Music festival displays bluegrass talent

Andy Knight, The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind.
·2 min read

Aug. 1—ANDERSON — If quarantining during the pandemic had a silver lining for Eric Reel and Louie Morris, it was the opportunity to spend extended time honing their skills as an up-and-coming bluegrass band.

"We had to make good from bad," Reel said. "We practiced so much during quarantine, and it's nice to put the oil to the machine and get to it."

Their talent on acoustic guitar and banjo was on display Saturday at the Shadyside Bluegrass Festival, a free event that welcomed more than 200 spectators who brought lawn chairs to Shadyside Park to enjoy a full afternoon of bluegrass jams.

The festival, sponsored by the White River Folk & Bluegrass Club, recruited bluegrass bands from all across the state. Organizer Dennis Niccum said the goal was a simple one.

"It's not about politics, and it's not about religion," Niccum said. "It's about getting together and playing music."

As each band finished its set, members of the next group to perform waited off stage and offered compliments and encouragement. Some of the musicians pointed to the camaraderie among the bands as one example of the sense of supportive community that seems to define bluegrass music in this part of the state.

"The people who are involved with it are all good people," said Stanley Sallee, who plays acoustic guitar for the Blue Holler Band from Knox, Indiana. "The music's good, you can tap your foot to it, and it's just a good bunch of folks."

Reel and Morris formed their band, the Boozehounds, after meeting during a jam session at a bar in Sheridan six years ago. Both men are self-taught musicians who enjoy a variety of genres. But bluegrass, Reel said, is magnetic to him.

"I got drawn in by the atmosphere," he said. "I've always loved acoustic instruments. Even though I love metal music and funk and soul and jazz, acoustic instruments have drawn me over the years."

Playing at festivals like Saturday's event, he said, gives him a chance to network with other musicians and bounce ideas — and riffs — off others who share his passion for the music.

"The goal is not to see who's better than everyone else," Reel said. "That's what makes it a community — we grow from each other and learn. It's ever evolving in a way. The songs stay the same but the playing styles grow different, depending on the players."

Follow Andy Knight on Twitter @Andrew_J_Knight, or call 765-640-4809.