I Visited a Holler in Eastern Kentucky and I Feel Different, Reenergized, Somewhat New, and Loved

Artwork by Colonel Tony Moore

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After a little over three hours of driving you see it; a hand painted sign pointing to the direction of Ross’ Creek, the home of the now annual Kickin’ It On The Creek music festival. It’s a winding road through the hills of The Daniel Boone National Forrest which eventually leads you to a damn near 180 degree turn onto Little Ross’ Creek Rd. It’s essentially a long gravel driveway with no room for two vehicles to pass. You‘ll eventually pull up to the property and the staff is well equipped and knowledgeable about how to get you where you need to be. I get my media pass and then a gentlemen with the local volunteer fire dept escorts me quickly to a spot to park and then finds me somewhere to set up camp. With the crowd that floods KIOTC and the size of the property this is essential, there are cars and tents everywhere you walk.

The lineup at this 3 day festival is full of locals, friends of locals, and bands that have gained the respect of the Robert’s family and others. The scene in Kentucky is full of songwriters and most of them mix together pieces of country, rock, and bluegrass to bring a unique sound to the area. Kyle Crownover started my day off with a bang as I’ve become friendly with him on social media and it was a true treat to see him perform live and hangout during the day. Local favorites Luna and the Mountain Jets, Laid Back Country Picker, and Jericho Woods were early performers as well. They bring in bands from out of state like a Vintage Pistol, who they’ve become friends with and who destroyed the stage heading into the night on Friday. These boys are pure “in your face” rock n roll, they left every last bit of sweat and blood on that wooden stage and were a hit in conversations throughout the rest of the weekend. The night filled out with regional favorites in Magnolia Boulevard, John R Miller, and Town Mountain out of North Carolina.

Between shows were for visiting the vendor sites, namely the uber popular Hillbilly Hibachi. All of the vendors were great, with pizza and BBQ on the menus, but Hillbilly Hibachi seemed to be the favorite and I’d have to say that it may have been some of the best I’ve ever had. They even switched it up in the morning and served pancakes with sausage/bacon for a much needed pick me up for the long day ahead. As with any festival there were plenty of vendors selling beautiful handmade jewelry and other trinkets, as well as the tent housing Jimbo Valentine and Colonel Tony Moore’s artwork. The pair teamed up to work on Tyler’s psychedelic album cover and liner for Country Squire, two exceptionally talented individuals that came together and blew everyone’s mind.

The KIOTC grounds are well equipped with showers, porta-potties, ice, and other amenities one might find themselves needing as the festival goes on. However, that won’t always keep people from doing things they maybe wouldn’t do if say, they were sober. A lady in the camp next to me took a “trip” into the woods and in the process was bitten by a copperhead snake on her foot. The staff was quick to help and got an ambulance there for the more than a hour long drive back to the University of Kentucky hospital. I was told the next day by another lady in the camp that everything turned out fine and that Byron (Roberts) even had his friend go with them to bring them back after the doctors had given her the proper treatment, a classy move by a great guy and his team. That may be the only real issue I heard about all weekend and everything ran like a well oiled machine.

Saturday was stacked from beginning to end. A group of local all stars kicked off the day with a set from Giant Rooster Sideshow, which included David Prince and John Clay as well as other local favorites. It was an exceptional start to the day and got the blood flowing for the weirdness that was to come. Abe Partridge hopped up on stage next and proceeded to blow everyone’s mind with lyrics that sometimes seem like they don’t fit together until he wraps them up and smacks you in the face with the meaning. I’ve always been fascinated by Abe and his unique way of delivering his message and art. He’s a truly one of a kind artist and one that I’m sure everybody in this scene is proud to have adopted.

There were a lot of hugs throughout the time I was there and I don’t think anybody gave more of them than the two men that graced the stage next. Byron Robert’s came up to introduce Padre Paul Handelman and the amount of respect for Paul’s military service and him as a person was such a sight to witness. Byron’s voice cracked; partially from all the talking, but mostly from the emotion he feels for Paul who was in contention, with Geno Seale, for happiest person at KIOTC. His set began and the pit began filling up as he chanted his songs and spoke about his military brothers and put on one of the more emotional shows of the weekend. Paul isn’t from these hollers, he’s not even from Kentucky, he’s a Texas boy who has taken a sip of Ross’ Creek and hasn’t looked back.

