The closest theme park to where I live is 45 minutes away in Branson. Silver Dollar City has some really unique festivals, and currently they have a "Bluegrass & Barbeque" theme going on. Some great pure bluegrass bands from all around the States (or at least the South) come for about 3 weeks of hootin' & hollerin'. I was able to go last weekend and decided to bring my sketchbook along to try my hand at capturing the essence of some of the musicians. I got Rhonda Vincent's whole band to sign her's, and I am still cleaning up a drawing of a new young band from Florida called Flatt Lonesome which I will post soon.
I am sincerely impressed with anyone who can play more than one instrument (well), and that tends to be a common occurrence in bluegrass musicians. The tight family voice harmonies are really the hook that I appreciate - gives me chills when it is just right. I am not a fan of modern country music at all, but any kind of roots music can light my barn on fire. I just made up that phrase.
Above is the caricature I did of Rhonda Vincent, seven-time International Bluegrass Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year. She is from Northeast Missouri where my parents were raised and she even wrote a song about my dad's cousin Leona. Her band seemed to enjoy the drawing.
