Atmosphere at night

The final performances on all three stages held comparatively different atmospheres from those during the day.

Roy C’s jazzy blues sound filled the intersection of Eighth and Cherry streets. The packed crowd was speckled with slow-dancing couples and a solitary lighter waving in the air.

At Peace Park, much of the crowd swayed, eyes closed, to the sound of Ruthie Foster’s soulful voice. The drummer’s solo on the spoons caused excitement in the crowd. When was the last time you saw someone play the spoons on his or her knees?

The crowd at Flat Branch Park was more of a dancing crowd. Couples. Singles. Singles becoming couples. Music moved everyone in their own way. The Bel Airs played more up-tempo music, much like what was heard earlier in the day.

- Sarah Herrera and Valeria Turturro

The taste testers

Carol Devlin and Christina Wehmeyer introduced themselves as sisters. In reality, they’re just good friends. Good friends with an important job.

“We’re the taste testers,” Wehmeyer said.

Wehmeyer, Devlin and the rest of their friends and family are supporters of Chick ‘N’ Pig, the reigning ribs champion from last year. While Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcolm played in the background in Flat Branch Park, the Chick ‘N’ Pig taste testers danced, talked and enjoyed the atmosphere.

Devlin discussed the improvements to this year’s festival, including the absence of Blues Bucks. The variety of bands organized by Tracy Lane, executive director of Thumper Entertainment, was another draw for Tim Bunton, brother-in-law to Chick ‘N’ Pig’s lead grill master.

“Tracy Lane did a wonderful job with it,” Bunton said.

Although he enjoyed Burnside and Malcolm’s performance, Dennis Devlin said he came for the blues.

“I like the blues because I’m old time,” he said. “It’s what I call grassroots; it brings everybody together.”

Dennis Devlin, Bunton and the others have been friends for at least 15 years. They became close working for the Department of Residential Life at MU. Over the years, they have traveled alongside Chick ‘N’ Pig to competitions around the country. Their dedication to time with friends and family took them up to 150 miles from home.

Although gas prices have made it more expensive, Bunton looked at his smiling granddaughter and said, “That makes it worthwhile.”

- Jennifer Gordon, Jessica Showers and Anna Beth Blevins

Mandolin man

This was Andy Poe’s first time at the Roots ‘N’ Blues ‘N’ BBQ festival, but it wasn’t his first time around good music. Poe builds string instruments, primarily mandolins, as well as some mandolas and ukuleles.

Poe has been playing and working on mandolins for more than 10 years and now works full time out of his home in Columbia. He also sells his instruments through his Web site, poestrings.com

“It takes me around 200 to 250 hours to build a mandolin from start to finish,” Poe said. “Those hours are spread over two to four months.”

Poe was at the festival watching his friend, Nathan Redelfs, play a mandolin he had made. The neck, sides and back of Redelfs’ mandolin are made from European maple, and the top is made from Adirondack spruce, he said.

“The neck has some mother-of-pearl inlay,” he said.

Everything besides the tuners and tailpieces is handmade by Poe without the use of any computer-operated equipment.

“Works of art have more character and quality when handmade,” Poe said.

Smokin’ the competition

For Columbia native Darryl Darling barbecue is more than food, it’s a culture.

He started cooking at 9:30 a.m. Friday in preparation for the Saturday cook-off. He plans to wake up at 6 Saturday morning to put on the ribs, while the brisket, his favorite, is already in the smoker.

“I like cooking the big meats,” he said. “Briskets, pork butts. Just that low, slow hickory and cherry wood. You put it on, you kick back, you got no worries.”

Although he is a seasoned competitor, this is Darling’s first year competing at the festival.

Making sure everything comes together at the right time is an art, Darling said. Cooking in the morning can be frantic because chicken and ribs cook much faster.

Although the pace is hectic, tonight he is kicking back with friends.

“That’s what one of the good things about this whole event is friends,” he said. “These guys that are here now, I see them on the competition circuit…and we know each other.”

Darling, a former MU defensive tackle, played under Warren Powers from 1984 to ‘88. A Columbia native, he now works for Gateway Mortgage.

Saturday, with a few wins behind him, Darling will see if his secret rub brings in a victory.

“We kind of go all over the state, and we have a good time at it,” he said. “It’s a hobby, and that’s what we do.”

- Jennifer Gordon, Jessica Showers and Anna Beth Blevin

‘Best town in the world’

The night is just under way, but Teresa Roberts and William Goodman are already having a great time.

Goodman recently moved back to Columbia after spending some time in Baton Rouge, La. He said he went to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival while he was living in Louisiana and that the Roots ‘N’ Blues ‘N’ BBQ Festival is “much more enjoyable”.

