One of the great things about roots music is its Gothic legacy of cautionary tales, ghost stories, murder ballads, messages to the infirmed, and other such methods of macabre that allow country and roots artists to paint in dark colors when they so choose. This makes roots music one of the best realms to draw from when putting together your Halloween playlist.
Today, 86-year-old bluegrass maestro Ralph Stanley announced that he will be embarking on an 80-show farewell tour beginning October 16th entitled the Man Of Constant Sorrow Tour: The Dr.’s Farewell. At 86-years-old, the frail Stanley’s best performance days are probably in the past, but if you’re wondering if it is worth seeing Ralph Stanley on his last go round, I couldn’t encourage it more deeply.
The first year of the Muddy Roots Festival was about breaking ground. The second was about breaking even. The third year will be about breaking the mold of everything a music festival can be. Muddy Roots isn’t just a festival my friends. No. It’s an act of solidarity. It is a force of the collective Will of real roots fans united from disparate backgrounds, coming together to say “We are here, and things can work differently.”