My 1750-mile solo trip to and from Kickin’ It on the Creek (KIOTC) was a journey in many senses of the word. I’m not used to traveling that far by car alone. But for something as special as this festival, I knew I had to do it. I stopped along the way there and back home to visit with and stay with dear friends that I don’t see often enough. I reluctantly, at first, but ultimately savored going off the grid for four days. I caught up with friends and acquaintances, and met some new life-long ones. It’s so refreshing to be surrounded by like-minded folks who are genuinely passionate about the music and are equally kind. So many people from all over the country have welcomed this Nebraska girl into their homes and into their circle of friends. I struggle to find the right words to express how I felt and what I experienced at Kickin’ It on the Creek. Spiritual, soul-cleansing, uninhibited, heart-warming, relaxing, safe, nurturing, kindness, family, community, and fellowship are just a handful of the words I could use in my description. I think everyone’s description would be a little different, but I know we all came away with the same satisfied feeling. If you’ve been to one of the four previous festivals, then you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t experienced a trip to the Wolf Pen Branch on Little Ross’ Creek, then I highly encourage you to make it a priority.

Now for the good stuff. From its humble beginnings as a get together of musicians, music lovers, and a birthday celebration for Kenton Roberts, KIOTC has become the hottest ticket in the land. Once August rolls around, traffic on Barnes Mountain starts to pick up as family and friends descend upon Little Ross’ Creek a couple times a week to help the Roberts family prepare for the annual music festival. This group has built a community around this family and festival and they are happy to help in whatever capacity; paying homage to the Roberts family for their kindness and support of the music community they hold so dear.

September 2019 marked the 5th Annual Kickin’ It on the Creek Music Festival. Even though after the first year, patriarch Byron Roberts, vowed to never do another get together like that again, well, here we are. I believe a little to the Roberts’ surprise, they sold out the festival in year three and sold out years four and five before even releasing the lineup. You know when that happens that it is not just about the music. Of course, we have all come to learn that there will always be guaranteed stellar talent, but the entire experience is what sets itself apart from many other festivals. When you are there, you are family. When you are there, you know you will leave with a full heart. It’s an intimate setting on the Roberts’ farm tucked down in Wolfpen Branch with only around 1000 tickets sold. Approximately half of this year’s ticket sales occurred at a pre-sale show in Irvine, Kentucky at the Steam Engine Session Room. With people lined up and camped out on the sidewalks waiting for their opportunity to score the “golden ticket,” the ticket pre-sale event was dubbed “Kickin’ It on the Street.” There were even a couple of KIOTC pre-parties held in August. The first was at The Burl in Lexington on August 17th. That show featured Buffalo Wabs & The Price Hill Hustle with special guests, Senora May, and Texas artist, Padre Paul Handelman. A couple weeks later, on August 30th, Country Boy Brewing in Georgetown hosted a pre-party that featured Ross’s Creek All Stars with special guest, Geno Seale. Both events also introduced Country Boy Brewing’s Kickin’ It Ale which was specially made for Kickin’ It on the Creek.

As I was unloading my camping gear and getting set up on day one, just a short distance across the creek, I could hear the beautiful songs of duo, Chris and Jenn Shouse, followed by the superbly talented Chloe Edmonstone. Chloe makes up one half of the duo, Locust Honey, and often plays fiddle for John R. Miller who sat in on a few songs of her set. Once I was settled into camp in “Tick Town” and said several “hellos” and gave hugs to friends along the way, I headed over to the stage which has been built right on the Roberts’ front yard and is flanked by merchant tents on two sides along the perimeter of the large yard. 

The first act I was able to watch that day was Kentucky John Clay. A couple of songs we heard from his 2016 EP, Now it’s Time, were “Running Away” and “Melwood Nights” which was a song he dedicated to his friend and fellow singer-songwriter, Aaron Boyd. Joining John for part of his set were fiddle player, Blakeley Berger, and on the resonator guitar, Jeremy Short of Short & Company.

