The Triumphant Return of Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que!
It is hard to believe but we are already at the 11th Annual Papa Joe’s Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que, but it seems like this festival started only a few years ago. So many incredible and unforgettable memories over the years from such greats as Ricky Skaggs, Drive-By Truckers, Willie Nelson & Family, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Greensky Bluegrass, and Trampled by Turtles just to name a select few. After taking 2020-2021 off (for obvious reasons), this year’s Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que took place on October 14th-15th, 2022 and was held at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in Grovetown, GA. I will also note that despite missing two years in a row, I am going to continue to label this as an “annual” festival because we can’t blame them for taking a pause for the cause. Much respect to all the people involved with making this passionate festival happen. Let me tell you, I really missed this hometown festival immensely. Since my first year attending Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que in 2012, I made it a point to attend this festival whether it was doing photography or just attending as a fan. What did Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que have in store for us with #11? Well let’s just dive right into this lineup and discuss how it all went down!
Starting off this year’s incredible line up is none other than St. Paul & the Broken Bones and Leftover Salmon, followed by the legendary Tanya Tucker, Punch Brothers, The Del McCoury Band, Yonder Mountain String Band, North Mississippi AllStars, The Lil Smokies, The Vegabonds, Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country, Fireside Collective, The Heavy Heavy, Little Roy & Lizzy Show, Tall Tall Trees, Sam Burchfield, and Grassland String Band! This lineup is stacked from top to bottom and there are so many reasons why everyone had a great time listening to music at Papa Joe’s Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que. Personally, I have been chasing a few of these artists on this year’s lineup such as The Del McCoury Band, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, and the Punch Brothers. Finally, 2022 would be my time!
Day one (Friday) kicked off with some great music from a Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que vet. It was Athens, GA very own Grassland String Band (and they will be the first to tell you that they are not a string band). Their latest album, Grassland (Still Not A) String Band, was released on August 26th, 2022, and has made some major splashes across the music scene. You can follow this link to their Official Bandcamp page and check them out for yourself! Next up would be none other than the well-known bluegrass great Del McCoury and his band. As stated previously, I had been wanting to see Del McCoury perform for some time now and I was very excited to finally witness greatness. Getting the opportunity to see Del McCoury > The Heavy Heavy > Punch Brothers with a couple, close friends was some of the best times as we bounced between stages before the final two (2) acts for the evening.
Performing on the same stage about an hour after The Del McCoury Band, the Punch Brothers came up to entertain those eager, bluegrass fans who waited patiently for their set. Closing out the New Belgium Saloon Stage were The Vegabonds, a new southern/country/blues/jam rock band for me hailing from Nashville. And closing out the Main Stage (and headlining Day one) was Birmingham’s very own St. Paul and the Broken Bones, a southern soul band that made an impression on many fans who were not familiar with their incredible and vast discography.
The second day (Saturday) started off by catching the very last few songs of Tall Tall Trees. Wow! All I can say is that this one-man band was spectacular and everyone who came early will agree with me. Don’t believe me? Head over to Tall Tall Trees Official Bandcamp page and hear for yourself! North Mississippi Allstars was next up on the Main Stage, this was also a band that I have yet to see perform live. So, I was intrigued to witness their set. Let me tell you, I was very impressed by their bluesy take on Southern/jam rock. For those who do not know, the band was formed by brothers Cody and Luther Dickinson in 1996. Luther was also the former lead guitarist for The Black Crowes during 2008-2013 and has also played with the likes of Lucero, Jim Lauderdale, John Hiatt, and John Hermann to name a select few. Head over to their Official Bandcamp page today and check them out!
Saturday also had some moments in the schedule that, for me, made for some excellent memories as these three bands performed their heart out for the crowd: Fireside Collective > Yonder Mountain String Band > Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country. I have heard about Fireside Collective only through their music popping up on my Amazon music channel here and there. What I had heard in the past was great. Watching them perform live was even better! I cannot recommend enough that you find the opportunity to go see Fireside Collective perform live. Yonder Mountain String Band (YMSB) came on the main stage before Tanya Tucker and the headliner for Saturday, Leftover Salmon. Let me tell you that they did get that stage warmed up for them with some wicked, good selections from their amazing discography. You can read more about YMSB by following this link to check out Chris Griffy’s review of the band’s release, Get Yourself Outside.
One of the major highlights for my weekend was getting to see the next artist performing on the New Belgium Saloon Stage, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country. Imagine if Billy Strings and Sturgill Simpson had an offspring, then you get the awesomeness that is Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country. The final three performers for the evening would be: Tanya Tucker > The Lil Smokies > Leftover Salmon. What is there to say about Tanya Tucker that has not been said before? She has been an icon in the Country music scene since her career started in 1971. What an incredible set by Tanya and the crowd sang along to just about every song she performed. Of course, you know she played “Delta Dawn” to the delight of the crowd. It was truly a great experience especially for a 13-year-old girl in the audience who was a huge fan of Tanya Tucker. Closing out the festival was this year was Leftover Salmon. Leftover Salmon (Boulder, Colorado) is a Cajun/progressive bluegrass/jam band that is no stranger to performing at Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que (2019). I could not think of any other band to close out the return of Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que than Leftover Salmon and I hope they found some new fans who may not be familiar with their feel good music.
Now that we discussed the weekend’s activities, let’s talk about two more attractions at Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que: the plethora of tasty food vendors AND $6 domestic/craft beer (and I do mean REAL craft beer) tents with over 80 flavors to choose from on location! This year’s brewer’s lineup included Monday Night Brewing, Reformation, Savannah Brewing Company, Jekyll Brewing Company, Southern Brewing Company, Red Hare Brewing, Riverwatch Brewing, Dry County, Wild Leap Brewing, Akademia, Holy City Brewing, Duclaw Brewing, Sibling Revelry Brewing, Upcountry, Commonhouse Alehouse, Wicked Weed, Bell’s Brewing, Elysian Brewing, Goose Island, Breckenridge, Lonerider, Columbia Craft, Deschutes Brewing, and Slow Pour Brewing. To me, that is one amazing lineup for a craft beer selection that rivals many festivals across the Southeast.
Believe me, I am a proud beer snob and I do attend a good number of festivals. I would gladly pass on the status quo domestic brands in a heartbeat with no qualms about it. For those who do not care about craft beer, they also had some of the classics like Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Shock Top, and Yuengling. Plus, many ciders, wine, and alcoholic cocktails thanks to Cutwater Canned Cocktails and 2nd City Distillery. With regards to the dedicated food vendors, there were some amazing places to fill up while enjoying some great music. Between various BBQ vendors, tacos, pizza, Italian ice, and some other tasty items, Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que has you covered with some quality food when those hunger pains hit between sets!
After another successful Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que, we can only dream for our favorite artists/bands to be added to next year’s lineup. Who do YOU think will make the cut? All I know is that regardless of who plays this event you will find me front and center! I.C.Y.M.I. - Check out the 8th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que, 9th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que, 10th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que, and 11th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que photo galleries! Want to check out the 9th & 10th Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que annual recap? Then follow this link to the review of the 9th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que and 10th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que.
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