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CHEROKEE —
Back in August of 1969 there was Woodstock, a three-day extravaganza of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll.
Woodstack, the southeast Kansas version, will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday at Albert Pouch Park, Cherokee.
“This is the hillbilly version of Woodstock, with no drugs or sex and maybe a little bit of rock ‘n roll,” said Jeff Simpson, organizer.
The event is an open jam, free to anybody who wants to participate.
“But it’s just an acoustic jam,” Simpson said. “No electric. We sit in the round, somebody will call out a song and everybody will chime in. There may be two or three jams going at once, it depends. There should be bluegrass, old country, blues and whatever people throw in. A mix is what you get, that’s how jams work.”
He said he’s been organizing these events for close to 10 years.
“I had it at my house in the beginning, then it got to be too big and too much hassle,” Simpson said.
He said that he got the idea for the jam from a similar event he used to attend.
“When I first started playing music, I’d go to a ham at the home of Paul Rowden in Carl Junction, Mo.,” Simpson said. “He’s gone now, but for years he’d have a jam Friday nights at his house. A lot of the people from that come to Woodstack.”
He’s been playing harmonica for around 15 years and said he also plays a little mandolin and a little guitar.
Simpson has played with the Osage Prairie Revue, plays every Sunday at his church and at the open mic nights organized by Rev. Kevin Arensman every Thursday at Wheat State Pizza. He is among the musicians playing on the CD “New Hope” that Rev. Arensman and Dan Lingor recently released.
Simpson is also a skilled woodworker and has had his work at the Pittsburg Art Walk.
He said that spectators are also welcome at Woodstack.
“People should bring their lawn chairs,” Simpson said. “I have had cook-outs, but this year it will just be finger foods. I’ll probably have some watermelons and iced tea, and if somebody wants to bring fruit or a tray of cookies, that’s fine. We’ll probably keep going until 10 or 11 p.m., or whenever the last guy’s fingers get sore.”
Back in August of 1969 there was Woodstock, a three-day extravaganza of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll.
Woodstack, the southeast Kansas version, will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday at Albert Pouch Park, Cherokee.
“This is the hillbilly version of Woodstock, with no drugs or sex and maybe a little bit of rock ‘n roll,” said Jeff Simpson, organizer.
The event is an open jam, free to anybody who wants to participate.
“But it’s just an acoustic jam,” Simpson said. “No electric. We sit in the round, somebody will call out a song and everybody will chime in. There may be two or three jams going at once, it depends. There should be bluegrass, old country, blues and whatever people throw in. A mix is what you get, that’s how jams work.”
He said he’s been organizing these events for close to 10 years.
“I had it at my house in the beginning, then it got to be too big and too much hassle,” Simpson said.
He said that he got the idea for the jam from a similar event he used to attend.
“When I first started playing music, I’d go to a ham at the home of Paul Rowden in Carl Junction, Mo.,” Simpson said. “He’s gone now, but for years he’d have a jam Friday nights at his house. A lot of the people from that come to Woodstack.”
He’s been playing harmonica for around 15 years and said he also plays a little mandolin and a little guitar.
Simpson has played with the Osage Prairie Revue, plays every Sunday at his church and at the open mic nights organized by Rev. Kevin Arensman every Thursday at Wheat State Pizza. He is among the musicians playing on the CD “New Hope” that Rev. Arensman and Dan Lingor recently released.
Simpson is also a skilled woodworker and has had his work at the Pittsburg Art Walk.
He said that spectators are also welcome at Woodstack.
“People should bring their lawn chairs,” Simpson said. “I have had cook-outs, but this year it will just be finger foods. I’ll probably have some watermelons and iced tea, and if somebody wants to bring fruit or a tray of cookies, that’s fine. We’ll probably keep going until 10 or 11 p.m., or whenever the last guy’s fingers get sore.”
