San Diego's bluegrass festival season is upon us. As you read this column I hope you are still feeling the warm glow of a great Summergrass bluegrass festival event held over the weekend of August 26-28 at the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum in Vista, featuring the Nashville Bluegrass Band, Fragment, Lost Highway, Hit and Run Bluegrass, the Virtual Strangers, 117? West, North Forty, and more. Or, perhaps you enjoyed the Temecula Festival on the preceding weekend, which presented the Witcher Brothers, Silverado, and others. And, I hope you are now planning to attend the upcoming Julian Bluegrass Festival on the weekend of September 17 and 18, which will re-introduce the traditional banjo and fiddle contest. Julian has some great entertainment lined up, including the ever popular Bluegrass Etc. And, for the hard core willing to travel, there is the annual International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) festival during the week of October 24-30, held this year for the first time in Nashville.

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The San Diego Bluegrass Society has moved its fourth Tuesday of the month featured band event from Cheezy Pizza (formerly Godfather's) on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. to the Boll Weevil at 7080 Miramar Road. This is a great new location with a nice listening room, nice stage area, good jamming spots, and good affordable food. Come on by on September 27 for some fun and to hear the Virtual Strangers as the featured band.

I hope some of you enjoyed the recent concerts in Fallbrook and Del Mar that featured Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum, and the Guest House Band. Both concerts were excellent with some truly great music from a talented bunch. In addition to Laurie and Tom, the Guest House Band featured North Carolina's Scott Huffman on guitar and banjo and Todd Philips on bass. Late August also saw guitarist extraordinaire David Grier appear at Buffalo Brothers in Carlsbad and at Chris Clarke's for a workshop and house concerts. If you've never seen David Grier perform, do yourself a favor and check him out next time he is in town. He is arguably the best and most influential player to pick up a flatpick since Clarence White and Tony Rice.

If you would like to be kept abreast of these kinds of local happenings and know where you can show up to hear great bluegrass and to jam on your instrument, consider joining the San Diego Bluegrass Society. Membership fees are only $20 for the family for the entire year. As an SDBS member you will receive InTune Magazine, a bi-monthly newsletter; the SDBS 'Tweener,' an off month update sheet; as well as flyers for local events, discounts to certain SDBS concerts, and other good stuff. To join, contact Dee Dee Hansen at (619) 276- 1949 or by email at: aradcliffe@san.rr.com. Or you can visit the SDBS website and join online at: http://members.aol.com/intunenews/sdbssubscribe.html. We would love to have your support as a member!