Greetings from the very first IBMA World of Bluegrass from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Because I’m out at the Walnut Valley festival in Winfield, Kansas during this week, I was only able to attend for one day. From what I saw, though, it looks pretty hopeful.
This year, I was able to attend the Americana Music Association’s conference and festival in Nashville, too, the week before. I don’t want to seem disloyal in any way, but I have to say the AMA event has one thing over the IBMA in this critical respect: they have double-sided name tags on the lanyards. No matter which side is turned out, you still know who you’re talking to.
This remains an issue for the IBMA, which is why I wrote this song in the wee hours of the morning one year. I would’ve written a second verse but I had fallen asleep after I got the first verse and chorus done.
