Last Call! Freshgrass Tickets Prices Increase Tomorrow…and Line Up Announced Then Too!

From Freshgrass’s Facebook post this morning “Today is your last chance to get early worm tickets to FreshGrass 2017. Ticket prices increase on March 15 when we announce our kickin’ lineup. Stay tuned, stay warm, and if you’re snowed in today — just dream about the bluegrass heaven that awaits you on September 15-17.”

 

 Well, we are getting it up here in Vermont. I just headed out to the general store to fill up the old gas can in case we have to take down a tree or snowblow ourselves out after this 12-18 inches that is predicted so thinking of standing at the top of Joe’s Field or wandering through art installations to see pickers and grinners playing in every nook and cranny of Mass MoCa is a welcome thought right about now. You should be heading over to http://freshgrass.com/ to pick up your ticket today, but as we wait for tomorrow’s announcement and September to get here we would like to make a few premonitions and hopes for a couple names gracing the line up as it is announced. Here we go…

“I’m With Her” – The trio took a bit of a breather last year after  hitting the first year of their “officially named” collaboration hitting many stages all over the place in 2015. 2016 saw solo releases from all three of the songstresses in the band…and all three of them were fantastic. The ladies will be playing a few choice shows alongside Punch Brothers and Julian Lage this summer, including a few big fests. Crossing our fingers for a return to the Freshgrass stage this Fall.

Sarah Jarosz – If we don’t get an “I’m With Her” set (or hell, if we do get that as well) I am hopeful for the newly minted Grammy winner to take to the stage all her own…or with her current band. 

Michael Daves – Daves’ project with Chris Thile still spins constantly on my virtual record table. Their takes on traditional music has inspired me more than I can say. Michael’s latest album…well, double album I suppose played with tradition in another way. Recording classics in the bluegrass fashion, and then the same songs in an electric, rock n’ roll way that only his vocal could create. With Chris, the bluegrass allstars he recruited for that portion of “Orchids and Violence” or with Wax Lion…doesn’t matter. Just would love to see this gent in September.

Mandolin Orange – I really thought we would get an appearance last year from Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin (plus their fantastic band) but alas, we didn’t. With Blindfaller making such a big splash for the group last year and not making an appearance in North Adams in a couple years, I think its due time to wrangle them back in with the quartet.

Sam Bush – Last year we had Ricky Skaggs and it wouldn’t be a Freshgrass fest without at least one mandolin legend. 8 strings and whole hell of a lot of hard pickin. 

The Boston Wildcard: There is a close relationship between Freshgrass and the Roots community embedded in the Boston/Cambridge area. This year there are a few acts I would love to see up on that stage, but if I had to narrow it down to three I would have to go with Lula Wiles, Sumner & Moss or The Stash Band.

Who are you all looking forward to catching?