Geno Seale and the Porch Front Gospel were very refreshing to listen to and watch. Such passion and talent wrapped up in that group of gentlemen. Geno could be found for the rest of the festival “riding the rail,” encouraging and celebrating the music of his friends and peers. I think watching the musicians being fans is my favorite part about festivals. 

Up next was a woman that doesn’t need an introduction in this music community, yet she received the warmest of introductions from Byron Roberts when he proclaimed Kelsey Waldon the “Queen of Kentucky Country Music.” From her album that was released last fall, everyone was excited to hear new songs like “Anyhow,” the title track, “White Noise/White Lines,” and “Kentucky 1988,” to name a few. Joining her on stage was Alec Newnam on upright bass and Mike Khalil on guitar and pedal steel. Both musicians play with Kelsey regularly and played on the new album, but this was Alec’s first time playing upright bass with her and Mike’s first time playing pedal steel with her. 

One of the best sets of the entire festival came from Floyd, Virginia native, Morgan Wade. I had only seen videos on YouTube and Facebook of Morgan performing solo acoustic, but she brought an impressive backing band to compliment her tremendous vocals and poignant songwriting. I noticed her drummer looked very young, but was not prepared to find out that Noah Denton was only going to be celebrating his 14th birthday that very weekend. On lead guitar was Noah’s father, Jamen Denton, Logan Fritz on bass, and Joe Link on keys. Morgan brought them on the road with her after she heard them open for her a few months ago while she was looking for a touring band. 

I first heard the next performer, Joseph Huber, a couple of years ago at another music festival and was thoroughly impressed then. I’ve gotten to see him a couple of times since and I can honestly say that he just gets better and better. With just a 3-piece band consisting of himself on rhythm guitar and a vintage suitcase kickdrum, an upright bass player, and a mandolin player, they pack a mighty punch. 

One of the standout performances of Day 1 was that of Bedford Band. They are a young, fresh Rock N’ Roll band with a classic vibe. The band’s lead vocalist, Samuel May, is also their bassist which is not typical and reminiscent of the rock band, Rush. The rest of the Eastern Kentucky band consists of Kolby Swiney on keyboards and electric guitar, Tristan Frazier on drums and harmony vocals, and Trevor St. John on guitar and vocals. I think everyone was most impressed with their Pink Floyd cover. The band was solid and energetic, and the crowd loved it. Check out their recently released album, A Trip into the Sun. 

The headliner for the night was one of my favorite bands to see live, Buffalo Wabs & the Price Hill Hustle. They always deliver an exciting roller coaster performance – upbeat foot-stompers to slow melodic ballads. They started the set with one of the crowd favorites which is their rendition of “Four Walls of Raiford.” I love the added effect to the song with drummer, Casey Campbell, on lead vocals while clamoring the beat with a rusty set of chains. Campbell, along with lead guitarist and lead vocalist, Matt Wabnitz, formed the band out of Cincinnati, Ohio and brought in master instrumentalists, Scott Risner on mandolin, vocal, resonator guitar, tenor banjo and Bill Baldock on upright bass and vocal. Picking up the pace with “Oh, Ramona!” which is a fun original penned by Campbell, the spirited “You Gotta Move,” and the raucous “Stewball.” They slowed it down a bit with Willy Tea Taylor’s “The Very Best” and a beautiful delivery of The Felice Brothers’ “Rockefeller Druglaw Blues.” They had the whole crowd singing along to “Buffalo’s Cannon” and they took the set to another level with special guest appearances. Arlo McKinley joined the band on the Bruce Springsteen classic, “Used Cars,” Montana Hobbs accompanied them on the banjo and harmony for the American traditional gospel folk song, “(You've Got to Walk) That Lonesome Valley,” and Jeremy Short brought his blues guitar stylings for fiery instrumental runs.

