Less than 80 days away. Looks like a pretty decent lineup this year, including:

- Sam Bush
- The Carolina Chocolate Drops FSat
- Donna The Buffalo
- Jerry Douglas
- Nashville Bluegrass Band
- Old Crow Medicine Show
- Tony Rice
- Peter Rowan
- Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder
- Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mtn Boys
- Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
- Dan Tyminski Band
- Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
- Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet featuring Bela Fleck, Casey Driessen & Ben Sollee
- Doc Watson

Among others, of course.

Who else is planning on going?

2/4/2008 4:29:55 PM

the Avett Brothers will be there too. It does sound like a pretty damn good lineup.

I wouldn't mind going this year.


http://www.merlefest.org/MerleFestCMS/default.aspx





and damn, i won't be able to attend. DROD900's wedding weekend.

[Edited on February 4, 2008 at 4:51 PM. Reason : add]

2/4/2008 4:49:30 PM

I'm thinking of just buying a ticket for Friday (so I can go see the Avett Brothers)

Anyone ever bought a one day ticket? Who else should I see on Friday (if I can get off work)?

2/4/2008 5:36:33 PM

You can get one-day tickets, and if thats all you can do, I'd go for it.

As for other bands on Friday I recommend:

- Carolina Chocolate Drops: learned about them last year and I liked them a lot.
- Doc is playing Friday, you pretty much have to go see him if you're going to MerleFest.
- Tony Rice is playing with the John Cowan band. If you're going to be around towards the afternoon you really shouldn't miss Tony.
- Peter Rowan is playing around the same time, I think they overlap but offset a bit, so you could conceivably see both.

As a matter of fact, Peter Rowan will be playing with Tony Rice for a half hour starting at 9:45 and then the Avett Bros. kick off at 10:15, so you could see all of the above.

2/5/2008 9:23:38 AM

I'm hoping to go again this year....

2/5/2008 9:55:37 AM

Well at least I know of one person who'll go with me.

2/5/2008 4:46:22 PM

i wish i could go friday to see the Avetts cause they aren't stopping by anywhere else near here for a long time.

2/5/2008 5:09:20 PM

I'm thinking about going.


I don't I'll be able to make it though.

2/6/2008 9:24:58 AM

what are the dates again?

wise to buy my ticket now you think?

2/11/2008 7:54:12 PM

dates 4/24 - 4/27

yep buy tickets now, prices go up after 3/15

i'll be there camping @ river's edge.

anyone camped at river's edge before? wondering how strict they are with the 'no alcohol' policy. i don't plan on being wasted the whole time but it would be nice to be able to enjoy some beers with my friends.

2/12/2008 11:09:47 AM

How likely is this to sell out? My girlfriend is wanting to go, as do I, but I don't know when exactly I'll be in NC in April yet.

2/13/2008 7:36:01 AM

it doesn't sell out, they just keep selling tickets. this is what they told me when i called last year after the festival had already started. so i drove up and was able to get tickets no problem.

2/13/2008 9:46:37 AM

My tickets arrived in the mail today. I'll be on the river by Thursday night

3/10/2008 1:24:55 PM

Seems like all the good stuff is happening the weekend before exams this year Widespread is playing that weekend, and there's MerleFest. At least Shakori Hills is the weekend before!

3/10/2008 4:33:09 PM

I'll go since the Avetts are playing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFOT-W-5CDs

for real, I wanna go

^ widespread in DC right?

[Edited on March 10, 2008 at 4:36 PM. Reason : !]

3/10/2008 4:36:25 PM

Nope, in Raleigh. April 25 and 26.

3/10/2008 4:43:36 PM

I'd go if Merle was playing.

3/10/2008 4:46:14 PM

^^oh thats right, I thought for some reason dc


I'll go to merlefest to see the Avetts if you're down


^ lets go anyway

[Edited on March 10, 2008 at 4:47 PM. Reason : .]

3/10/2008 4:46:57 PM

all i would want to see is OCMS, Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs and Rhonda Vincet. Not worth the time, money or effort.

3/10/2008 4:49:09 PM

I hear ya, I almost went to Yonder Mountain a few weeks ago, but didn't go

I got caught up at an oyster roast instead

3/10/2008 4:58:12 PM

fuck Donna and fuck the Avett Brothers, I have to listen to that hillybilly crap for hours everytime I go home or have to drive anywhere with my parents

fuck.

3/10/2008 6:51:48 PM

Its ok man, no need to take out your anger at your parents for not accepting your latent homosexuality on the music. TWW is a safe place, you can let it all go here.

3/10/2008 7:14:13 PM

It looks like the folks I'll be going with won't get there till Friday evening, so if anyone needs a ride up Thursday let me know. I'll be camping out at Rivers Edge all weekend.

3/14/2008 10:41:42 AM

I'll be going, camping on site, have a couple good deals on extra tickets if anybody is interested.

IMO MF just isn't what it used to be. its too crowded, too much corporate sponsorship, too many big name acts. too much damn money involved. But I still go to see old friends, just not so much for the music anymore.

[Edited on March 17, 2008 at 1:34 PM. Reason : ..]

3/17/2008 1:28:42 PM

PM sent

3/17/2008 1:57:10 PM

Quote :

"MF just isn't what it used to be."

its pretty rare for something to be as good as it "was"

3/17/2008 2:30:43 PM

well I've gone to every merlefest since it started, except last year, so I figure I know.

3/18/2008 2:09:36 AM

I'm probably gonna go to this this year (I always plan on going though, so who knows).

What's the best day to go?

3/26/2008 4:46:06 PM

soon!

4/14/2008 2:25:02 PM

4/21/2008 11:42:19 PM

I am very jealous you all get to go this weekend. There are a lot of bands in that lineup I want to see!

4/22/2008 8:24:04 AM

I was gonna go. But I'm still in Iraq

4/22/2008 8:45:52 AM

Want me to send you a Red Cross Message?

4/22/2008 9:08:05 AM

Just tell me how awesome it was

4/24/2008 2:22:17 PM

fucking a, my buddy just called to tell me he has to work this weekend.

4/25/2008 1:06:33 PM

goddamn corporate sponsership ruins everything

4/27/2008 4:19:46 PM

so does bad spelling.


I actually had a good time. I thought the Carolina Chocolate Drops put on a REALLY good show. Sorry that I missed the Avett Bros, but I grabbed their live CD and I'm hooked. I'll be checking them out again.

4/27/2008 9:14:29 PM