Violet and the Newsroom

JD Crowe Memorial Scholarship & Turtleback Ridge Brewery

Clay here!

First off, a great big shoutout to Violet! Weekend before last, she performed with the KCTM’s Mountain Music Ambassadors at CroweFest, the bluegrass music festival down in Clay City which celebrates the legacy of JD Crowe.

While there, Violet was awarded the JD Crowe Memorial Scholarship from the Crowe family and festival organizers.

L-R: Robert Myers, KCTM Director Daxson Lewis, Violet Updike, Instructor Ruth Smith, CroweFest Promoter
Rickey Wasson [Clay note: photo snagged from the KCTM Facebook page, where it is credited to both Terry Vaught & Hallie Adams]

Violet, we’re awfully proud of you!!! Hearing you sing is like a kind of time travel – you carry old tunes forward and breathe new life into decades-old (sometimes centuries-old!) songs. We’re so happy that other people have gotten to notice your magic!

But there was more in store after CroweFest for Violet, because that’s when I picked her up from Clay City and we took a mini road trip up to Robertson County to party at Turtleback Ridge Brewery!

Frankfort friends, Lexington friends, Morehead friends, Maysville friends… Turtleback Ridge is closer than you think! It may actually be the most centrally convenient location we’ve ever played! Even if there’s nothing scheduled, it’s worth a trip up just to lounge on the back porch and sip a beer beside the trees.

Thank you to Susan, who greeted us first and introduced us to the space, to Jen, who offered us a familiar smile and kept me well-watered, and Kevin, who did an amazing job with the sound. This might be the best we’ve ever been mic’d up.

(Sorry to Tyler and Josh. When I mentioned I was heading out to Turtleback, both of them independently asked me to tell Keegan hello for them – unfortunately, he wasn’t here this time. That just gives us all the more reason to come back again in the future!!)

It was a perfect, sunny, summer afternoon – meaning we were very, very grateful that we got to play under the tent! Some people sat in the shade with us, while others meandered among the barrels or sat on the brewery porch.
I went for the Commonwealth Gold Cider from Wise Bird – delicious!
AW YESSSSSSS you can buy your favorite zine of eerie Kentucky happenings right here, too! (And check out the Kentucky Deceased book – produced in partership with the Capital City Museum!)
We played from 6-8, and there was still a touch of light in the sky as we started packing up. I’m ready for it to cool down, but I won’t miss the soft glow of a late summer sunset.

It was such a great crowd! Many locals, many visitors, most all new faces! We went through our set more quickly than expected, so we added several more spur of the moment. Since we realized we’d talked up John Hartford at the Kentucky Native show without actually playing more than one of his songs, we jammed an extra three into this set as penance, lol.

Also, shout out to Autumn! We don’t usually take requests on the spot, but when she said it was her birthday… Anabel and Violet whipped up a nice Delta Dawn for her!

(I did try to get some video of this show, but I set my phone too near to the speakers on a metal table, so the rattle makes it unwatchable. Thankfully, I’ve been given permission to post an Instagram reel to give a taste of the show!)

Wooooo yay hooray!

I will reiterate: WE WOULD LOVE TO PLAY HERE AGAIN. Hit us up. If we’re free, we’re there.

And there are lots of reasons to head over that way even without a concert! Turtleback Ridge has monthly old-time jams, biweekly trivia, and Brady Vice hosts regular open mics out there. NOT TO MENTION Derby City Midnight will be holding their Hainted Jamboree there on October 25th. I hear tell of legends whispered out in the forest under the moonlight…

Looking forward, please note that we will not be performing at Barefoot, as planned. Unfortunately, the event’s been canceled. Fingers crossed for next year!

Next up! Catch us September 13th at Old Time Influence Fest at Wiley’s Last Resort! We’ll be playing at 4, but there’s stuff to do all weekend. Come on September 12th for a full day of open jams and open mics, sleep it off at the grooviest campground on Kentucky’s second-tallest mountain, and then stay for an AMAZING lineup on September 13th.

And one last thing! Our friend Lucy Becker’s band, Lucy and the Love Letters, just released their first single! Have you ever been so in love that it feels like the whole world has fallen in love with you, too?

the breezes blow and all I know // painted everything around me: the sweetest shade of rose

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