It doesn’t seem that long ago the Sam Bush was the rebel in bluegrass. Now, at the age of 55, Bush is considered one of the genre’s elder statesmen, a fact which amuses him greatly.To hear him tell it, his contribution consisted of the idea of bringing rock and roll in the genre.

But as anyone knows who has ever heard him play mandolin, Bush is steeped in traditional music as well. His fooling around with the dynamics (jamming) and content (rock, jazz, blues) of the genre is now accepted and expected from most contemporary performers and many of the older ones have stretched out as well.

On the day before Merlefest, we caught up with Bush at his home in Nashville as he was packing up to leave for the festival.

Merlefest is more than just a gig for Bush. He was friends with Merle and says that all the attention directed toward him might have been a bit much for him.

“Merle was a pretty private sort of person. He never asked for that. ” Bush says he was always content to let Doc stand out, and wanted Doc to stand out more. “I think he might be a little embarrassed; in another way, he was bound to be flattered by the love that’s come out for him."

“When we first got it going, it was really just friends of Doc’s and Merle’s and we all gathered together on the flatbed truck twenty years ago now,” Bush remembers. “I think it’s a great time when you think bout how well Nickel Creek had done, and what Alison Krauss has established.”

Doc Watson and Ralph Stanley still represent the old school crowd proudly, their voices and performances still strong.

“I think it’s a wonderful time in music when you still have Doc Watson in his 80s, still sounding wonderful, totally on his game, and his voice sounds beautiful.”

He cites the Duhks and the Green Cards as strong representatives of the style he helped initiate.

“The overview is that it's healthy in that they’re so many and there’s room for us old guys and for the new fun kids too,” he says, laughing.

Enjoy the show!

Amos' Southend

April 25, 2007

The Deal: Four bands do their best to bring the rock back to live music.

The Good: I won't say they were bad, but Autovein was a weak followup to opener Eve to Adam. The band had a difficult time getting the small crowd moving, though they tried their best. I'll give them points for effort, but even singer Bryan Roach noted, "Feel free to show your enthusiasm." When The Exies hit the stage, the crowd was up and jumping and ready to rock. Most of the crowd appeared to be there for the headliner, Smile Empty Soul.

The Bad: I was unaware that Eve to Adam would be playing on the bill as well. They opened the show with a 20-minute set that was little more than standard rock tunes that all sounded a little too alike as singer Taki Sassaris flirted with the women up front. On their Web site, they compare themselves to Nickelback and Creed — I guess that's why they didn't stand out. I'll admit it, I left before the headliner Smile Empty Soul. A small crowd was the reason the upstairs of Amos' was not open.

The Verdict: The Exies shredded their 50-minute set and sounded great after two weak openers. I give all the bands credit for trying to keep rock alive, but wish more people showed up.

The Deal: Blues Traveler's rockin' harmonica and the jam band flu came to infect the Neighborhood Theatre and, well, it was sick.

The Good: After 20 years (this was their anniversary show), Blues Traveler showed they still have what it takes to put on a great live concert. A two-and-a-half-hour set, featuring 20 songs including a 15-minute encore, was a great way to start the next 20. Over the years, singer/harmonica player John Popper has learned to tone it down a notch. It's not the "John Popper show" that it used to be. He shows more control and better solos. Instead of showing off his talent, he showcases it like a guitar player. The band played songs from albums new and old with some highlights being "But Anyway" and "Mulling it Over" from their debut self-titled release, "Amber Awaits," "Mountains Win Again," "Hook" and "Carolina Blues." Guitarist Chan Kinchla was on top of his game and the rest of the boys got to showcase their talents as well. The encore was a blistering, 15-minute "Mountain Cry."

The Bad: I see it all the time ... it's a concert, stop trying to talk to people on your cell phone. I didn't go to the concert to hear you yell at your friend who may or may not also be at the concert. You can also stop taking 50 pictures of you, the band, your friends, etc. The flashes were out of control in a distracting way, although most of you left after you heard "Runaround."

The Verdict: The first time I saw Blues Traveler was about 17 years ago, and they haven't lost a step. They may not have radio hits, but their talents are easily visible. It's no surprise that they've lasted this long.