Lexington, Kentucky’s Joslyn and the Sweet Compression filled the late-night stage with a powerful funk and R&B performance that got the crowd moving and grinding. Fronted by the powerhouse vocalist, Joslyn Hampton, and backed by a dynamo band, the group lit the night up. Joslyn has a sexy, sultry vibe and is a joy to watch perform. She lights up the stage with a commanding vocal range on songs like the soulful “Honey, Be,” the funky “If I Break it Down,” and the groovy “Love on the Double.” Her incredible backing band includes her stepfather and ace guitarist, Marty Charters, as well as Steve Holloman - keyboards, Smith Donaldson - bass, Rashawn Fleming - drums, Joe Carucci - saxophone, and Chase Fleming - trombone and trumpet.

Friday morning, Day 2 started off with Irvine, Kentucky local singer-songwriter and veteran, Donnie Isaacs. I encourage you to check out his military-inspired song, “Duffle Bags.” 

Kickin’ It on the Couch is a trio of Bluegrass pickers that earned their spot on stage after they were discovered playing in the campground together on an inflatable couch. Great story and great pickers - Michael Shave, Will Sinkula, and Thomas Bensberg. 

Multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter out of Louisville, Kentucky, Alex Wright was the last performer of the morning set. 

As the morning gave way to the afternoon, the crowd started filling in to hear local rock favorite, Luna and the Mountain Jets. Frontwoman, Teresa Prince, started up the set with one of my favorite versions of Dolly Parton’s classic, “Jolene.” It’s moody and so punk rock and I love it. A couple of my favorites off of their 2006 album, Luna, were “That Thing You Said” and “Number Two.” We also heard “Pepsi Girl” from the Blaine Girl album, as well as “Walking Away” and “It’s Okay” from the 2016 release, Telling Stories.

One of the highly anticipated performers of the day was Crownover. Just a man, his guitar, and his thoughtful, insightful words. Kyle dazzled the intrigued crowd with the singles he released earlier in the year. The sweet and groovy “One More You,” “Wasting Time,” about being put in the “friend zone,” and “Sweet Jeanette,” reminisces on a break up at the YMCA, were just a few such notables. Watch for this guy on the rise!

With the ability to electrify the air on any stage, Laid Back Country Picker, always entertains to the highest degree. Of course, alongside his best gal, Honey, he is always “playing good country music and treating people right.” Inspired by the truck driver comedian, Gene Tracy, LBCP gave us “Truck Stop Sam” and a few other favorites such as “Party Line,” “Magoffin County Cadillac,” and “David Bowie.” One that we don’t hear too often is the somber “Kathy with an Eight Ball.” He also payed tribute to his favorite bluegrass player, Lester Flatt, with “Lester Plays it Straight.” One of the most fun parts of the set was when LBCP handed his electric guitar down to fellow musician, Darrin Hacquard, to jam on from the crowd.

I had to step out from the crowd to take a break from the September sun, grab some food from one of the great food trucks, and check out the offerings of the various vendors. In the background, I could hear the cheering on for the reunited group, Green Genes. The band consists of musicians: Don Rogers, Todd Copeland, Brandon Bowlds, and Roddy Puckett. From what I could tell and from what I heard from others - it was a jamgrass party. 

Georgia folk-singer, visual artist, and producer, Jim White, took the stage next. He was accompanied by bass player, Dr. Alex Wright and his opera-trained singer wife, Tara.

Jericho Woods charmed the early evening KIOTC crowd next. Cousins, Josh Mitcham and Paul Priest, are the founding members of this north-central Kentucky band that relished some mainstream success in 2017 with their single “Better Now.” In May of 2019, they released a new album, One Perfect Sound, whose title track and several others off the album we also enjoyed. Their talented fiddle player, Anna Blanton, is always a pleasure to watch perform, as well.

The next couple of acts were new to me, but will stay on the radar for sure. The Hi-Jivers, out of Nashville, are an exhilarating four-part group that pay tribute to the Rock N’ Roll era of the 50’s and 60’s with their dress and sound. Their Boogie and Jive style of Rhythm and Blues and Rock N’ Roll brought the dancers to their feet and everyone had a righteous time.

