we's famous

I just happened on this documentary made by West Virginia Public Television about the Clifftop festival (Appalachian String Band festival). Clifftop is the best week of the year without a doubt. There are many homemade videos of jams up on youtube to watch. I'm sorry to say that I didn't think this pro documentary really captures the festival at all, not its size, scale, diversity, depth, or overall magnificence. The pacing is a bit off. And weirdly it doesn't really capture so much of the music made there, though there are some nice bits with Lester McCumbers, for example, and a few others. Since you can't swing a dead cat without hitting an incredible jam at Clifftop it is kind of strange that the filmmakers didn't try some dead cat swinging, though maybe that is expecting a bit much. They seemed to stay on top of the hill rather than wander into the thickets below, but they did get to some of it at the end. Clifftop can't really be captured that way anyway.

The film does have its moments. I am sure you'll agree that without doubt the best moment in the film is at 22:30, when the film crew came to Lark's first birthday party! Our music sounds pretty good, especially as its coming after a particularly somnolent jam (how'd they ferret that out??)


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