Yarn is the band I always wish I had found. Out of context, that doesn’t make much sense. To make it clearer, you should know that I help book a music festival in Bristol, TN/VA, and Yarn is a band that someone else on the music committee found. Someone else discovered them and brought them to the table.
That still sticks in my craw. How could a band this good miss my notice? How could someone else bring them to the table before I did? This reality is particularly loathsome, considering how quickly I became a very big fan of Yarn.
Brooklyn-based Yarn combines the dusty country sounds of Texas with the bluegrass pickin’ of these Appalachian Mountains. Their music is equal parts Gram Parsons and Bill Monroe. At the center of it all is Blake Christiana, the band’s singer, principal songwriter, and guitarist. I caught up with Blake to chat about the band’s upcoming appearance at Rooster Walk, outrageous demands in the band’s rider, and wet dreams.
Yep. You read that right.
BRO – Yarn is the only band playing two nights this weekend. What kind of dirt do you have on the Rooster Walk guys?
BC – Even if I did have the dirt, I would never share it. Their secrets are safe with me. They’ve just been so damned supportive of Yarn. I love those guys so very much. We are working on something together for 2015, and I really hope we can get it off the ground. It’s going to be fun, so stay tuned!
BRO – This a return trip to Rooster Walk for you guys. Fondest memory of your first go ‘round?
BC – Our Sunday night set was amazing. I particularly remember playing “When The Summer Ends” and getting to the sing along part. I would bet ninety percent of the audience had no idea who we were, but they were singing “Glory, glory, hallelujah” about as loud as any group of people could. It was a moment.
BRO – What band at Rooster Walk are you most excited to see?
BC – James Justin, of course. He’s my boy and I love everything he does. Stephen Wrembel, Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott, and Kings of Belmont. It’s a great line up. The entire weekend is a musical wet dream. Just hurry up, May 22nd . . . . I’m ready.
BRO – Tell me a bit about your collection of acoustic tunes, Shine The Light On.
BC – It’s all about the songs. I just wanted to release something very raw, like our first two records, and hopefully people enjoy it and can relate to it a little bit. It’s time for the next one.
BRO – If you could add one outrageous item to your rider and demand the Rooster Walk guy comply, what would it be?
BC – There’s a doctor in Las Vegas who parks his medical truck on the strip and sells IV drips of this vitamin cocktail that pretty much cures a hangover within an hour. I want that.
You can catch Blake Christiana and the rest of Yarn at Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 10:00 p.m.
If you’d like to make it out for Yarn’s sets – along with everything else going on between Friday and Sunday of this weekend’s Rooster Walk – take a shot at our trivia question below. The Rooster Walk folks are letting us give away a weekend pass (Friday thru Sunday) with a camping permit!
Email your answer to the trivia question below to [email protected]. A winner of the passes and camping permit will be chosen from all correct answers received by noon tomorrow – Thursday, May 22.
Also, be sure to surf over to www.roosterwalk.com for more information on the line up, set times, and all around good fun going on at this weekend’s festival.