Vintage Pistol, from Fayetteville, Arkansas, rocked the crowd with a thrilling set. They left everything on stage with their performance. Even Gregg Erwin of Magnolia Boulevard hopped on stage to jam with them. Having never seen them before, I didn’t know what to expect. I will attest that I was very impressed with their execution and hope to see them play again soon.

A fairly new jewel of Lexington, Kentucky, Magnolia Boulevard always delivers one of the greatest musical experiences. They are bluesy, soulful, and can really jam. Maggie Noelle’s powerful and emotional vocals are enamoring and the band’s players feed a connection between each other that seems to trickle over the crowd. My favorite of theirs and one of the most moving songs that they performed was their single, “Sister.” If you have a close friend or sister that you are missing, this song will hit hard. They crushed the Fleetwood Mac covers of “The Chain” and “Gold Dust Woman.” Nearing the end of their set, a couple other originals that I enjoyed were the groovy “Strong Willed Women” and the funk-soaked “Ride.”

The immensely talented singer-songwriter, John R. Miller and his band, The Engine Lights, graced the stage beautifully. Playing with him this night was John Clay on drums, Chloe Edmonstone with the fiddle and harmony, Adam Meisterhans on guitar, John Looney on mandolin and guitar, and William Matheny on bass – all extremely talented musicians in their own right. From tender to clever, the keen lyrics of John R. Miller always deliver a storied performance. My favorites included “Borrowed Time,” “Holy Dirt,” “Faustina,” and the tongue-in-cheek ode to Craigslist, “1/2 Ton Van.”

The Friday headliner, Town Mountain, has become one of my favorite acts of the last year or two. This group of impressive bluegrass musicians puts on an evocative performance every time. This Asheville, North Carolina based band is comprised of original members Robert Greer on guitar and Jesse Langlais on banjo with the rest of the roster to include Phil Barker on mandolin, Bobby Britt on fiddle and Zach Smith on stand-up bass. We were treated to quite a few songs off of their latest album, New Freedom Blues, which included the title track, “North of Cheyenne” and the Tyler Childers co-write, “Down Low.” A couple other favorites from their 2012 album, Leave the Bottle, were “Up the Ladder” and “Lawdog.” I love hearing their rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire,” whether live or the recorded version. I think it might possibly be my favorite cover of any song, ever. The crowd received a special treat when the former Wooks member, Arthur Hancock, joined the group to debut his new song “Wolfpen Branch” which gives a lovingly nod to the area where Kickin’ It on the Creek is held.

Keeping the partying going on the late-night stage was the ‘Lectric Wooks; adding the electric buzz of guitars, keyboards and the drum beat to their already energetic performance. They brought Laid Back Country Picker and Luna & the Mountain Jets’, Teresa Prince, to elevate the momentum. Also, rejoining the group for their performance was former Wooks member, Jesse Wells. 

Day 2 was a monster of line-up, but Day 3 was fashioned to rise to the occasion and send us off in the most memorable of ways. The build-up to this day had been spectacular and even in the exhaustion of the last couple of days, everyone was eager to start the day and soak it all in.

The two morning sets felt more like they were shot out of a cannon rather than a warm up to the rest of the day. The still-sleeping nearby campers were likely awoken suddenly by the psychedelic mountain music of The Giant Rooster Sideshow, curated by Eastern Kentucky’s Brett Ratliff. 

Up next, Mobile, Alabama, based Abe Partridge will knock you to the ground and then pick you back up for more. His guitar emblazoned with “THIS MACHINE KILLS,” similar to folk artist Woody Guthrie. With gravel in his vocals, he grabs your attention with his with deep and sharp lyrics. Is punk folk a genre? Because, if asked, that’s how I would describe Abe’s art. Not only is he a musical artist, he is also a visual artist and the pieces and prints he has created were for sale among the vendors of the festival.

Saturday afternoon was greeted by Cincinnati’s Joe’s Truck Stop. The group is led by a member of the string band, The Tillers’, Joe Macheret. They bring together many styles of music to their set: Traditional Country, Blues, Bluegrass and Honky Tonk. I suggest checking out their 2018 release, American Dreams, if you are not familiar with them. They’ve got some real amusing and witty songs that’ll make you laugh and want to dance. 

