Blues fans weather the storm at MeadowGrass fest
Music lore holds that a Mississippi blues man once sold his soul to master the guitar.
On Saturday, John-Alex Mason would have settled for kinder weather.
"Maybe if we make a deal with the devil, this rain will go away," the singer and guitarist told a crowd of rain-soaked fans before launching into an hour-and-a-half-long set of blues originals heavy on electric slide guitar.
Dark clouds and unflagging rain dogged much of the opening day of the inaugural MeadowGrass Music Festival in Black Forest, and the weather isn't expected to get any better today, when the music continues from noon to 8 p.m.
Many in the crowd were determined to have a good time despite the elements.
Revelers huddled under canopies pitched near the stage and wore slickers and head-to-toe rain suits. Some danced, soggily, under their umbrellas.
Ralph Townsend, the executive director the La Foret Convention and Retreat Center, which is hosting the two-day festival on its lush, 420-acre grounds, acknowledged that "Colorado weather" might put a damper on attendance.
About 200 people turned out on Saturday, though Townsend said he was optimistic that organizers would ultimately meet their minimum goal of 700 attendees today, with a boost from the festival's biggest draw, bluegrass legend Peter Rowan.
Rowan, once a member of Bill Monroe's pioneering Blue Grass Boys, has played a pivotal role in expanding interest in both traditional bluegrass and Americana music while pushing the genres' musical boundaries.
He is scheduled to play at 6:30 p.m. Joining him on today's bill are Sons and Brothers, Jimmy Ibbotson, Head for the Hills and Rissman, Uveges and Braithwaite.
Whatever the turnout, Townsend said there are plans to resume the festival next summer.
Until then, he's counting on fans like Lindsay and Matt Brown of Colorado Springs, who, along with a friend, took the time to improvise their own rainproof shelter with an unbeatable view of the stage and just a few steps from the beer vendor.
"We can stay out here until the music stops," Matt Brown said.
Tickets for today's lineup are $40 a person and can be purchased at the festival's gates. La Foret is located at 6145 Shoup Road.
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Call Benzel at 636-0366
