Front Porch Showdown Bluegrass Band Contest – May 31, 2014

Dallas Heritage Village, Dallas, Texas  75215

The Bluegrass Heritage Foundation today teamed up with the Dallas Heritage Village, a shady, 20-acre tree-lined park with authentic 19th-century pioneer and Victorian homes and commercial buildings located in Dallas, for the first-ever Front Porch Showdown Bluegrass Band Contest and Show.  Nine bluegrass bands from Texas and Louisiana each had 15 minutes to take the stage, entertain the crowd, and clear out before the next band stepped in.  A total of $1,100 in prize money was on the line.  Judging was by audience ballot, with a great crowd on hand, and over 250 ballots were cast.  The winning bands were:

1st:  In Achordance (Corpus Christi, Texas)
2nd:  Bobby Giles & Music Mountain (Amarillo, Texas)
3rd:  Nickelville Road (Wylie, Texas)
4th:  Lonesome Ridge (Tullos, Louisiana)

The crowd also enjoyed performances by the Trinity River Mountain Boys, Bluestem, Sowell Family Pickers, Sabine River Bend, and Phil Ferguson & Texas True.  At the conclusion of the bluegrass band contest, the amazing Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Bluegrass Band expertly performed a set of contemporary and classic tunes in the acoustic-music style.  Sgt Pepper’s received a standing ovation at the close of their set from a very appreciative audience!

Hundreds of people explored the Dallas Heritage Village buildings and exhibits on Saturday, and many families with young children enjoyed a picnic in the park.  One of the famous Dallas food trucks, Jack’s Chow Hound, was on hand and almost completely sold out of food.  Bluegrass music rang from the porches and pathways of the park as dozens of jammers picked their favorite tunes all afternoon.  It was a great day of family-friendly music and fun.  (In Achordance photo courtesy of David Seay; photo of jammers courtesy of Neva Warnock.)