We still have some dogwoods, and the native azalea (flame azalea or R. calendulaceum to the botanists) is in its glory. These are the beautiful orange azaleas that grow wild in well drained soils.
The Trout Festival is Saturday in the downtown Blue Ridge Park. Here’s the music lineup according to Trout Unlimited’s press release.
From 11:30 am to 1 pm Blue Blood opens the Beer Garden Stage with a collection of songs that tip toward guitar-oriented indie rock, rustic melodies amid roots-country and folk produced with updated methods. What began as a solo project for songwriter Hunter Morris of Athens, the process of making demos in solitude and trying to find a new voice for his songs led him to send his songs to Hank Sullivant, a founding member of The Whigs (Athens). Sullivant immediately assumed a more involved producer/instrumentalist role. Morris and Sullivant recruited J.J. Bower to play the drums, as well as keyboardist Dave Spivey, and will release on April 28 the debut Blue Blood LP, This Is The Life, on the This Is American Music label.
From 1:30 to 3 pm the Dave Anderson Band delivers a sound reminiscent of the old Southern blues men injected with a modern, songwriting feel. This combination makes Dave and his band an outstanding live act that mixes blues, funk, soul, rock, and Americana in a truly unique way. Born and raised in Gainesville, Dave’s roots sink deep into Georgia red clay. Whether he’s pickin’ in the Mississippi Delta or headlining on Beale Street in Memphis, Dave says his style grows from “influences that have always been hard to put in a category. I just try to have fun on stage and not over-think it.” Words that come to mind when speaking of Dave’s music are artist, songwriter, Southern and lefty.
From 3:30 to 5 pm Thomas Fountain closes the stage while creating country music at its core. His soulful delivery with a vintage feel puts you in his story that is reflected in every song he writes. Born and raised in the mountains of North Georgia, Fountain has been entertaining audiences for several years but decided in 2013 to take a different direction with his music. It paid off as he was named 2014 Georgia Country Male Artist of the Year and 2014 Georgia Overall Artist of the Year. Influenced by songwriters such as Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson and Mo Pitney, Fountain chose to go against the grain to create lyrics that are honest and relatable. His most recent EP, Just Like You, and his new direction for his songwriting skills have quickly garnered the attention of many in the industry, allowing him the opportunity to open for such acts as Chris Stapleton, Trace Adkins and Joe Diffe. Fountain’s goal is growing his fan base nationwide and interacting with as many of his fans as possible. He is already a local favorite, and he says he can’t wait to take his music across the country to the people who support his music, his story and his journey through the music he loves.
The food lineup looks good, too, with Cousins Maine Lobster (fresh lobster rolls), Cape Pies (meat pies), Williamson Bros. Barbecue, Angel Fire, Sugar Rush (fried Oreo’s) and Mercier Orchards (hard cider, fried pies, donuts and hot reuben sandwiches).
I posted the full press release previously, with all the activities. Among other things, you can learn to fly fish at the festival.