Shindig on The Green
July 16, 2008
Hot diggity dog! Summer time in Asheville has officially arrived and that means fun for the whole family at Shindig on the Green. For those of you that are wondering what the hell I’m talking about, it’s a weekly mountain music gathering that occurs during the summertime in downtown Asheville. The former location was at Pack Square which I liked more than the current location. Over the past 2 years, the City has turned Pack Square into a construction zone and prevented social gatherings in this particular area. I can’t complain too much about this because it should turn out to look really nice. You can check out the plans at http://www.packsquarepark.org/
There are plans to include a permanent stage for Shindig performances.
Shindig has survived the last few years thanks to the temporary location at Martin Luther King Jr Park, which is essentially a baseball field. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but it has grown on me. They set the stage up in right field for the sound system performances and have a dance stage beside that for the cloggers. The audience brings in their chairs and blankets for sitting in the outfield. You will find some vending located in center field and then my favorite part in left field, the jam circles.
Please take note: Asheville and Western NC are steeped in rich mountain musical heritage. I have been playing bluegrass music for about 9 years and have been involved in the musical scene in various different areas. The only thing that compares to Asheville from a bluegrass standpoint is Nashville. Most of the pickers there are either starving to death or have sold their soul to a record label. Don’t get me wrong, that’s where you go after you get your PhD in picking. I am definitely not discrediting any of the wonderful players who are enjoying successful careers without selling out. The point of this story is that Asheville contains many “no name” musical geniuses that pop out of the wood work at such venues as Shindig on the Green (there are also many terrible musicians that come out too). That’s all part of the fun.
A big thanks to the Folk Heritage Committee for it’s continued pursuit to keep mountain music and its many traditions alive. Check out their website for more information on Shindig and also on the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival. http://www.folkheritage.org/
Don’t forget to check out my site for Asheville real estate info www.brianbeasley.net
me and some of my pickin' buddies
