Paradise Valley Music Festival: “Great music in a spectacular place”
Published: August 19, 2010
The David Grisman Quintet, James McMurtry and The Infamous Stringdusters headline the inaugural Paradise Valley Music Festival, Aug. 29 at Luccock Park Camp near Livingston.
Mike Long of Blackbird Productions teamed up with Sean Devine to create a festival that’s “all about bringing great music to a spectacular place.” They hired Joanne Gardner and Tom Garnsey of Vootie Productions “to make sure we were on track to produce and host a top-shelf event,” says Long.
Internationally known writer and comedian Rich Hall emcees the festival, which also features performances by Otis Lee Crenshaw, Two Story Ranch and Friends and Ben Bullington.
“I think the concert will have a little taste of everything musically,” Long says. “Although each artist is different, you could easily hear them on the same KGLT show – bluegrass, Dawg, and rock ’n roll!”
The festival venue, Luccock Park Camp, offers a spacious, manicured lawn at the base of the Absaroka Mountains. Although the camp could accommodate 5,000 people, organizers are selling only 1,500 tickets.
“Luccock Park gives a festival-goer an opportunity to literally be in a wildland listening to music,” says Gardner. “Beauty. Small crowd. Amazing music. Great food – it’s all here.”
The festival also offers kids’ activities (with children under 12 admitted free), food and beverage vendors and music-related art and crafts, including drum and guitar makers.
Proceeds fund rural educational projects in Park County, where Long and Devine’s children attend school. “Funding is always an issue with any educational program or facility,” says Long. “If we can support local schools and educational programs while entertaining thousand of folks the event is assured success.”
Luccock Park is on a restricted forest service road, so festival producers will be providing free shuttles from the bottom of the hill to the festival site, to ensure no damage to the wilderness on either side of the road. Shuttles will run constantly, and there will be some handicapped parking available at the site.
Music begins at noon and tickets are $42-$48 ($250 for V.I.P. seating and hospitality). Call 406-222-3322 or visit http://www.paradisevalleyfestival.com for details.
About the headliners
David Grisman – For over 45 years, mandolinist/composer David Grisman has been busy creating “dawg” music, a blend of many stylistic influences (including folk, swing, bluegrass, Latin, jazz and gypsy) so unique he gave it it’s own name. In doing so, David has inspired a whole new genre of acoustic string instrumental music – with style and virtuosity, while creating a unique niche for himself in the world of contemporary music.
Praised for his mastery of the instrument as well as his talents as a composer, bandleader, teacher and record producer by The New York Times, Grisman’s role as an acoustic innovator continues to grow. After recording for several major and independent labels, Grisman founded his own company, Acoustic Disc, in 1990, and has since produced over 60 critically acclaimed, sonically superior recordings of acoustic music (five of which have been nominated for Grammy Awards).
James McMurtry – The Texas native has long been known as an astute, clear-eyed observer and concise, no-holds-barred chronicler of the human condition. But his growing socio-political edge fairly exploded just prior to the 2004 elections when his scathing "We Can't Make It Here" was made available as a free download. The seven-plus-minute diatribe against social injustice has been viewed more than 150,000 times on YouTube.
The Infamous Stringdusters – The band wields an expansive repertoire, touching on masters from Jimmy Martin to John Hartford, but their strength lies in their original compositions. The live Stringdusters experience is anti-formulaic, groove friendly, and mind-expanding – not your grandaddy's bluegrass. Unless your grandaddy was Jerry Garcia …