Native Texan, former Army Ranger and present-day singer/songwriter/rancher, Padre Paul Handelman and company – Dan Johnson on banjo and J.T. Thomas on fiddle, impressed the early crowd. He showcased story-songs about life on the road along with the relationships, trials and tribulations, and successes that encompass a military career. He delivered music from his July 2020 album, Until This Point and songs from his previous release, Unbridled.

Down from the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region, Brothers Smith, led by brothers, Aaron and Wes, brought their funk and soul fueled country music sound to the KIOTC stage. The entire group’s harmonies are impressive to say the least. Listening and watching them perform is definitely good for the soul. They injected nostalgia and happiness into the crowd when they crushed the Aretha Franklin cover, “Chain of Fools.” The powerhouse Kentucky vocalist, Sean Whiting joined them on stage and also treated us with his own song, “Hey There.”

The Miles brothers out of Whitesburg, KY, Kenny and Hayden, lead the rock foursome Wayne Graham. This stellar group of musicians are also comprised of Chris Justice on bass guitar and Lee Owen on lead guitar. The band heralds a roots rock sound with a Dire Straits-esque vibe. Be on the look out for new projects from them in 2020.

Another regional favorite and multi-instrumentalist, William Matheny, out of Morgantown, WV, gave an impressive afternoon show with his band, The Strange Constellations. Some of my favorites were “Down at the Hotel Canfield,” “Moon Over Kenova” and “Living Half to Death” from the Strange Constellations album.

As the stage was adorned with vases of flowers while starting off her set acoustically, Senora May, graced the large and attentive evening crowd with lovely sentiments of the Roberts family and of her home there in Estill County. She talked fondly of her family and sang “Semper Fi” for her brother serving in the military. She then invited the Miles brothers of Wayne Graham to accompany her. She also played one of my favorite new songs of hers, “Dogs of Mexico.” Adding to the latter half of her performance, was Mitchella Phipps of the rock trio, Slut Pill, who joined her on a fan favorite, “Milk and Honey.” The crowd hung tightly on to every word from this Appalachian songbird.

“Sometimes you don’t have the words for how special a moment is – that’s this moment,” rightfully proclaimed Ona, the next band to carry us into the evening performances. I thoroughly enjoyed their set at Railbird Festival the prior month, so I was looking forward to seeing more of them at KIOTC. A special treat was having Jesse Wells of Tyler Childers’ band, The Foodstamps, join them on fiddle. 

One of the great things about KIOTC is not just the platform that this festival gives to these up and coming independent, regional artists, but the support this festival gives to the community. With donations acquired through Kickin’ It on the Creek, the local Harrgett Fire Department – who graciously and tirelessly contribute volunteers to help run this amazing festival, was able to purchase a new fire truck! What an important and meaningful cause to support and celebrate.

It was now time for everyone to do their “Wookie Foot Shuffle” as The Wooks fired up the crowd with “’seng,” which was written by Tyler Childers. So many great songs were impressively covered like Tom Petty’s “Learning to Fly,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” and The Beatles’ “Dear Prudence.” The Wooks also brought up some special guests to play with them, Jesse Wells on fiddle and Eric Cummins of The Allman Butter Band. The staples of the band include C.J. Cain on guitar, Harry Clark on mandolin, Roddy Puckett on bass and George Guthrie on banjo. Lots of favorite tunes from this group – “Out of Mine” and “White Lines and Neon Signs” from the 2016 Little Circles album; along with “Union Pacific” and “Let it Ride” from the 2018 Glory Bound album, just to name a few. Speaking of giving back to the community, I saw an abundance of t-shirts in the crowd supporting the Can’d Aid Foundation. The Wooks are TUNES ambassadors for the foundation which provides students with donated instruments, music workshops and scholarships for music lessons. Visit https://candaid.org/tunes/ for more information.   

