You asked and we delivered! This is a special occasion as we release new, never before seen footage from RockyGrass Festival 2018, featuring the ArtistWorks Bluegrass All-Stars headlining on the main stage for the first time! 

This magnificent lineup consists of some of the most emblematic bluegrass pickers of our time: Darol Anger (fiddle), Michael Daves (guitar), Mike Marshall (mandolin), Missy Raines (bass), Bryan Sutton (guitar), and Tony Trischka (banjo). Our favorite dobro player, Andy Hall, was missed in his absence due to a heavy touring schedule with his band The Infamous Stringdusters. He was at String Camp during the lead up week and interviewed Sierra Hull before flying out, which we filmed for his students and will be sharing in the near future, so stay tuned! Now for a little ArtistWorks and RockyGrass background and history…

For some time now, ArtistWorks has been sponsoring RockyGrass Festival at the iconic Planet Bluegrass in Lyons, Colorado. We’ve had various members from our Academy of Bluegrass lineup who perform on that special weekend in July, with their respected bands and counterparts. In 2016, at the 44th annual RockyGrass Festival, we were asked to arrange an ArtistWorks set featuring our master musicians.

The set would be short, organic, and hosted on the little side stage. Although the stage was small, the response from the crowd was huge as these musicians lit up the festival and brought some hard driving energy to their set. They didn’t rehearse beforehand, which made it light and whimsical. Maybe it was the altitude or maybe it was just the sweet mountain air, but there was something incredibly magical about these high-caliber musicians coming together and delivering an optimal performance. It was rare, captivating, and so inspiring that it had to be done again!

Without hesitation, we were quickly asked to organize another super jam with these phenomenal pickers. This time, however, they requested that we headline at the main stage. This was a huge accomplishment for us and our musicians as well. What an honor to be asked to play the main stage after throwing together what could have easily been a group pick in the campground! We gladly accepted the invitation, and returned full force in 2018 for an official ArtistWorks Bluegrass All-Stars set!

So there you have it! A fire pick with some next level musicians coming your way! As an added bonus, we recorded some behind the scenes footage of our All-Star’s rehearsing for their big headlining set that we will be releasing soon, along with a various private interviews straight from the ArtistWorks, full-size RockyGrass RV!

So here you go, folks! We’re leaking the 2018 set opener, "Ride the Wild Turkey" with more to come. Think about in terms of BPM bluegrassers; we’re starting off at a nice steady Kentucky Waltz pace at 96 BPM and will be cranking up the speed to a Bluegrass Breakdown at a whopping 170 BPM! Start off slow, find the pocket, end it at hard driving! Here we go, enjoy!

Interested in learning more about our ArtistWorks Bluegrass Allstars? Check out Darol Anger (fiddle), Michael Daves (guitar), Mike Marshall (mandolin), Missy Raines (bass), Bryan Sutton (guitar), and Tony Trischka (banjo). Don’t forget to check out Andy Hall’s mesmerizing, melodic dobro skills!

Not sure if ArtistWorks is right for you? Check out some Free Online Sample Lessons and experience the difference first hand!

Relevant Content
 

Tony Trischka: 70 Years of Music in the Making

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Seven Easy Bluegrass Songs for Mandolin Players

How to Tune a Banjo by Ear