Newspapers / The Yancey Journal (Burnsville, … / April 6, 1972, edition 1 / Page 11
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. ----- ■r I I 7 .. ’apl n[> 1 (Rh^^l^HFl ’’jgm&g AnTiJI 9j% A' 9 ' •y^a^'/B IHB4IHHhHm4.v"aiBB rWSHff/ Organizer Pierce Van Hoy fpj HHK|^ v r---Virn-:--; A Believer In Bluegrass —iim Iliß 11—. s3||L*g4j —... a. No Generation Gap Where Blue Grass Is Concerned «• • t dKCUHL , kg. %'fA" v -' jVßfll /I IBNBpy Ronnie Stoneman (center) hf the Famous Stoneman Family W* A- ■ Union Grove Blue Grass New Interest In Traditional Music ... __*« . J»t~ Bluegrass music is growing in popularity. Proof of tie new . interest in this traditional form of American music v/as seen over the past weekend at the Old Time Fiddlers Convention, north of Statesville at Union Grove. _ . Not too many years ago the annual festival attracted a few thousand Bluegrass fans, but in this,its 48th year, attendance was estimated at 50,00 Q and old, short hairs and long hairs—all bluegrass fans. "We had to close the gates - ,» . ■ A Friday morning, " said a con vention official, "but they're still coming. " The gates opened on Wednesday and as late as Saturday $5 tickets v«re ' still selling fast. Care were left parked along roadsides for over a mile in both directions from the main entrance, and traffic was backed up for miles most of the day Saturday, as law enforcement,officials tried to keep the mass of automo - biles moving. v Every Easter weekend thou sands of music fans begin pour ing into tills small community in North Iredell County, for - the cattle from the 75- Acre pasture where the conven tion is held. By Saturday, the pasture and wooded area sur rounding the big colorful circus type tent where the actual com petition is held, had been . . turned into a 75-acre mud hole by the chilling that fell on the campsites until Friday. But the bad weather or the mud didn't seem to bqfjier those who had waited for three days, in their cars, tents, vans and campers for the competition to begin. "After wading in a foot of - mad for three days, you either have to love it or hate it, and I'm beginning, tc.like it, " said a girl wi.th_blonde hair to her Waist and an ankle length dress that dragged in the mud. The crowd, mostly young people with long hair and wear ing faded jeans, looked more like they were waiting for a rock festival than the world „ championship bluegrass compe tition. But the sound around the campgrounds was unmis - takeably bluegrass, as crew cut and long hairs got out thsir banjos, guitars, fiddles and harmonicas for a brief "jam session" outside a tent or by a campfire. A number of youtliful mer chants were peddling their wares in sjjots around the camp grounds, Some were selling handmade Items such as belts, . candles, and pottery and dulci-' mers. Others sold more com - mercial items such as T-shirts, books, records, bumper stick ers and buttons. License plates on parked vehicles represented a wide variety- of places. Flo rida, NeW York, Connecticut, Missouri, Texas, Colorado, Ca nada, and Alaska were only a few of the plates seen. '1 come, every year, no mat ter where I am, " sgid one young man, "and this year I was in Denver. " Despite the large crowd, there was little trouble fran tie grouty according to law enforoe . ment officials. There were only a few drug arrests, and the first aid tent set up near the main tent treated only Puts ani scratches. Pierce Van Hoy, organizer of the event, said that more than enough toilet facilities were provided, and that there Were two large wells to supply - water for the crowd. V|H|||||lM Some People Didn’t Care About Music Or Mud ,V tN '- I The Weather Wasn’t Fit For People Or Dogs * - • •-. . 4 'v ------:-; ._ • Saturday night when the fi nal hours of competition got underway, the main tent,which holds about 20, 000 was filled to capacity. As the judge? made their choices for world champions in the different ca tegories, the shaggy haired, casually dressed audience, cOf- 1 vered with mud to their knees, roared their approval of the judges choices. At a high point in,the ex citement,‘one Os the modera tors, Doug Mayes, said,lVhere is. this generation gap'alTthese people have been talking about? I certainly don't see it hereto . night. " And neither did most of the people who had gath.-r --~ed in Union Grove for three glorious days of bluegrass mu sic. v N Union Grove Story and Photos By Jody Higgins 75 Acres Os Mud Didn't Dampen Enthuasium jS||& .* ( ~ - yIP-Bffy JKBiMiM-%/ World Champion Bluegrass Band, Tom Smith And The Bluegrass Experience - 'i§ ™ wSt - Fiddling, Picking and Singing In The Bluegrass Tradition “ BLUE WATER, WHITE DEATH; INCLUDES SOME OF THE MOST SMASHING MAN-AGAINST-BEAST FOOTAGE EVER FILMED BY ANYONE ANYWHERE AT ANY TIME! The film is superbly realized!” —Vincent Canby, New York Times “ABSOLUTELY / BREATH-TAKING, GASP-PRODUCING!” ''-.. —Judith Crist, NBC Today Show >i V. •V ; -;:VV ' f| JL “CAPTIVATING! ) % An almost hallucin atory suspense. It is more than just a cinematic high!” “ —Stefan Kanfer. Time Magazine 1 wlli^f^i'MJß tX' •-»A 1 ! “SPECTACULAR! FASCINATING! , ‘Blue Water, White Death’ I is well-worth seeing!” \WM —Stuart Klein, Metromedia . “- .At ... ■ ..;^j “BLUE WATER, WHITE DEATH” The hunt for the Great White Shark aB A CINEMA CENTER FILMS PRESENTATION Produced byPETERGIMBEL Directed by PET ER GIMBEL end JAMES LtPSCOMB . ) l| l|l|| l f 1 I |lr "M IT V TECHNICOLOR* A NATIONAL GENERAL PICTURES RELEASE [G]" 5 - _» YANCEY THEATRE April 11 -Two Showings Nightly 7 ML * CHILDREN .75 m i ♦ P*. ADULTS 1.50 L a ■■■■— . . ; -"■■■ THE YANCEY JOURNAL, , MITCHELL OBSERVER PAGE 11 . APRIL 6, 1972
The Yancey Journal (Burnsville, N.C.)
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April 6, 1972, edition 1
11
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