American music, international twist a hit at Frankfort Bluegrass Festival

As Steve Haberichter was driving to the airport Monday, his passenger noticed the pastoral scenery winding through the forest preserves along La Grange Road heading toward Interstate 55.

The passenger, musician Peter Rowan, had just wrapped up two days of performances at the 2024 Frankfort Bluegrass Festival, including a solo set where he told stories of performing with Jerry Garcia and Bob Dylan, and writing songs that have made their way into the catalog of bluegrass standards.

He wasn’t done yet, even though his audience was reduced to Haberichter, one of the festival’s founders and organizers.

“He was going off about American music and how people like Dylan borrowed from old folk songs and put new words to them and brought them back into the limelight,” Haberichter said. “He talked about the plains and prairies, the buffalo, and how when you played with Jerry Garcia you couldn’t help but be in a joyful mood.

“I tried to drive as slow as I could because I didn’t want to get to the airport.”

Monday’s journey put a cap on a successful 12th edition of the Frankfort Bluegrass Festival, which Haberichter estimated drew more than 12,000 to downtown Frankfort over its two-day run. Besides Rowan, who famously played with Garcia in the band Old & In the Way, the festival featured multiple performances from Nashville songwriter Jim Lauderdale playing with the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Sister Sadie and Special Consensus, which was introduced at one performance as the festival’s “house band.” Band leader Greg Cahill is from Oak Lawn.

Just a few years removed from being named the “Best Event of the Year” in 2019 by the International Bluegrass Association, this year’s festival had international credibility. Slocan Ramblers came down from Toronto for the event while Country Gongbang traveled from South Korea, performing contemporary bluegrass in English and Korean, drawing an enthusiastic response from Sunday’s audience at the Breidert Green Stage.

Throughout the festival, performers played multiple sets on the festival’s three stages, while over 100 volunteers worked to make the event a success.

They succeeded, said Amanda Thompson, who helped found the festival and puts countless hours toward the event every year.

“None of us gets paid — we do it because we love it,” she said. That’s great to see when it’s Saturday night and everyone is out there having a good time and you’re introducing people to music they never thought they’d like.”

The efforts of the army of volunteers also helps ensure the festival remains free to attend while still attracting top names in the genre.

It also helps that the genre itself is down to earth.

“One artist told me they were so glad other artists they’re friends with were also on the bill,” Thompson said. “They sit in the green room and play music back there. The music never stops. They’re just normal people who want to hang out and play music and listen to music. But they’re Grammy-winning people, which is crazy.”