MusicFest ’n Sugar Grove July 10-11
Doc Watson, Kruger Bros., Carolina Chocolate Drops headline

By Frank Ruggiero

Doc Watson will be the first to tell you he’s no critic.

The flatpicking legend from Deep Gap is instead a humble man, respecting musicians’ talent for all it’s worth.
Fortunately, there’s talent aplenty at the 12th annual MusicFest ’n Sugar Grove, to be held Friday and Saturday, July 10-11, at the Old Cove Creek High School in Sugar Grove.

Watson headlines, along with the Kruger Brothers, Carolina Chocolate Drops and the Steep Canyon Rangers.
The lineup also includes local favorites Lost Ridge Band, Upright & Breathin’, Southern Accent, Amantha Mill, Surefire and the Forget-Me-Nots, a cross-section of the High Country’s diverse talent, young to old, bluegrass to newgrass.

Watson enjoys it all, provided the music retains its original sense of self. Concerning the evolution of traditional music in that sense, he said, “Some of it I like, and some of it I don’t, if it goes too far to where it doesn’t even resemble the good ol’ … mountain music.”

For instance, Watson learned during his performances that some audiences might like a Kris Kristofferson tune just as well as an old-time standard.

“I like those old tunes, too, and if somebody takes one of them and disguises it in the so-called evolution and you can’t tell what it is or where it came from, I don’t like that,” he said. “You can fancy one up a little bit without taking completely away from what it originally was. I believe in leaving enough of the feeling the man put in the song.”

The rule even applies to Watson, for instance, when he performs The Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin.”

“A song about love that could never be,” he said of the song, which laments the social barriers that affect relationships, some of which can never be. “There are songs that have so much to say … that was one of the prettiest songs that the Lord ever let a man write. That’s how I feel about some contemporary music – some people call it blues, rock, but I love a lot of different kinds of music. I’d be missing the mark if I didn’t. I’m a musician, not a critic.”

Watson’s reverence for the music he’s played for decades shines through in his picking, his performances heartfelt and sincere, peppered with anecdotes and a razor sharp wit. Songs seem like old friends, and sometimes it’s difficult to leave one out.

“Every time I get on the stage … there’s too many songs I do like that I couldn’t play them every time,” he said. “There are songs that I have played that didn’t have that much to say, if you understand what I mean by that, musically, or didn’t tell much of a story in the song, whether it was a fun tale or something serious, and often I’m likely to include some gospel music in any set I play, because it’s part of the whole deal… The Lord blessed me with a good ear for sound – there’s something there to take the place of eyesight.”

Spirituality and family have played a significant role in Watson’s life. Despite his blindness, when Watson was 14 years old, he was put to work by his father, pulling a cross-cut saw. “I was thankful that I could, and I took the bit between the teeth,” he said.

This led to a self-confidence that would even see Watson travel from Deep Gap to Boone on foot, relying on his red-tipped finder’s stick and the kindness of passersby, who would sometimes offer a ride. When he first met wife Rosa Lee, Watson was but a teenager, making his regular commute, and on that particular day, he was in for a pleasant surprise.

“I was walking the Wildcat Road … and I heard some little feet coming up, and she took me by my right hand and said, ‘I’m going to walk with you,’ and my heart did a flip,” Watson said. “It was young love, the best kind, and it lasted all these years. Been married 66 years – you can’t beat that with a stick, boys.”

Watson will play for the MusicFest crowd – and Rosa Lee – at 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, with grandson Richard Watson and friend Charles Welch. The MusicFest Jam will follow at 10:15 p.m.

For more information, visit www.musicfestnsugargrove.com or call (828) 297-2200.

Performance Schedule

Friday, July 10, Main Stage
3-3:45 p.m. – Upright & Breathin’
4-4:45 p.m. – Southern Accent
5-5:45 p.m. – Andy Owens & 1-800-Bluegrass
6-7:15 p.m. – Kruger Brothers
7:30-8:45 p.m. – Steep Canyon Rangers
9-10:15 p.m. – Carolina Chocolate Drops
10:15-11 p.m. – Open Jam

Friday, July 10, Solar Stage
3-3:40 p.m. – Woodgrain
3:55-4:35 p.m. – Maura Shawn Scanlin
4:50-5:30 p.m. – He Said…She Said
5:45-6:25 p.m. – Lisa Baldwin & Dave Haney
6:40-7:20 p.m. – Dashboard Hula Boys

Saturday, July 11, Main Stage
10-10:45 a.m. – Southern Exposure
11-11:45 a.m. – Sweet Briar Jam
12-12:45 p.m. – Lost Ridge Band
1-1:45 – p.m. – Amantha Mill
2-2:45 p.m. – Cockman Family
3-3:40 p.m. – Lisa Baldwin & Dave Haney
3:50-4:35 p.m. – ETSU Pride
4:45-5:30 p.m. – Surefire
5:40-6:10 p.m. – The Snyder Family
6:20-7:35 p.m. – Carolina Chocolate Drops
7:45-8:45 p.m. – Kruger Brothers
9-10:15 p.m. – Doc Watson with Richard Watson & Charles Welch
10:15-11 p.m. – MusicFest Jam

Saturday, July 11, Solar Stage
11-11:45 a.m. – He Said…She Said
12-12:45 p.m. – Lisa Baldwin & Dave Haney
1-1:45 p.m. - Bob & Ellie with Patty
2-2:45 p.m. – Forget-Me-Nots
3-3:45 p.m. – Southern Exposure
4-5 p.m. – Songwriters’ Showcase
5:15-6 p.m. – Root Pile