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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bluegrass festival expects big turnout

Blue Waters event offers variety of sounds, styles

Wendy Huber Correspondent

MEDICAL LAKE – About a dozen years ago Kevin Brown went to his first bluegrass festival and fell in love. Since it began in 2001, he’s been the music director for the Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival in Medical Lake. The festival started modestly but recently has burst with activity, with over 1,000 people attending in 2007.

“The first few years were real small,” Brown said. “We had probably less than a hundred people out there the first year or two. Then two years ago it started taking off, and last year it just kind of exploded. That park was filled to capacity last year, and will be this year again I’m sure.”

Brown believes its popularity has grown because of its great location and its relaxed, easygoing atmosphere. People come from all over and camp for the weekend, jamming all night after the show. Also, bluegrass encompasses a broad range of styles that appeal to a variety of folks.

“One of the good things about bluegrass is that it draws from a real wide spectrum of people,” Brown said. “I mean, there are very conservative elements and there’s kind of the hippie, progressive element. You get these combinations of people together in one place that normally wouldn’t seem to work, but it works just fine.”

It takes a committee of about eight people to organize Blue Waters. Just two months after the festival, Brown starts talking to bands for next year’s lineup. They all work hard and have learned a lot over the years.

“It was kind of a big, chaotic group the first year or two,” Brown laughs. “It kind of coalesced into a pretty good team of about six to eight people now in various roles.”

Brown plays the mandolin and is in the bluegrass band Big Red Barn. He also hosts a bluegrass show on Spokane Public Radio, KPBX, that’s aired on weekend afternoons.

When choosing the lineup, he tries to encompass the breadth of bluegrass styles, including older and modern, progressive bands.

“In selecting the lineup for Blue Waters, I try to keep this variety without ever straying too far from the main bluegrass sound,” Brown said. “Although we perhaps tilt the age spectrum slightly towards the younger bands, at least for our national headliners, because these are the bands that are going to appeal to the widest spectrum of people who are new to bluegrass.”

The festival will also offer workshops on banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar and, new this year, songwriting. Twelve bands will be playing this year, with headliners The Greencards and The Infamous Stringdusters closing the festival. There also will be food and craft vendors, and new this year will be a shuttle running all day from parking areas in town.

Blue Waters is in partnership with the Inland Northwest Bluegrass Association, of which Brown is a member. They are one of the big sponsors, as well as Northern Quest Casino. Part of the proceeds will benefit Medical Lake Dollars for Scholars, Medical Lake Friends for Children and Medical Lake Outreach.

“And the city of Medical Lake has been tremendous in their support,” Brown said. “No way the festival would work without their support. We really appreciate it.”

And what is Brown’s favorite part of the festival?

“Oh the music, of course, and the music nerds,” said Brown, smiling. “And getting to choose the lineup is like having a dream come true.”

Reach correspondent Wendy Huber at wendhuber@lycos.com.