Bluegrass in the Spring Music Festival to Feature Local Musicians With Star Power

April 15, 2009 - PRLog -- Spring is in the air and that means Calico Ghost Town, Yermo, is readying for another Bluegrass in the Spring Festival taking place May 9-10.  This year the performances are varied and something special.

Two of the featured bands are: Bluegrass  Etc. and Gates, McEuen, Hailes Band.  Bluegrass Etc. is recognized in national and international music circles touring in over eighteen countries and performing 200 shows annually.  Dennis Caplinger of Murietta, is a Grammy Award winner and one of the founding members of the band.   Caplinger plays the banjo and fiddle and performs vocals.   In addition to playing with Bluegrass Etc., Caplinger has toured and recorded with a variety of artists including Kenny Loggins, Vince Gill, Eric Clapton and Rita Coolidge.    Other members of the band are legendary bass player, Bill Bryson, also a Grammy Award winner, and John Moore on mandolin and guitar.

Caplinger has played with Byron Berline, one of the most recognized names in Bluegrass music.  Berline is one of the most sought after session fiddle players and has accompanied such bands as The Eagles, The Rolling Stones and The Byrds as well as noted performers Earl Scruggs, Emmylou Harris, and Vince Gill to name a few.  Additionally, Berline has extensive commercial and movie soundtrack credits to his name working with such giants as Henry Mancini, John Williams and Lalo Schiffrin.  

An Oklahoma boy, Berline lived in Los Angeles for 26 years and returned to his Okie roots in the mid ‘90’s.  He founded the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival in 1997 and has been inducted into the Oklahoma Musicians Hall of Fame.  During the Bluegrass in the Spring Festival, Berline will bring his fiddle to life playing with Bluegrass Etc.

Scott Gates, an Apple Valley resident, began his musical career at the age of three playing the piano.  By the time he was seven he moved on to the mandolin studying under Evan J. Marshall the master of the duo style solo mandolin.  As a thirteen year old, Gates formed the Pacific Ocean Bluegrass Band and began playing in Bluegrass music competitions and festivals such as the Bluegrass in the Spring Festival, Huck Finn Jubilee and in 2007 the band took top honors in the Topanga Banjo/Fiddle contest.

Today, at 16, Gates has gained recognition for his acoustic style and has become in demand as a session player.  Last year he played with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band at the Huck Finn Jubilee.  Working with the band’s founder, John McEuen, Gates met his son Nathan and soon began playing with him.  Bassist Chuck Hailes was added to round out the Gates McEuen Hailes Band.  Scott Gates has most recently recorded an album with Kenny Loggins.  Gates has added vocals to his mandolin playing and Brenda Hough of Bluegrass Breakdown, said “Scott’s vocals now match his mandolin prowess.”

Nathan McEuen, was exposed not only to music in his infancy, he was surrounded by country music legends Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash.  Inspiration was never in short supply for young Nathan.  As a singer/songwriter, McEuen also plays guitar as well as piano and percussion.  He has opened for David Crosby and Graham Nash, and has appeared at The Grand Ol’ Opry and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Chuck Hailes is the bass player of the group and his style is influenced by jazz and bluegrass music.

Bluegrass in the Spring Festival will also feature Stuck in Reverse a band out of Las Vegas with gospel/bluegrass influence; The High Hills Bluegrass Band, an all female band; The Silverado Band and many more.  In addition to music-filled weekend there will be contests and games and for those interested in learning more about Bluegrass music and how to play it, Dennis Caplinger and Byron Berline will be conducting a workshop each day during the event.

Calico Ghost Town is a historical old west mining town located 10 miles north of Barstow off of I-15.  Camping is available for this event and may be booked directly online at www.sbcountyparks.com.   The shops and restaurants will be open throughout the event.  The park will open at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.  Admission for the event is $10 adult and $5 youth ages 6-15.  Children under 5 are admitted free.

For additional information, please visit www.calicotown.com or contact the park at 1-800-86-CALICO.

# # #

Calico Ghost Town is a historic mining town formed during the largest silver land rush in California in the 1880's. The town was abandoned by 1907 when silver prices severly dropped making silver mining less lucrative. Today Calico Ghost Town is operated as a theme park. One third of the original buildings exist. Attractions include Maggie's Mine, a replica of an actual mine; the Mystery Shack, gold panning, The Lane House Museum, and a narrow gauge mining train that goes along the circumference of the town. The town has shops and restaurants and offers camping and cabins.