Second Annual Malpass Brothers Bluegrass and Country Music Festival
Photos by Ricky Davis
Smack dab between Murphy and Manteo, where Carolina clay colors the soil and the landscape can’t quite make up its mind whether to be rolling or flat, is an idyllic patch of ground where the world passes by in Jim Reevesque fashion. When the stream of traditional bands start arriving leading up to Mother’s Day weekend, suited and checkered and upright bass toting, the transformation is complete: The Malpass Brothers Bluegrass and Country Music Festival in Denton, North Carolina is like stepping back in time. It’s a three day vacation from the stresses of modern day reality.
Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver band hosted the festival for 41 years, but after Lawson announced his retirement, last year the mantle fell to the Malpass Brothers. Originally from Goldsboro, North Carolina, the duo brought a full band and traditional country sound, from The Louvin Brothers to Merle Haggard. They also added a healthy dose of their humor and showmanship to the festival. With Chris Maspass’s exaggerated hairdo and tongue-in-cheek Elvis-pelvis twitch, and his brother Taylor’s deadpan expression and extensive list of imaginary credentials from heart surgeon to taxidermist, it’s no wonder the duo has amassed a faithful following.
The Venue
With its rich history, anchored by The Southeast Old Threshers Annual Reunion on 4th of July weekend that started with “two guys and their flying machine” over 50 years ago, the Denton Farmpark is no stranger to folks in these parts. But to the uninitiated, driving onto the grounds is like entering a time capsule somewhere between Walton’s mountain and Mayberry.
The grounds not only include 400+ campsites, but an array of charming buildings, like a vintage Christmas village: a quaint white church, museum, general store, bakery, and even a working train: The Handy Dandy Railroad. During festivals, food trucks offer southern favorites, like “scratch made” biscuits, homemade chicken pie, peach cobbler and barbecue chicken sandwiches.
Day passes for the music festival are available, but to fully appreciate the immersive experience of the festival, camping is a necessary component. Facilities are rustic (some resembling historic pack houses), but charmingly so, and plentiful. Five bathhouses with a total of 30 hot showers are interspersed throughout the grounds, making one a short walk from just about any site. During the festival, portalets are strategically placed for those wanting an even shorter nature stroll during the night.
Electric sites are assigned, with repeat festival-goers having the option to reserve their same spot for the next year, but primitive campers are free to choose any patch of ground that suits. Even with cows grazing in the fields and a portly porker lounging by the fence, mature trees are strategically placed throughout the property, and shade isn’t hard to find. Golf carts (rented or registered) are a popular mode of transportation, even though everything on the property is comfortably walkable for those who prefer some exercise.
Campers are a friendly lot and the only point of contention might be whether a guitar or banjo is more essential camping gear. Informal picking tents seem to be a higher priority than sleeping quarters, and groups cluster at all times of the day or night to collaborate. That is, to pick and sing, all ostensibly while grinning.
The performance venue itself resembles an old fashioned, open-air, Bible belt camp meeting. The only thing missing is the “Amen corner” and the sawdust floor, and the amens aren’t always missing when lively gospel numbers get cranking. Wooden slab benches are situated on a gradual incline to ensure there isn’t a bad viewing area in the place. Attendees arrive early and add cushions or blankets to their seats to add comfort and mark their territory. Others set up folding chairs around the shelter’s perimeter.
Vendors set up behind the performance area, including John Hofmann, who runs a music shop in Thomasville and remembers coming to the music festival first as a performer. He has rows of violins (er, fiddles) on display, along with four upright basses and an array of banjos, guitars and other instruments.
When asked if the festival changed much following the transition in host bands, longtime festival staffer who supports the performers, Stacy Stuart said, “attendance is larger,” adding “as long as it stays traditional, it will be fine. There is a lot of variety even in the traditional music here, but you can see when they start playing that hard driving bluegrass, the crowd responds.”
