Mountain Legacy

by Jason Hooker, 08/08/2005

Nestled in the middle of the bustling Pigeon Forge, TN. city explosion that has been going on for decades now, is a new bluegrass music venue that you must attend. It is called the Fiddler’s Feast. My family and I and some friends were there on vacation for a week and we made our reservations for the 5:00 show. They told us to arrive around 4:15. We got there and had no more got in the door before we were ushered into this huge dining hall and led to our seats for the night.

We had been sitting there for approximately 10 minutes enjoying the two big screens that were showing beautiful footing of the Great Smoky Mountains, when this group comprised of two twins came out to sing for us. These guys were great. They were very good musicians with a great song collection. Then there were a few minutes between those guys and the next group. During this time, the servers came and took my wife and the other mother’s of small children to get the kid’s food. I think they did this for three reasons. First…to keep children out of the food line. Second, to keep kids from making a huge mess by spilling their trays. Third, to allow mommies and daddies time to feed the kids before they got their own food. In any case, I thought it was a great idea.

The next group that performed was a family group…a mom, dad, and son. They did great. They really wet my appetite for the evening’s musical treat. They performed some great songs and really kept the crowd going. Now, everyone else got to get in line to get their food. Each person got a grilled chicken breast, a steak, new potatoes, baked beans, cold slaw, muffin or biscuit, and a dessert. Now…the portions were huge. The chicken and the steak were both the size you would get at Outback for one of their 12 oz dinners. The baked beans were awesome and the cold slaw was delicious!! The dessert was outstanding. I left full…and that says a lot coming from a man who once got kicked out of an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet for eating too much! The kids eat free under 6 and they get the same food portion sizes except they only get one meat choice. What a deal!!!

Just about the time, we finished eating, the main attraction came on stage. Mountain Legacy. Standing in front of cabin fronts complete with rocking chairs, were 8 of the best performers I have ever seen. These guys rocked!! Everything they played was tight from their version of Orange Blossom Special to The Ballad of Davy Crockett to the old spirituals. They were incredible. The playing ability of each member was obvious. The vocal harmonies were excellent. Down to the River to Pray brought chills to my arms. These guys and gals were very at home on stage too. They all contributed to the show very well. There were two beautiful women, playing guitar. Holy cow, what voices…angelic. Their vocals added so much to the show and they made the harmonies beautiful. There was a guitar player who doubled as the MC, a banjo player, a mandolin player, two fiddle players, and the best stand-up bass player I have ever seen. This guy was so electric in his playing, that I actually noticed people getting tired while watching him. He was also great comic relief. He is worth the price to the show. The MC was very good at leading the show and had a great baritone voice. The banjo player was excellent and very good at showing off his skills, and the two fiddle players were excellent and lightning fast on OBS and other tunes. The mandolin player caught my attention. He looked really familiar. I also noticed his voice when he sang. He had great vocal range and harmonized wonderfully. Then they told his name, Dave Cantrell. I knew immediately whom I was dealing with. You see, I had critiqued his CD Take Me Back a couple of years ago and I kept on listening to his songs because the CD was great. You see, he is a great singer and player. His quality is evident in his work. That is why he fits in so well with the rest of this group. The quality is what is on show here.

The show was excellent in and of itself. They told the history of music in the Great Smoky Mountains by using examples of songs from different eras. Each one was awesome. The also threw in some comedy into the show too. These guys and girls are really funny too. It is nice to see that they are very versatile. Unfortunately, I had to leave as soon as the show was over, so I didn’t get to buy their CDs or get to know any of the rest of their names, but I assure you that I will go back soon. This is my kind of place…great food, great fun, and great music. Take my word for…you need to go. Make a special trip if you have to, it is worth it. Or, don’t take my word for it, just experience it for yourself, but when you do…let everyone know it, because I want this place to stay around for as long as possible!!