Bluegrass to fill the air at Fiddlers Convention

The Daily Times

Only Lonesome from Washington, D.C. will be one of the headliners at the weekend’s fiddlers convention in Berlin.

The Berlin Fiddlers Convention returns to Main Street on Friday for three days of free, live bluegrass music.

Bluegrass musicians from across the country will vie for thousands of dollars in cash prizes in adult and youth fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin and bluegrass band competitions.

The event also features the Maryland State Flatpicking Guitar Championship.

Gov. Larry Hogan and www.VisitMaryland.org have recognized the fiddlers convention this year as on the state’s premier events, according to the organizers.

Kicking off the weekend’s festivities on Friday will be headlining performances from Washington, D.C.’s, Only Lonesome and Nashville powerhouse singer, songwriter and flatpicker Rebecca Frazier.

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Opening the show will be the Lonesome Ridge Rangers, comprised of members from the 2017 Berlin Fiddlers Convention band competition winners.

The event begins at 7 p.m. at the north end of Berlin’s Main Street. Rain location is the Globe Theater.

Only Lonesome’s sound is built around the strong vocal harmonies of Neel Brown (guitar), Stefan Custodi (bass – Eastman String Band, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Rickie Simpkins), and John Seebach (mandolin – Big Chimney, Rickie Simpkins), Sam Guthridge (banjo – the High and Wides, Saltwater Stringband, Chester River Runoff) and Tom Lyons (fiddle).

Nashville-based singer, songwriter and flatpicker Rebecca Frazier is one of the headliners at this year’s fiddler convention.

Frazier was the first woman nominated this year for Guitar Player of the Year by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America.

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Registration for the competition begins at 10 a.m. Saturday for youth and adult contestants in bluegrass band, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and the Maryland State Flatpicking Guitar Championship categories.

Competition begins at noon. Encore performances from Friday’s headlining and opening bands will also be included. Rain location on Saturday will be Berlin Intermediate School auditorium. A parking shuttle will be available from the school at 309 Franklin Ave. all day.

To round out the weekend is the Gospel Bluegrass Jam hosted by members of locally-based bluegrass and country pickers, Blue Crab Crossing, Steve Frene and Friends on the lawn of the Taylor House Museum at noon.

Event hours are 7-10 p.m. on Friday and noon-5 p.m. Saturday on Berlin’s Main Street. Sunday events will be held from noon to 3 p.m. at the Calvin B. Taylor Museum on Main Street.

The 2017 guitar competition winner Wes Parks receives his award.

Sponsored by the Berlin Chamber of Commerce, the Fiddlers Convention also features food and craft vendors and a beer garden. Admission and parking are free.

For contestant registration and more information, visit www.BerlinFiddlers.com, www.BerlinChamber.org on on facebook at www.facebook.com/BerlinFiddlersConvention

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For information regarding all musical aspects of the event, contact Nathan Clendenen at BerlinFiddlers@denenmusic.com.

For information regarding the performers, visit www.OnlyLonesome.com and www.RebeccaFrazier.com.

IF YOU GO

26th Berlin Fiddlers Convention

When: Friday to Saturday, Sept. 21-23

Where: Main Street and Calvin B. Taylor Museum, Berlin

Info: ww.BerlinFiddlers.com, www.BerlinChamber.org