Stuart performed along with her husband, Doug, playing bass and singing with their band on Wednesday night before the Thursday festival kickoff, during an “open stage” slot, when many campers arrived early to get set up. They both could be seen throughout the festival providing behind the scenes support. Doug Stuart’s connections to bluegrass music run deep; he’s proud of the fact that his father was the college roommate of one of Bluegrass Unlimited’s founders, Pete Kuykendall. Speaking of the host band, Stacy said, “The Malpass Brothers are the most humble musicians I’ve worked with.”
The Music
Thursday opened with a set from Caroline and Company. “I’m a hometown girl,” she said. “Drove a whopping 10 minutes to get here.” Covering a range from the Osborne Brothers’ “Windy City” to “When they ring those golden bells” to “Coat of Many Colors,” Caroline Owens primed the audience with her guitar skills and Dolly Parton influenced vocals. “On Dec 24, my biggest childhood dream came true,” she announced. “I got signed by a Nashville label.”
Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road performed requested favorites, including the sentimental “Get me home to Mama,” and “Homesick for Blue Ridge.”
“Wherever we go, playing across the country, we always tell them we’re from the greatest state: North Carolina,” Jordan said.
Spotting a familiar face in the audience from Vanceboro, where she was raised, provoked a memory, and Jordan said, “Dolly Parton’s nephew came to town and killed a black bear that was 880 pounds, setting a world record. And it happened right there in Vanceboro.” In Jordan’s second set, she performed her recent release, appropriate for Mother’s Day weekend: “Mama’s Cross,” a collaboration with Donna Ulisse. Jordan lost her mother in 2019 and Ulisse, in the past few months.
In keeping with the theme of their band name, Nothin’ Fancy slipped a memorable song title amongst gospel and traditional bluegrass: “I met my baby in the Porta John line.” Seth Mulder and Midnight Run included two recent band member additions, guitar player Chevy Watson from Rutherford, North Carolina, and Tyler Griffin from Avon, Indiana on upright bass. Their set included SPBGMA 2023 Song of the Year, “My, My, My.”
Over the course of the festival, The Malpass Brothers played five sets, covering a lot of territory including “Oh Lonesome Me,” “I’m Walking the Floor Over You,” and “Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer.” Chris dedicated the song “Road of Memories” to their grandfather who taught them to pick and sing. “Taylor and I had the honor of working with Merle Haggard for seven years,” Chris said as he introduced “Pancho and Lefty.”
The Malpass Brothers’ signature retro country attire added flare and authenticity to their performances. Most band members sported red cowboy hats, except the piano player who was something of a young Garth Brooks doppelganger and wore a white one. Chris, who could wear no hat due to his flamboyant upswept hairdo, and Taylor, whose black hat conjured memories of Bonanza’s Adam Cartright. “This shirt I’m wearing was Jimmy Capps’, circa 1968,” Taylor said Friday afternoon.
For one of the shows Taylor wore boots with the Louvin Brothers’ “Satan is Real” album art. The brothers on-stage repartee kept the festival goers laughing. “Everybody knows you’re the most important Malpass Brother,” Chris said to Taylor. “I am the youngest brother,” Taylor admitted, “but before I came along, there were no Malpass Brothers.”
“People ask me about my expertise,” Taylor said. “I’ve been a veterinarian, but I’ve taken up Taxidermy because either way, you get your dog back.” When the electricity went out on Friday afternoon during a performance, without missing a beat, Chris said, “It’s all right. We’ve done this before. I just have gotten electricity out at the house.” The band moved to the front of the stage, performing the rest of their set acoustically. “I told you we do this kind of stuff so you know it’s real and not recorded,” Taylor said. Taylor later joked that he was an electrician and took credit for repairing the problem.
Evening master of ceremonies Jeff Branch caught the spirit of the occasion by wearing a jacket one night with a mandolin on the front and a rendering of Bill Monroe on the back. Another night his jacket was a tribute to Flatt and Scruggs. When Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers took the stage, initially the audience complained they couldn’t hear them well enough. “Keep turning it up,” Mullins said to the sound engineers, smiling, “We’ll part their hair with it.” Of course he was joking, because the Mullins-Ramblers vocal style is distinguished by a mellow, smooth sound that would not part hair, but waft over it like a summer breeze. Mullins captured the prevailing sentiment when he asked rhetorically, “Do you think the world would be better if we turned the news off and turned Andy Griffith on?” Appropriately, he followed the commentary with their song, “Black and White,” with lyrics pining for a simpler time.
