WEB FEATURE:Pickers Paradise Bluegrass Festival
If you're not familiar with the culture, the word "Picker" might not sound like it refers to a musician.  But in the bluegrass community, pickers are the men and women keeping the music alive and strong.  Most pickers are not professionals.  They gather in picking circles and in people's homes, drawn together to play traditional American music - to show off their skills on acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, stand-up bass, harmonica, or fiddle (don't you dare call it a violin).
            Max Tillman is a local fiddle legend.  He and his family put on a twice-yearly bluegrass event called the Pickers Paradise Bluegrass Festival.  On a stage by the Ocklocknee River in Georgia, the best of the local community share the spotlight with national touring acts.  The music never stops coming during the festival days at Pickers Paradise Park - and true to the artform, some of the best picking is found in the parking lot. 
            outloud chose to visit this festival in May of 2007 to catch up with some old friends and make some new ones.  The festival's headliner, Alecia Nugent, is a new friend. The Hickory Grove, Louisiana native was the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America 's Traditional Female Vocalist of the Year for 2007.  We also caught up with Cowlick, a band whose members have all been on the outloud set with either Singing Biscuit (2003), Fifth Gear (2004), and/ or The Mayhaws (premiering in the Spring of 2008).  Some footage from the festival will also make it into an upcoming episode featuring the Bottom Dollar Boy$, who took the stage at Pickers Paradise with Max Tillman.  We also met, for the first time, a group called Fresh Picked - so called because two out of their four members were "fresh" to bluegrass when the group started.  You'd never know it by listening to them, though. The harmonies on their "old country" songs are worth noting, as well. 
            Our crew had a lot of fun at the event, and we hope you have fun watching this re-cap!