Harvest Jam 2017

MBOTMA's  Harvest Jam 2017 is in the books.  The Daredevils played an acoustic set  (look Ma!  No microphones!) during Happy hour while folks were waiting to be seated for the banquet.   It was a fun set.  We thought we were going to just be background noise but folks were pretty attentive.  It was nice :)

So the old joke is that we all have a  drug problem.    At some point, someone drug us to a bluegrass festival and now we're hooked.   To extend the analogy, If music was like alcohol, a festival would be  a 3 day bender.   Harvest Jam was the very first festival I ever attended.   It starts on Friday, checking into the hotel, seeing friends you haven't seen since the last festival, making new friends and jamming....... If you quit and go to bed before 2 am you're a rookie!   At this particular festival there are also "theme jams" centered around  special interests like Gospel, Country, Old Time Fiddle, Progressive  Bluegrass and even a Singers Jam (No fiddle tunes allowed!)    There is a band contest, an open stage, workshops and main stage shows featuring local and international talent.   This years headliners, the Malina Brothers put on an amazing show.    The Minnesota Association of Songwriters had their own room and hosted original music jams, workshops and open mic performances.  And then there was a partnership with the Greater Minnesota Ukelele group bringing more stage shows, workshops and fun for devotees of the Ukelele!   All in all another really FUN weekend!    That is the bottom line.  It's fun!