Younger bands kick off Rudy Fest
Jun. 18—HAYES CROSSING — New bands, or relatively new bands, were featured Saturday evening for the opening night of the 22nd Rudy Fest at Hayes Crossing, in Rowan County.
Bluegrass bands with members who have hardly broken the 20-year-old barrier were joined by well-seasoned Kentucky native Jeff Parker, a sideman to the likes of The Lonesome River Band, Joe Mullins and Dailey & Vincent, as Jeff Parker and Company offered classic bluegrass tunes, with a few originals.
Parker has formed a young band around his experience to record and tour under his experienced name.
The Mountain Grass Unit, a trio based in in Birmingham, Alabama, became the crowd favorite by weaving Cajun licks throughout tight bluegrass harmonies and lightning-fast instrumental solos, then inserting classics from the Beatles, The Grateful Dead and The Rolling Stones as genuine bluegrass interpretations.
Louisa native and American Idol standout Noah Thompson made a solo cameo appearance in between scheduled bands to play a couple of songs from his newly released "Middle of God Knows Where" album. Thompson starts a summer tour next week.
The festival music schedule takes a three-day break, with a fish fry Tuesday in honor of the late James Jones, who put on the fry for more than 10 years with his family, then picks up Wednesday with the likes of Billie Renee' and Cumberland Gap, Hammertowne, The Lonesome River Band and Southern Legacy will headline the finale on Saturday.
For more information about the festival, visit rudyfest.com.
