very enjoyable mountain stage last evening

Mountain Stage (on the evening of the Super Bowl) was a very enjoyable evening of rich, diverse music. A solid line up all throughout the five acts. Claire Lynch, with a fine bluegrass voice, and excellent backing musicians got things started. Apparently she was highly acclaimed in the bluegrass/ country realm, and then took some time off to raise a family. She is a relaxed and confident performer, and clearly must have a deep body of work to draw from in this revived career.
Kane, Welch, and Kaplin were next. They have a slightly un-classifiable sound- I guess roots/ alt country is the closest. A very diverse and talented instrumentalist group; very much a group, rather than individuals playing together. I have known of Kieran Kane the longest, and see many positive reviews of them in my circle of music journalism. Nice mix of tempos, types of songs, all in all very pleasant and worthy of further pursuit.
The Bare Bones were next; having seen them earlier in the week for two songs, and having the exposure on the Blind Alfred Reed tribute, I was ready for enjoying them. They had a nice mix of types of songs, but all very strong with the three part harmonies and intriguing range of eras they pick from for their selections.
The Carolina Chocolate Drops bring so much fun and energy; I hope they keep getting a wider and wider audience- you can't help but come away energized and appreciative. The jug sound is so unique in this day; their fiddle and banjo work is great- their song selection and voices are top notch. I love the playing the snare drum standing up with a strap around the neck, and jumping around- and the woman did some energetic high kicking dancing on that one song. And just to intrigue you and throw you off, they end with that "modern" song- and really send you off with a flare. They were very impressive in the grand finale also- really showcasing their talents and versatility. Keep an eye out for them playing anywhere near, and especially at festivals, etc. this summer- go see 'em!!!
the Cherryholmes finished the night- we have seen them several times- the six family members- parents and four kids - straight up great bluegrass- all solid on their instruments and harmonizing- winning lots of accolades and awards, but putting a lot into it still- kinda watching the teens grow up before your eyes!
John Henry as the grand finale was a classic- plenty of verses and solos to give most everybody a shot- lots of fun with that- I loved Kieran Kane's spoken recitation of his verse- and as I said, the Carolina Chocolate Drops shone- that little panpipe that Dom played his solo on was inspired for sure.