Reflections on FloydFestFive “Roots Alive!”

I experienced FloydFestFive as I have every other year, as a performer and as a member of the audience. I've felt that every year has been great, but this year the event was really firing on all six bio-diesel cylinders! With FloydFest a few days behind me, I am still walking on air due not only to the reception of my own performances, but also due to the high quality acts I was able to see, and the company I kept while I was there.

Kris Hodges and Erika Johnson, Oddfellas Cantina founders and creator/producers of FloydFest possess a rare kind of magic. They imagine great things, surround themselves with hard-working, talented people, and create an event that is far greater than the sum of its parts. Anyone who has ever complained about the quantity/quality of acts or ticket price has never received a sympathetic ear from me. On any given day of any edition of FloydFest there has been a veritable treasure trove of acts, both national and regional, and a buffet of interesting vendors and assorted other characters.

Although past years' events have experienced iffy-to-disastrous weather, attendees still left with a smile on their face. However, this year's event combined world-class entertainers with exceptional organization and the weather was beautiful! One major improvement was that the entertainment on all stages was staggered so that there was not too much “sound bleed” from one stage to another. This also made it more possible to catch every act you might want to see.

As a “Floydirican,” I've always enjoyed the “Floyd County Blockparty” vibe of Floydfest. The organizers, volunteers and many of the participants are fellow Floydians and it is impossible to travel from stage to stage without bumping into a friend or neighbor that you want to catch up with.

I had several memorable experiences as an audience member. The first was “getting religion” during the Campbell Brothers’ Sacred Steel set in the Dance Tent. Later I went from being a ukulele player to a ukulele owner after watching a dazzling set on the Main Stage by virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro. On Sunday I witnessed a timeless and poignant set by David Bromberg's and the Angel Band. I also enjoyed several sets at the Workshop Porch (co-sponsored by the Pickin' Porch), and especially enjoyed the workshops hosted by John Lohman of the Virginia Folklife Program.

As a performer I was more than a little worried about the “Blues Before Sunrise” time-slots for my Saturday and Sunday solo performances – however, these worries were unnecessary as both shows were better attended and received than any of my past FloydFest performances.

The biggest improvement at the Workshop Porch was the quality of sound. Mike Monsiuer, a knowledgeable sound engineer, a nice young man and a dynamite claw hammer banjo player provided the best sound ever at that stage -- thanks Mike! Floyd's own Phil Woddail provided timely and efficient assistance with stage set up and added a little harmonica accompaniment to a few of my numbers.

The last highlight was my workshop with Rory Block, which almost didn't happen due to some “contractual issues.” In the end, Rory was game and we had a blast picking some Delta blues tunes and were joined by surprise guest and new friend “Rockin'” Ron Tuffel from Luxembourg, Belgium.

It seems to me that FloydFest has real come into its own this year, and I expect that many more years of magic are to come. I hope Kris will schedule me to “open” the festival again next year! If you can't wait 'til then, check out the other events produced by Kris and Erika (including a couple of wine festivals and a microbrew festival), at www.floydfest.com.