Former Olympian and local bluegrass guitarist Archie Lowman is THE Archie of Archie Fest. This 10th annual FREE bluegrass event is held at the Mondeaux Dam Lodge in the beautiful Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest just 20 miles northwest of Medford, tomorrow, July 11, from 1:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Bring your own lawn chairs and spend a day at the lake listening to some good ol’ bluegrass music. The bands appearing are: SWBMAI’s own Northern Comfort; The Lang Brothers; Big Daddy Choppers & the Feather Pickers; Forest Ridge; The New North String Band; Prairie Smoke; and Staff Infection. But that’s just the start because the jamming goes on all day and well into the night. Most jammers stay at the Picnic Point campground located within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest on the lake shore of the Mondeaux Flowage and they just keep on pickin’ under the stars. If camping isn’t for you, Medford offers a number of hotels, cabins and lodges, too.
No carry ins are allowed but there is a full lunch and dinner menu at the Lodge where you will also find boat, canoe, paddleboat and pontoon rentals. There is a canoe and kayak fishing contest in the morning, too. Or, you can go explore the miles and miles of hiking trails. Contact: Mondeaux Dam Lodge at 715-427-5746 or www.mondeauxdamlodge.com for more information.
The Hillbilly Hearts, the latest addition to the swelling ranks of SWBMAI member bands, will perform on June 4 from 6-8 pm at The Frequency in Madison ($5 cover). Patti Graham (dobro), Tony Hozeny (mandolin), and Mark Sherwood (guitar) have spent many years playing and singing bluegrass and traditional country music. Their sound comes straight from the heart and features high lonesome vocals and harmonies, a driving beat, and tight instrumental passages.