by guest author Cory Bryars
Last month and after several years of best laid plans falling by the wayside, I finally attended my first North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic. As you can tell from the picture above, the “Picnic” might be more than the name implies. I assure you it is.
OK—we’ve all been to a picnic—what is so special about THIS Picnic? Read on…
Officially, the Picnic began as a non-profit organization in 2006, but musicians and their families in this beautiful area near Oxford have been having picnics of some sort or another for decades. Beyond just getting family together, the picnics served as a way to celebrate the distinctive Hill Country Blues that the region is now known for.
From roots as a family gathering for Othar Turner and his clan, the 2023 Picnic is a 2-day music and BBQ festival, complete with talented local arts and crafts vendors. The festival is on the grounds of the Betty Davis Ponderosa BBQ in a beautiful natural amphitheater complemented by a stage that is very accessible to fans. The only thing better than the BBQ was the music, with a talent-packed Friday night followed by a blockbuster Saturday with music starting at 10am and lasting past midnight.
I went with two friends, both of whom were also attending their first Picnic. We all agreed it was a great experience—casual, great food, quality music, and plenty to do in the area if you are staying longer than the Picnic weekend. And talk about affordable! There are hotels well under $100 in nearby Holly Springs, and we stayed in a great AirBnB that was $75/person per night. For a little nicer lodging, Oxford is the opposite direction, but equally convenient, and a beautiful old Southern town that is home to Ole’ Miss.
Amongst the attractions at Ole Miss, as I was informed by my friend Alan, is the Blues Archive, in the Library on campus. We did not have time to visit it, so that will be a great excuse to go back, as if there is a need for an excuse when you get 2 days of music and relaxation for $65 INCLUDING the $10 fee for your own cooler so you can BYOB!
And about the music—unlike some festivals where the lineup is totally different every year, you can count on the Picnic to feature many of the stalwarts of Hill Country Blues, such as Kenny Brown, several Burnsides and Kimbroughs, and the one and only Sharde, the granddaughter of Otha Turner (yep, Othar and Otha, same guy, look it up.)
Perhaps the last living link and hopefully future savior of Fife and Drum blues music, Sharde and her drummer put on a super cool show reminiscent of Kansas City’s Marching Cobras, but for me, more energizing and stripped down and raw. If you haven’t heard of her, check her out—-and i imagine they will soon be seen at more and more festivals and bigger and bigger venues—-their music is mesmerizing and Sharde tops it all off with a great voice.
In closing, my friends and I agreed that we all will attend more Picnics, and recommend that you add a Picnic to your list of festivals at least once. Sadly, we can’t do the music and the artists justice in a newsletter article, but we can give you the tools to do your own research, and get excited about this niche genre of blues that will have you groovin’ for years once you find your vibe with it.
Even if you are familiar with Hill Country Blues and the artists I’ve mentioned, I encourage you to further explore this wonderful genre and the beautiful people who created it and work tirelessly to keep it alive. Click the links I’ve provided, google the artists and read their bios, and listen to them on your favorite streaming platform or youtube. Even better, go to the artists’ websites and facebook pages and sample them and buy their music to support them.
Lastly, here are a few links to published articles about the Picnic and its artists—one is from 2012 (New York Times,) and other is from local paper the Oxford Eagle and offers much more detail about the 2023 Picnic.
Enjoy!
New York Times – Mississippi Blues Travelers (might require subscription—sorry)