By now, the crowd was heavy with anticipation for the last acts of the night. Arlo McKinley and the Lonesome Sound took the stage to a very enthusiastic horde of fans. Arlo is known for penning some of the most heart wrenching, true-to-life lyrics you’ll ever lay your ears to. There were a number of tear-stained cheeks, including myself, as folks sang along. After the set, I joked with their drummer, Aaron Cordell, that they could have made a killing at the merch table if they offered pocket packs of tissues emblazoned with their logo. They began their set with the low and slow swaying “Time in Bars” from his 2014 self-titled album release. Then it was on to some new songs from his highly anticipated 2020 album, “We Were Alright,” solo acoustic “Bag of Pills,” and the single release “Ghost of My Best Friend,” which Arlo wrote in memoriam of the friend who died the prior year on his birthday. The set paced back and forth between new and old music with the crowd loudly singing along to “I’ve Got Her” and “Waiting for Wild Horses.” Arlo and bandmates, Tyler Lockard on bass guitar, Zac Roe on guitar, and Aaron Cordell on drums, ended the set with a bang by bringing out Jeremy Short and Larry Keel to drive it home on a gritty and guitar-soaked performance of “Dark Side of the Street.”

Now for the main event. There are not many artists who are soaring to the top of the record charts and selling out Red Rocks Amphitheater who will continue to play a festival for a thousand or so people. However, Tyler Childers is not your typical rising star artist and those 1000 or so are not your average people. Tyler knows where he came from, who his people are and he won’t soon forget any of it. And his willingness to continue to headline Kickin’ It on the Creek each year is proof of that. Everyone that has experienced a KIOTC festival comes to know that no matter what – the lineup will be phenomenal, but the return of their Appalachian son to the little stage on Ross’ Creek is special and important to all who share the experience.

Tyler Childers and the Foodstamps held the stage for well over 90 minutes and came out of the gate with “Whitehouse Road” followed with a slew of favorites like “Housefire,” “I Swear to God,” “Country Squire,” “Bus Route,” “Creeker” and “Shake the Frost.” Tyler then put on an acoustic set of about a half dozen songs, some with Jesse Wells on fiddle, which included “Lady May,” “Banded Clovis,” “Nose to the Grindstone,” and then a solo “Follow You to Virgie” which always gets a warm reception and beautiful sing-a-long. The band was then welcomed back to the stage for “All Your’n,” “Feathered Indians,” “Redneck Romeo,” “Honky Tonk Flame,” and they finished the set off with the energetic Charlie Daniel’s classic, “Trudy.” 

To close out the night and the entire 2019 festival were the Larry Keel Experience, led by the guitar phenomenon, Larry Keel. Jenny Keel on upright bass and Jared Pool on mandolin round out the trio with an electrifying stage presence and a high-energy performance. They played many originals and a few covers well into the night for the lingering crowd.

It’s hard to pull yourself away from the stage knowing that such a beautiful weekend is coming to a close. Load up day is somber as everyone holds on to the last moments of their time at Ross’ Creek. We all say our “goodbyes” and “see you soon” or “see you next year.” Although, it was a difficult, but a necessary and responsible decision, the Roberts Family was unable to host the 2020 Kickin’ It on the Creek festival due to the ongoing Covid-19 virus pandemic. I think it’s particularly difficult for the family, the musicians and the fans that look forward to this festival as a way to unwind and recenter. In a year where frustrations and devastations are plentiful, it is particularly difficult to not have this festival to look forward to. It makes me even more grateful for the opportunity to have been there in 2019 and makes the anticipation for a return trip even that much sweeter. The amount of work that goes into a festival is staggering and the willingness of the Roberts family to continue this tradition, allowing people from all over the country to descend upon their beloved farm is truly a blessing to us all. They have provided a loving and communal environment for the musicians and fans, alike. I know I can speak for everyone when I say that I hope all our music family and friends are able to “weather the storm” and lift each other up this year, so we can all return to Wolfpen Branch in 2021.

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All photos in the article are courtesy of Jonathan Newsome of Capture Kentucky