Larry Efaw, who celebrated a birthday during the weekend, took the stage with his Bluegrass Mountaineers dressed in navy suits, white shirts, and navy and white checked ties. Mikayla Burrows wore a blue and white checked dress that coordinated and underscored the traditional flavor of the band. Fiddle player Adam Burrows distinguished himself in the field of bluegrass ornithology with the song, “Mockingbird” where he made a number of astonishingly convincing bird sounds with his violin.
Introducing Lonesome River Band, daytime master of ceremonies Sherry Boyd said, “I can’t imagine being in a musical world without this band in it.” In response to the audience’s warm reception, Sammy Shelor, banjo player who said he had been performing on that stage since 1981, added, “North Carolina is the best bluegrass audience in the world.” The band ended with their ballad of lyrical longevity that comes with a tongue-in-cheek warning: “Hard work will kill you.”
Appalachian Road Show offered up a unique mix of old time hoe-down music and pensive storytelling of Appalachian history, from coal mines to sawmills. They involved the audience in a sing-a-long, “The La La Blues.”
When Deeper Shade of Blue took the stage, bass player Scott Burgess said, “This is my anniversary weekend. I got married 21 years ago in that church right there, and Doyle Lawson provided the music.” Some audience members showed their support for the band and one of their hits by wearing t-shirts with skeletons playing bluegrass instruments and the caption, “Bluegrass to the Bone.”
The Little Roy and Lizzy Show took the stage like a highly caffeinated whirlwind, “straight from the heart of Dixie,” as Sherry Boyd announced. Everyone on stage played at a furious speed, often switching up instruments.
“How about that old man?” Lizzy shouted to the audience. “We were at the Silver Dollar and drove all night to get here.” At age 81, Roy Lewis does a lot of the bus driving and unloading himself. “When my banjo picking goes down, I’m going to California and become a barber,” he joked, referencing the hair styles of Californian brothers John and Joshua Gooding in his band. His antics kept the band members on their toes, sometimes quite literally, as he crawled between the legs of the guitar player at one point.
Fiddler Hunter Berry reminiscenced about the festival’s longevity. “I’ve been coming to this festival since I was eleven years old. I was hoping to see my old boss, Doyle Lawson, but he’s probably playing golf somewhere.” Roy Lewis added, “I’ve been coming here since I was a small boy. When I came here before, the rainbow was in black and white.”
Authentic Unlimited, including three members who were with former host band, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, included some of the songs from their legacy but also featured their guitar player and vocalist, John Meador, with soaring vocals in “Jonas” and “What a Wonderful World.” Fiddle player Stephen Burwell introduced him, joking, “The first male to win female vocalist of the year.” When introducing the band, Jeff Branch said, “Several of these members grew up on this stage. And just like their old boss Doyle Lawson said, their future is bright.”
The final performance of the festival was by Jimmy Fortune, who spent 21 years with The Statler Brothers. His set was a tribute to God and country, opening with Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.” He delighted Statler fans by including their signature “Flowers on the Wall.” Confiding that he had open heart surgery three months prior, with five blockages, there was no sign of illness in the quality of his voice. He closed the show the way he opened, with patriotic sing-along songs, with “How Great Thou Art” as an encore.
Throughout the event, musicians and MCs thanked Denton Farmpark Karen Miller and her staff, along with the Loflin family for making the festival possible at a venue with such a longstanding legacy.
Over the course of three days, (plus a church service on Sunday morning) music ran from noon until about 10pm, followed by an open jam with the brothers until midnight. The Malpass Brothers bluegrass and country music festival was like an all-you-can-eat bluegrass and country buffet. But not at a restaurant chain. It was a dinner-on-the-grounds homecoming spread on checked tablecloths, with barbecue, chicken pastry and banana pudding, rubbing shoulders with like minded spirits. Where musicians and spectators sit and eat together at the same table, clean up afterwards, and….can’t wait to come back next year for more.