“It’s less crowded, and I feel a lot safer,” Goodman said. “At the New Orleans festival I felt I had to watch my back; here I feel I’m in a safe, open, free society.”

Goodman calls himself a “people watcher” and said “Columbia is a great place to watch people.” Goodman went on to say the people in Columbia were “eclectic, peaceful and really seemed to be enjoying themselves.”

Goodman and Roberts couldn’t say enough good things about the festival and the city, even calling Columbia “the best town in the world.”

Changes part of reason some return to festival

Some people were drawn to the festival this year because of the changes made since last year.

John Larkin and Maggy Kirby, both of Columbia, came back to the festival partially because the things they didn’t like about last year changed: Blues Bucks are gone, there are more vendors and the festival moved away from Broadway.

“It seems better for traffic for Columbia in general to have it further south of Broadway,” Kirby said.

She and Larkin enjoyed pulled pork sandwiches from Rooten Tooten Bar-B-Que before going to Eighth and Cherry streets to listen to the Record Collector, a local band. They also planned to watch The Bel Airs at Flat Branch Park at 9 p.m. And once he got a little more energy in him, Larkin said he would start dancing.

They’re enjoying the great weather and plan to come back to the festival Saturday night.

Marching at Peace Park

“We’re gonna have a good time. Is that all right?” Aubrey Ghent asked. The crowd cheered.

Aubrey and Lori Ghent, husband and wife duo, make up the Nashville gospel blues band along with two other band members.

Halfway through the set, the crowd size had more than tripled at the Peace Park location.

“When I come off the stage I’m gonna march like I’m marching in,” Lori said inviting audience members to follow her when the band played “When the Saints Go Marching In.” “If you’re going to march in, join me!”

As soon as Lori came around the sound-booth barricades, men and women abandoned their blankets and lawn chairs. Some were running, some were walking and all were clapping.

Rose Carder marched in with all the saints.

“My husband usually goes to these things, and I work,” she said. “But he said come to this one because it’s fun.” She plans on enjoying the rest of the evening at the festival but will be unable to come back Saturday.

Pirates on Eighth

Tim Showers promotes Ben Clay's chocolate-covered banana and nacho stand

There are pirates selling chocolate bananas on Eighth Street in downtown Columbia.

From a stand marked only with a black flag with a pig skull and crossbones, Ben Clay offers up alternatives to the pulled pork and barbecue sandwiches around him. As the crowds filter in from Peace Park, perusing their dining options, Clay’s colleague, Tim Showers, shouts out a pirate-slang promotion for the stand, which also sells nachos.

Onlookers are confused, but Clay is confident in his advertising approach. “Everybody loves pirates,” he said.

There aren’t many takers yet, but maybe it’s too early for chocolate bananas.

The pirate pig stand is an independent effort, Clay said. He has been saving up for the stand for a little while. His inspiration comes from his personal taste. “Chocolate bananas are my favorite things in the world,” he said. “The nachos bring in diversity.”

He hopes his driving concept behind the stand, food on a stick, pays off.

Praise for Texas songwriting

Grant Gardner and friends

Grant Gardner, a Montgomery City native and current Columbia resident, was noticeable in his shades, overalls, plaid shirt, cowboy hat and boots as he danced and cheered for James Hand’s final tunes alongside his friends at the stage on Eighth and Cherry.

Gardner chose to attend this year’s festival solely for Hand’s performance.

“He’s my favorite,” he said, adding that he recently traveled to Austin to hear Hand play. “He really represents traditional country music and Texas songwriting.”

Gardner said Hand had a more focused set last year, but he performed a variety of works from throughout his career tonight. Both were good shows, he said.

Gardner plans on catching a few of the other groups now that Hand’s performance is over.

The festival is under way

The festival’s quickly warming up.

A few families were claiming their spots on the Flat Branch Park lawn as the crew performed the final sound checks. Dave Schwab, from Idaho, came to Columbia to see his family and enjoy the festival. Dave, a bluegrass music enthusiast, wanted to compare it to other festivals he has attended. Matt, Dave’s grandson, was excited about his first festival. He and other boys actively jammed out with their air guitars and played drums on each other’s backs.

The Peace Park stage was a little more crowded. We were first bombarded by Mediacom advertisements, but then music by Aubrey and Lori Ghent started. Lacie Garrett of Columbia was at Peace Park but was heading to Flat Branch Park to see her friend John D’Agostino perform at 5:15 p.m.

We decided to see what the crowd at the Eighth and Cherry stage looked like. It was noticeably larger due to the performance of the Mid-Missouri Highsteppers, a performance arts organization. The crowd joined in dancing and clapping with the beat of the drums. The crowd dispersed after the highsteppers continued down Cherry Street.

- Josh Chittum and Valeria Turturro