Bluegrass Festival Spotlight: Larry Gillis and Swampgrass
Larry Gillis comes from a little town called Soperton, located in southeast Georgia. He was raised on backwoods music and was especially influenced by his father to play the five string banjo. He developed a style reminiscent of Don Reno and Ralph Stanley, although plainly it is Larry’s own sound. One half of the legendary Gillis Brothers, Larry continues with his music career in bluegrass. A world renowned banjo picker, and one of the few who still plays the old claw hammer style, he definitely has a traditional style of his own.
2015 will mark thirty-five years in the business for Larry and truly justifies the title “Dr. Swampgrass Gillis”.
This powerful ensemble of talented musicians can only be described as a hard-core, hard-driving, straight-up, traditional bluegrass band. With a sound that comes from the deep south, and the admiration of the legends of bluegrass music, their style is one of a kind.
A style of originality that can only be tagged as the ‘Gillis sound’ just flows out and leaves the audience with a lasting impression few ever forget.
Tom Henderson of Tampa, Florida and DJ of the syndicated radio show, ‘This Is Bluegrass’ on WMNF, said a phrase went around a few years ago about rating other hard driving bands by ‘The Gillis Factor’… few others measure up!
Catch Larry Gillis and Swampgrass in performance at the Susanville Bluegrass Festival; June 27th from 8:00 to 9:00p.m. and June 28th from 3:00 to 4:00p.m.
Other performances at this week’s festival include; Hossetts, Karl Shiftlett and Big Country, the Grass Kickers, the Get Down Boys, James Ream and the Barnstormers, Ron Spears and Within Tradition, Red Dog Ash, and Lonesome Otis.
Admission to the Festival is $20 per day or you can purchase a three-day pass at the gate for $55.
Friday
- 12:00 pm ~ 12:50 pm Lonesome Otis
- 1:00 pm ~ 1:50 pm Hossetts
- 2:00 pm ~ 2:50 pm Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show
- 3:00 pm ~ 3:50 pm Music Camp
- 4:00 pm ~ 4:50 pm Grass Kickers
- 5:00 pm ~ 6:15 pm Workshops / Dinner Break
- 6:30 pm ~ 7:30 pm Red Dog Ash
- 7:40 pm ~ 9:00 pm Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show
Saturday
- 12:00 pm ~ 12:50 pm Hossetts
- 1:00 pm ~ 1:50 pm Lonesome Otis
- 2:00 pm ~ 2:50 pm Get Down Boys
- 3:00 pm ~ 3:50 pm Red Dog Ash
- 4:00 pm ~ 4:50 pm James Reams & The Barnstormers
- 5:00 pm ~ 6:00 pm Workshops / Dinner Break
- 6:00 pm ~ 6:50 pm Ron Spears & Within Tradition
- 7:00 pm ~ 7:50 pm Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show
- 8:00 pm~ 9:00 pm Larry Gillis & West Coast Swampgrass
Sunday
- 10:00 am ~ 10:50 am Ron Spears & Within Tradition (Gospel)
- 11:00 am ~ 11:50 am James Reams & The Barnstormers
- 12:00 pm ~ 12:50 pm Red Dog Ash
- 1:00 pm ~ 1:50 pm GrassKickers
- 2:00 pm ~ 2:50 pm Get Down Boys
- 3:00 pm ~ 4:00 pm Larry Gillis & West Coast Swampgrass
For more information about the big Susanville Bluegrass Festival you can call the Lassen County Fair office at 530.251.8900.
