SoundQuilt

Camping

I hadn’t been camping since I was a teenager, and I faced this challenge with a bit of FUD, but everything went great. I spent the first day mostly setting up camp and trying to stay dry. We had a great setup, which included a nice portable shelter. The first day was a little light on the music, mostly due to intermittent rain and the occasional downpour. But we stayed mostly dry, had plenty to eat, and when there was music, we listened.

The Soundquilt Music Festival

The festival was located at the beautiful Campgrounds of The Cove in the mountains of Gore, Virginia. The festival is the brainchild of Walnut Grove Band’s Mark Stewart, and he rallies some really good bands from around Virginia, Maryland and the DC area. Walnut Grove Band played on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. I have a prior review of their music here, and they were even better at the show that they headlined.

Not all of the bands were to my liking, but I did enjoy all of the music. Below are some notes about some of the music that really stood out to me.

On Saturday was an authentic bluegrass ensemble, the Orchard Boys, which hail from Frederick, MD. They have a great sound, and do an incredible cover of Green Day’s music, except they do it with a banjo and an upright bass.

Family Tree also impressed me. They are a progressive rock band from the Norfolk, VA area, which features an electric violin as an accompanying instrument. They have a rich, mature sound and the music is vibrant and fun.

Laidback is a Reston, VA based band with an expert sound that is marked most vividly by its percussion section. They have the widest range of original music that is a blend of jazz, groove and funk.

Each of the bands, even those not mentioned,helped make for a great and fun weekend, and thanks go out to Mark and Becky for all of their hard work in pulling off a great event.