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Twenty years ago, Doc Watson and some friends from the local community college set up a festival to honor the passing of his son Merle Watson. Dubbed "Merlefest," the concert was held in a field with a flatbed truck for a stage, where they played to a small but supportive audience. Fast forward to 2007 where a total of 76,558 people gathered for four days to witness over 90 bands on 14 stages. Tony Rice with Alison Krauss & Union Station, Elvis Costello, the Del McCoury Band and the Sam Bush Band headlined along with a fantastic crop of newcomers like the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Crooked Still, Uncle Earl, and The Infamous Stringdusters. Saturday night's Alison Krauss set was the second highest single-day attendance in the festival's history (Dolly Parton's evening set is still the title holder).
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So, Elvis Costello at Merlefest? Born in England with Irish heritage, he has covered the gamut of American music in his career. From his singer/songwriter roots, he has delved into country and western, New Orleans jazz and even collaborated with Burt Bacharach. His Friday night main stage set exceeded all expectations. Coming out with only an acoustic guitar, he whipped through hits such as "Angels Want To Wear My Red Shoes," "Veronica" and "Alison," which demonstrated his mastery of the sweet love song. Then, he brought out a few guests including Jim Lauderdale. They performed "High Timberline," a song Lauderdale wrote with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. The highlight of the set was Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas joining him for an incredible "Friend of the Devil." For the encore, Costello finished with Elvis Presley's "Mystery Train." He may not immediately come to mind when one thinks of Merlefest but Elvis Costello had the crowd eating out of his hand.
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