The Bluegrass festival at La Roche s/Foron is pretty cool, it’s in the center of this small town that is situated not too far south of Geneva (a beautiful area just north of the French alps), is free, it lasts four days and if the groups on stage aren’t enough for you, many of the bands can be found playing in the streets or while sitting around a table at a local café. This year the weather was sunny and warm, perfect for hanging out and getting fat on bluegrass music.
Many of the bands are from Europe or Czechoslovakia (apparently the capital of Bluegrass this side of the Atlantic ocean) with three “special guest” bands from the States. It’s a contest too, judged by the amount of clapping by audience (or something like that). We listened to a bunch of bands both Friday and Saturday evenings, and I remembered to take my sketchbook on Saturday which is fortunate since that way I have one of the Hickory Project to post, one of the bands I enjoyed the most.
My niece B. borrowed a page and brush pen to make her own drawing based on a sketch of two musicians playing for a children’s concert Saturday afternoon. It was also amusing to browse through the many stands vending “original country western Americana” American Indian and other junk stuff.