message.
This seemed peculiar to me. How do you convince someone who has never heard your music to vote for you in a contest that happens in the future? Are we voting on looks, poster creativity or what? I likened it to the old subliminal images at the movie theaters. Just plant the thought in a multitude of people’s heads and they’ll vote for you no matter what you might sound like.
The Contest – Phase One
So after two days of “campaigning” (by everyone but us) the day was upon us. Our band arrived at the stage with our four “followers.” I assumed that the rest of the audience was peppered with the many friends and very large families that “belonged to” seven or so competing bands.
There were going to be two rounds of performances. The first performance was seven different bands along with us. At the end of that round the three “celebrity” (these were festival performers) judges along with the audience would vote for their favorite bands from the first round. The top three winners from that round would go on to the second and final round to determine first, second, and third place winners.
Round one from our perspective went as well as we could have hoped for. We got up on stage and did “that thing we do” as well as we could have expected. When the round was over, the vote counters needed a couple hours to tally the votes and see which three bands would return to the finals.
Let’s Get This Party Started
So some of us, myself included, went back to the campsite to play some music “for the sheer fun of it” for the time being. At this point we assumed there was no way we would make the finals, given our lack of exposure as well as a non-existent Popularity Campaign of our own. That being surmised, a case of beer was opened (etc, etc…), and we commenced to begin to have a REALLY good time!
Enter the “Party-Poopers”
Two hours later, the music was still flowing and the beer was still pouring! We had forgotten all about competitions and general responsibilities, when some of our entourage came running up to the campsite, eyes wide with distress, screaming, “Out of the Bluegrass made the finals! You guys have to hurry up and get back to the stage!”
Inside my head, I’m thinking,”Oh Crap! We were having so much fun HERE! Now we have to go back and compete? What a buzz-kill!” So we picked ourselves up and made our way back to the stage, while I kept chanting to myself, “I am sober, I am sober…sober as a judge down at the county seat. ”
The Contest – Phase Two
The finalist bands, including ours, each took to the stage. In my opinion, the level of the three performances was about evenly matched. Therefore I figured the “Popular Vote” would determine the match and we would end up on the bottom rung at third place.
Now throughout my life, I’ve always been one to let my work speak for itself. If you like what you hear, please give me a gig. I aint no Segovia, but I’ve managed to make some good sounds and have received plenty of compliments from using what limited skills I’ve gained throughout my life in the music business. That’s pretty much all I’ve ever asked for – Do my work, get some positive reaction and move on to the next gig.
So imagine my surprise when the winners were announced. Out of the Bluegrass (us guys) came in at Number One! We all got nifty glass trophies, nice comments from the judges and some “long faces” from our competitors.
Did this contest further our careers in any way, shape or form? No it didn’t and contests never do (at least for me). I will say that my first “Battle of the Bands” back in the ’60’s was a great shot in the arm. That band competition clarified for me that my music was something viable, and something that I could turn into a worthwhile, meaningful life’s work. I will also say that this latest bluegrass band contest will probably be my last (Never say “Never” I suppose).
To Contest or Not to Contest
I’m not trying to knock the viability of entering music competitions – Lord knows I’ve done my share. I’m just at a stage now where I prefer to write and make music for the sheer joy of it. I always knew that my bandmates in Out of the Bluegrass were great at what they do, and perfectly capable of seizing the day when push came to shove.
In the end, we pulled off a contest win on our merits as musicians, even with the deck stacked against us – I gotta say it again…Imagine my surprise!
In case you’re wondering, this is what Out of the Bluegrass sounds like:
The Players: Mac Petrequin – Banjo
Peter Conklin – Mandolin
Bert Wilson – Bass
Jeff Belding – Nylon-string guitar
Out of the Bluegrass continues to function as a working band in upstate NY. I had to bow out since moving to Phoenix. I was replaced by a very talented guitar playing cat by the name of Tim Roden.
