Yet Another California Trip...
 The
Author All photos Copyright
© 2000 NWBN
WELL, MAY CAME and we went - to visit our daughter in San Francisco. We had lots of bluegrass in the City and around and a few gigs, but the first Good Thing came from an excited Mike Hall: "You're all coming down to the Open Day in Golden Gate park?" Well, of course! And what a super day! The NCBS had reserved a large chunk of the park, Marx Meadow, for anyone to come and jam and/or perform, with a barbecue thrown in and BYOB in the lovely sunshine. We knew so many of the folks - it was great! We met many more. We were persuaded to join the performers (acoustic, on a grassy knoll) and did so in two groups. First there was Belle Monroe and Her Brewglass Boys in which I played banjo, with Pam (guitar/vocals) Ted Silverman (mando/vocals) Rick Hendricks (dobro) and Tom Drohan (bass). Then The Almost Bluegrass Band played with Jean, Pam, Ted, Tom and myself. And I can honestly say we all did really well.
Every visit brings its' surprises and this was no exception. Apart from the ritual of watching the Sunday night Simpson's show in the Toronado on Haight and following the Chazz Cats around, Pam always fixes up something different. This time it was "We're all invited up to Cactus Bob and Prairie Flower's place in the Gold Country - it's the annual La Grange Fiddle and Banjo Contest and Bob's organised a weekend-long party and camping at his place there."
On the first pass we drove right through La Grange, in the beautiful, historic California Gold Country, without really noticing it... a real tiny backwater that time left behind. Following the sound of music in the direction of louder we eventually found Cactus Bob's place - quite a large spread with several small buildings and caravans/trailers on it, with a lot of grass to camp on and the Tuolomne River for its' northern boundary. "Hey, ya'll come in now - waddya drinkin?" Cactus Bob had built a bar in his yard (rear garden) which had me fooled… for all the world it was a real bar, with bar stools, flashing 'Bud' signs, beer pumps, meers (as in "Meer, meer, on the wall.."), optics, a cigar store Indian and a giant, inflatable cactus! In fact, it fooled the cops too, who raided us and tried to shut us down, reading out various ordinances from scrolls. They took a lot of convincing that it was a private party with no money changing hands. I eventually decided to make one of them famous....
There was music, music, music. Oh, and did I mention the music? Not all bluegrass, but all real good stuff. Jam sessions here, there, everywhere. Laid back, man. And Cactus Bob too - there was no way of stopping this incredible fiddler / multi-instrumentalist! The way these Gold Country foothills people live rips me up. Two long-bearded guys seemingly never left Bob's home-made barstools all weekend, except to take a leak. They really fancied our daughter and wanted to marry her. And they were real suitors, too, negotiating with me for her hand in marriage! It went something like this:
"Hey, I wanna marry your daughter… waddya reckon - you mind? Waddya
say?" Then it was dinner time. Catered, too. Barbecue chicken, veg, gourmet potato salad, pasta with parmesan cheese, black olives and garlic, and strawberry shortcake for dessert: $2 More music and some folks slept - free camping. Then breakfast at the festival site: Stack of pancakes, omelet, bacon, orange juice and coffee: $3.
At La Grange Prairie Flower was dishing out buffalo stew and cornbread. Next another session of beer, wine, whiskey. And tequila shots - it was Cinque de Mayo - a big day in Mexico. A lot more music then... busted by the cops again! That evening scratch bands were arranged. In one variety, new to me, your name and an instrument name were drawn out and you played it; amazingly the results weren't awful! It was hard work, but someone has to do it... I was in a band called (for reasons I dare not explain in a family publication!) The Blow Mob, while Jean was in The Stumblebums
Sunday we all went up to the Fiddle and Banjo contests, which were held in the schoolhouse and grounds. Real nice affair, with contests going all day for fiddle and banjo, plus guitar, dobro and vocals. I explained last time how Pam and Jean signed up for the vocals contests.Pam performed solo and for her first number sang thie very appropriate song Mining For Gold (a-cappela) before accompanying herself on guitar for the rousing song Hey, Bartender! Jean sang Pretty Saro (a cappela) followed by the very up-beat I Need A Song, with me and Pam (on bass) backing her. All competitions were marked by teams of four judges who scored on presentation, timing, pitch, tuning, interpretation, choice of material and delivery, so giving a genuine overall performance mark. It also meant that the best picker, etc., didn't necessarily win.
The terrific outcome was that Jean won Third Prize and Pamela First Prize, (see photo) all against respectable competition! All winners were presented with a cheque and a beautiful, hand-carved, wooden trophy to keep! These guys just know how to organise things. We're thinking of organising a Gold Country Saloon Vacation Tour. Drop into San Francisco, do the tourist bit. Then Highway 49, stopping / camping at selected saloons along the way. Open to NW UK musicians/singers only, 10 places. Every night a riot with free beer and the tip jar, maybe something from the house and possibly accommodation. Otherwise camping. During the day do the Gold Country tourist bit, hiking, walking, swimming or just recovering and gaining strength for the next night… before ending up at a festival...
Derek Brandon, Chester Also in this series: Gotta Make That California Trip and Another California Trip
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Saturday
afternoon we went up to laid-back Greely Hill to look at Yosemite Sam's bar,
which was up for sale for $150,750. We thought maybe a gang of 10 could buy
it… We arrived, then someone recognised Pam and got her singing in the
bar. Someone else produced a guitar and we started a hooley. The free beer
started flowing but we had to leave to get back to the wild scene at La
Grange… pity. But if we hadn't left then we'd have been there yet…
or dead.
