Danny Spain Gang Opens Parkstomp
Arkansas bluegrass trio invades Medicine Park, Oklahoma
The annual Parkstomp Bluegrass Festival returned to Hitchin’ Post Park in the Wichita Mountains for 2024 and TheFUSE made the hour roadtrip from Wichita Falls for opening night to see what it’s about.
The weather was a little less than optimal, but that didn’t stop a healthy crowd from turning out to see Eureka Springs, Arkansas’ Danny Spain Gang open the show on a Friday night.
Bluegrass has been enjoying a renaissance in recent years. It could be argued the 2000 Coen brothers’ film “O Brother, Where Art Thou” had a lot to do with kickstarting the resurgence in popularity for a genre with its roots in Appalachian folk, and here, nearly 25 years down the road, Danny Spain Gang exemplifies how far the genre has come. Bluegrass retains its traditional instruments and footstompin’, finger pickin’ ways, but channeled through the soul of the younger generation.
We arrived at showtime to find the show had not started yet, but a few minutes later Danny Spain picked up his dobro and, joined by Joe Credit on the mandolin, they started the show. Upright bassist Dave Gesualdo arrived a few songs into the set due to travel difficulties, and with the low-end accounted for, the Danny Spain Gang was off and running
As the sun set, the Danny Spain Gang treated the assembled crowd to classic bluegrass in its typical jam band style, and the long, improvisational numbers occasionally morphed into covers of mainstream classics, like “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield.
For lovers of original bluegrass with a modern twist, Danny Spain Gang has an all-original album to be titled “Calling Out My Name” coming soon to all streaming platforms.
For those who’ve never been to Parkstomp or Hitchin’ Post Park, on the outskirts of Medicine Park, Oklahoma, just down the road from Lawton, there’s a modest band shell with a tin roof for musical performances, and the vibe falls somewhere between outdoor recreation wonderland and hippie commune. Bring a cooler with food and beverages, and hey, if the weather doesn’t cooperate, bring your own heat source, too.
We’ll be making a point to see Danny Spain Gang again. You can follow Danny and his band on Facebook here and here.
Have you seen Danny Spain Gang? Tell us about it in the comments.
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