Published: October 16, 2009 09:05 pm      

Wolfstock 2009 recap

By JACK CLARK

jackclark@mvn.net

MT. VERNON - Well, you can’t say that it was too hot at WolfStock this year.

The second annual WolfStock outdoor music festival was held Oct. 10 and drew upwards of 200 music fans from around the area.

WolfStock is held as a memorial tribute to the late Arthur Robert “Bob” Trout, a well-known artist and forester. The festival, held at the Trout farm, is also funding an art scholarship at Rend Lake College.

Festival-goers this year didn’t have to contend with sweltering heat, as was the case at the inaugural WolfStock in August 2008.

No, WolfStock 2009 provided the other extreme, as temperatures dipped well into the 30s by the end of the festival. But, the fans were afforded the opportunity to warm themselves by two large bonfires while hearing the bands perform.

Kyle Sanders of Woodlawn was scheduled to open WolfStock with an acoustic set. However, Sanders brought the rest of his band, Nedra. The St. Louis area-based Nedra got things rolling with original rock music.

Meghan Crain of McLeansboro brought raves for her original, “Lovin’ you still,” as well as her acoustic rendition of the Jimi Hendrix classic, “All Along the Watchtower.”

Neverwell from Mt. Vernon proved to be another crowd favorite, playing selections from their latest CD.

Then came Home Grown Harmony from Nashville. Steve Berry, Amy Musielak, Alice Hicks and Jim Hale played folk-rock, country and originals.

Kevin Little from Salem brought his “Friends” with him, much to the delight of the crowd. The “Friends” included Boo Fleener, Billy Joe Cook and John Scrivner.

Moonbeam Lane performed their version of the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young tune, “Woodstock,” originally written by Joni Mitchell. Jamie Dodson, John Metcalf and Sharon Smith appropriately re-named their ver-sion,”WolfStock.”

Snake Lane Revue was like their own crowd when all nine of them took the stage. “Stovepipe Steve” Dodson, Larry Karcher, Mike Webber, Charlie Frye, Danny Allen, Larry Behringer, Del Herbert, Jeff Miller and Mandy Herbert Stachyra performed country-rock and bluegrass music.

Steve Davis, Steve “Moon” Mullins, Roger Kirk and Chad Russell performed as No Issues, playing classic rock covers.

Billy Kniffen and Dan Lynch led Tommy Gunn in rocking the crowd.

As the thermometer fell, South of 70 kept the crowd going with originals and covers, including their tribute to another local band – a song called “A Band Called Farm.”

Jeremy Lloyd, Jeff Bradley, Charlie Leuker and Shane Carnine are making a name for themselves once again.

The WolfStock 2009 headline act, Torn and Frayed, inherited the stage at the coldest part of day but they didn’t disappoint the crowd, most of whom had gravitated to around the bonfires.

Jeff Campbell, Jerry Wilson, Lamar Choate and Larry Campbell played an electrifying set, replete with originals from their new CD, as well as covers of artists such as Neil Young.

The first WolfStock art-scholarship recipient will be announced in Spring 2010.