Amy’s note: I took Karrin’s photograph to include with this story.

Words by Karrin Pond

Festival photographs by Tyler Sporer of Soundfuse Online Magazine

The moment I walked into the Auditorium Theatre, I couldn’t help but feel that I wasn’t wearing the right outfit for this golden, mosaic landscape that lay before my eyes. However, The Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival was about to ensue with 10 hours of finger pickin’ music that brought along an unexpectedly relaxed atmosphere. People of all shapes and styles were there to enjoy something they had in common –love for bluegrass music. From the Chicago based bands Henhouse Prowlers and The Giving Tree Band to bluegrass legends Del McCoury and David Grisman, there was definitely no shortage of personal style in the entire theatre. Grisman’s magic fingers danced across the mandolin, The Travelin’ McCourys steady baseline kept me tappin’ my feet, while Joe Purdy’s sweet lullabies sung me into an acoustic heaven.  I couldn’t help but feel fortunate to live in a city that both enables and encourages two of the things I love most- music and fashion.

 

Out of all the artists performing I had only seen The Giving Tree Band on NYE when they opened for Cornmeal in Palatine and I have been itching to see more bluegrass ever since. This festival was the perfect fix for my craving. To top it all off lead members of two of my favorite bands- Bill Nershi of the String Cheese Incident and Jeff Austin of Yonder Mountain String Band -ended the night with a final set that brought the energy in the auditorium to a whole new level. Jeff, bursting with excitement gave me the urge to kick off my suede booties and dance barefoot on the velvet chairs for the rest of the evening. So much for feeling underdressed.

 

Whether you love bluegrass or not, your own personal style is out there in Chicago. Take a break free from your usual weekend routine to go out and find it. Make sure to check out weekend two of this awesome festival this Saturday at the Congress Theatre, it might be this month’s best purchase. Click here for more information on the lineup and prices.