Get ready for the Bean Blossom experience

Hidden away in tiny Bean Blossom, Ind., 20 miles northeast of Bloomington, is a giant of the music world. \nThe Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival is a mecca for the bluegrass faithful. Bean Blossom was founded in 1967 by the Father of Bluegrass – Bill Monroe himself – as a venue for his new, groundbreaking bluegrass sound.\nNow in its 42nd year, Bean Blossom has grown into an eight-day event that has a devoted following of perennial attendees. \nThis year’s festival starts Saturday and runs through June 21. It features 50 bands including J.D. Crowe and the New South and the legendary Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. Stanley is a bluegrass hall of famer and has enjoyed mainstream success in recent years with his song, “O Death” appearing on the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack.\nBut Russell Moore, front man for another headliner, IIIrd Tyme Out, which plays Wednesday, said Bean Blossom isn’t just for mega bluegrass devotees. \nNew fans don’t need an extensive knowledge of bluegrass to enjoy Bean Blossom, he said, just a lawn chair or a blanket. A big festival like this one can be the perfect introduction to a sound that Monroe brought into the mainstream decades ago.\n“I really think that if you want to learn bluegrass music today, you want to expose yourself to different artists, one of the best things you can do is attend the Bean Blossom festival,” Moore said. “There are different groups every day. Some of the biggest names in bluegrass music are going to be there.”\nAt $165 for the whole festival, $85 for a weekend or $30 to $35 per day, the festival offers ticket packages to fit every budget.\nIn fact, bluegrass has an accessibility that is rare in modern music. At Bean Blossom, fans can sit right up in front of the stage and watch the bands do what they do.\n“When you see a man who’s just laying the fire out their respective instrument, you can get up close to them and see their fingers work,” Moore said.\nAnd it is that small space between the fans and the stars that drew Moore to play bluegrass in the beginning. \n“The thing that got to me I guess about bluegrass music early early on, is that the musician and the bands were so accessible,” he said. “You could walk right up to them and shake their hand.”\nBut Moore says that it’s the intensity bluegrass music has that keeps new listeners hooked.\n“It makes you want to clap your hands. It makes you want to stomp your feet. It makes you want to scream and cry,” he said. \nAnd there’s no better venue than the old, historic stage at Bean Blossom to feel the intensity bluegrass has to offer. Even though there is usually a crowd of hundreds sitting in the field for each performance, audience members sit right up against the stage. That intimate feeling with the audience feeds the performers, Moore said.\nAnd playing Bean Blossom has extra special meaning for the musicians, too. Every modern bluegrass musician owes a great deal of his sound to Monroe, who took the music played in the foothills and put it on stage for all the world to see. Playing at a festival founded by the bluegrass great is the equivalent of playing the Grand Ole Opry for country musicians or driving in the Daytona 500 for race car drivers, Moore said. \nAnd, he said, bluegrass is best live. When you hear bluegrass live, it’s played with an attitude, with an edge that you just don’t get on a recording, he said.\nBut that doesn’t mean a little primer wouldn’t help. Moore recommended J.D. Crowe and the New South’s 1975 self-titled album, which is colloquially known as “0044.” Another good disc is Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver’s 1981 effort “Rock my Soul.” And, he said, his band’s 1999 album “John and Mary” received a lot of cross-genre attention.\nBut more than anything, a potential bluegrass enthusiast just needs to get immersed in the music. \n“It’s like swimming,” he said. “You just gotta jump in.”\nFor ticket sales and details, check out www.beanblossom.com.