NOTE: Feel free to tag people in these photos
ChippyFest, the 4th annual, had so many special moments, and each person in attendance most likely had special moments of their own, and it would be so awesome to accumulate all those into one big diary, but for now, this will have to do.
Thursday night was filled with volunteers setting things up, including my tent, but more importantly the stage, sound, lighting, video, ticket tent, grills and smokers, merch tables, and rows upon rows of RVs and campers. People meeting people.
Doc and Brent, from Waco, were simply passing through the area on their way back from mid-Oklahoma, where a bigger festival with bigger names had bumped them from their rooms. Doc said they saw the sign and just drove in to see what it was all about. The brothers didn’t leave the last night rang out Monday. Hooked on ChippyFest.
Chip Campbell, the producer, took a little ribbing, but not much, when KTen interviewed him and then put it on their 6 p.m. Thursday news. Radio station KHYI fed little PSIs across the radio station, which played constantly through the speakers when there wasn’t live music on stage. So many of the performers have been, in some way or another, involved with the Americana radio station (KHYI 95.3) and so it was like old home week listening to the Dallas station.
Brenda and Tin Man dancing
A favorite moment of mine was when several of the performers, unannounced and so impromptu, got together to sing The Star Spangled Banner, hats off and hands over hearts, as they faced the flag gracing the top of a bucket-type truck at the roadway. The whole festival was dedicated to thanking vets and current military men, and none of the more formal memorials across Grayson County over the weekend even equalled, much less surpassed, that moment at the festival.
Jeff and Renee dancing
There were so many performers, many of whom shared songs acoustic style, and several bands as well. There were no big name stars (guess they were all at that mid-Oklahoma festival). Host Dennis Waters had prepared the grounds well, with manicured lawns and plenty of electrical hook-ups for the sound, lights, and video. No people fights, a couple of dog fights that were quickly handled.
Mickey Grant and Chip have been working on the documentary video during this past week.
The performer who gets the “Above & Beyond” award would be Heath Webb, who played — and played well — in spite of his home having burned down earlier that day. The band who traveled the farthest, inadvertedly, would have been Robby White’s group, who drove to central Texas for a Friday night gig, only to find out they were scheduled there on Saturday night. So they returned and played the festival instead that Friday night.
After the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night shows, the stage remained active with songwriter circles, until into the wee hours of the mornings.
Hungover Sunday (Marvin Hillis) and Scene In Town were sponsors of this festival, and proud to have been. I am planning on sponsoring it again next year, and I know Campbell will welcome others. Funds raised over expenses are going to a group called Vet to Vet, and to help raise extra money, there were a couple of 50-50 raffles and also “chicken shit bingo.” Haven’t yet heard how the finances ended up.
Pix for Day 1, Robby White & The Tejas Gringos
Pix for Day 2, Jonathan Jeter & The Reveleators
Pix for Day 2, Twisted Pistols
Pix for Day 2, Dan Dennis Band