Bean Blossom, Indiana

9/26/09: Bill Monroe's Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival. Here was a great show. It took most of the day and a good part of the evening to get from Eureka Springs, AR., to Bean Blossom, IN. Saturday was the last night of the show, due to end at midnight, and I still had to pay full price when I arrived a little after 9PM. It was pouring rain. But worth every penny. I was led to a densely packed RV camp area, and got a ride back to the stage on the escort's golf cart. Jessie McReynolds and his band was playing. 86 year old Jessie was absolutely ripping on his mandolin. I was so glad to be able to hear him. Then Ralph Stanley came on. I'd seen Ralph here in Tampa at Skipper's Smokehouse a couple of years ago, and he put on a great show, but this performance at Bean Blossom really changed how I thought about his music. He's a true gentleman and grand musical performer. He gracefully and professionally handled the audience, small as it was under their umbrellas, sang and led the band through a number of his old tunes, including "Man of Constant Sorrow". I was carefully watching his guitar player. I didn't remember him from the show in Tampa, but won't soon forget his relaxed, delicate, and detailed flatpicking. His Martin D28 projected magnificent tones, great rhythms, and graceful leads through each of the numbers. He's got a way of making the licks look easy. James Shelton is a true professional and deserves all the accolades available. After Ralph Stanley performed, J.D. Crowe and The New South came on. They just couldn't hold a candle to Ralph's performance, but then too, the rain was still beating down and thinning the crowd. The Grascals were due to close out the night, but the rain had erased my desire to stay, my hat was beginning to soak through, and I was fairly exhausted. I decided to head back to camp and set up for the night. Unfortunately, I never did stay the night, and pulled out to start my trip East that night. My camper/trailer situation doesn't accommodate the rain very well, at least not setting up in the rain. It's just too dangerous to try to unload the motorcycle with a wet ramp. Of course, in order to lower the bunks and to sleep in the trailer, the motorcycle must come out. When it's raining, the tailgate is slick as can be, and navigating the 450 pound bike down the wet ramp is just too much, especially in the dark, while fatigued. I'd had one incident with the slippery tailgate a few years ago, and still have the scar from it. And it's just so much easier drive and to find a nicer site to camp than it is to struggling with unloading in a difficult area. Plus, what is it about leaving that's so attractive to me. Leaving has it's own set of rewards. I've known this for years, but that's another story altogether.