Brother Smith, Wayne Graham, and William Matheny would carry the show into the evening hours and I was genuinely blown away by all three. It was a party for 3 hours with a few beloved bands from the surrounding area.

The mood was about to shift in a big way, a good way. Senora May was about to take the stage and you could see the people filing in, excited to see the “Queen of the Holler” serenade her home county. She would perform an hour set with Tyler’s parents watching side stage just in front of me and deliver like only she could.

West Virginia rockers Ona carried the show to nightfall and put on an amazing show full of indie rock jams for the fervent fans that were building the pit to where chairs were beginning to be pushed back. Local favorites The Wooks put on one of the finer live shows I’ve personally seen from them. There’s a pride for that band and the growth they’ve made in the state, they genuinely have fun and it emanates off the stage.

The cool “almost Fall” air had made its presence known now, most in long sleeves or jackets, as the soulful Arlo McKinley & The Lonesome Sound prepared to take the stage. Backstage was abuzz with the anticipation of Tyler Childers’ headlining set to follow and the whole area was becoming giddy. Waiting as Arlo was setting up, I struck up conversations with a few folks, most notably Paul Priest of the aforementioned Jericho Woods. You would’ve thought we had been friends for years, we talked about my hometown of Owensboro, KY and it’s new Bluegrass Music HOF & Museum, the music that makes the area so special, BBQ mutton, and artists from the state that we would love to see on the KIOTC stage. Conversations only picked up from there as Colonel Tony Moore and his wife Kara were watching Arlo from the side stage and I was able to ask about the creative process he, Jimbo Valentine, and Tyler went through to create the amazing Country Squire album cover, it gives a person such a respect for art when you know a process and what went into it. Tony and Kara were the sweetest and as we intermingled the concert with bits of conversation Arlo was delivering gut punches to the souls of the listeners. It was my first time seeing him live and I was not disappointed.

Arlo’s set concluded and the energy in the air was palpable as the Food Stamps, who had been enjoying the festivities for the week were backstage awaiting their lead man to take the stage. There was a man dressed as Tammy Chiggers, he thought there’d be more dressed up and surprisingly there was not, and too many artists to name hanging around with anticipation. To borrow a line from Mr. Childers himself “The moonshine was flowin’ and keepin’ us warm” along with a green haze floating through the air that was apparent during much of the festival, but a little stronger now. Security was getting a little more amped up, nothing too serious just enough to keep distance with people lined up on both sides of the walkway that lead to the stage. Tyler approached from the back lot near the Robert’s home and had a fire in his eyes, he knew he was home, and he was ready to deliver for the folks that have helped get him to this point. He came through to cheers and kissed the man dressed as Tammy Chiggers on the forehead like a proud dad would his son, and bolted for the stage. I took stage left and stood next to many others, huddled up close to the stage, including the talented Grayson Jenkins and Abby Hamilton.

The band breaks out into an intro jam to get the blood flowing and then doesn’t waste a moment before breaking into “Whitehouse Road” to a raucous applause. I’ve said this before, but when you witness a Tyler Childers show you don’t just hear Tyler sing, you get the whole crowd involved. When seeing some artists this definitely takes away from the performance, but when seeing Tyler it just adds to the mystique of one of the world’s fast rising musicians. He ran through the standard set list, every song is a hit in this holler so there’s no need to get too crazy. The covers, Tulsa Turnaround & Trudy, have become staples and the crowd sings and cheers just as they do for the originals. At this point the entire crowd including the fellow singers and musicians around me are singing the lyrics and are on cloud nine. It’s something that I’m not sure anyone else in this state possesses, an ability to stop even the best of artists in their tracks to where they can’t help but be in awe of what we’re witnessing. Tyler Childers is the true voice of the mountains and he’s singing about everyday life running those roads to the world everyday, giving them just a glimpse of the life most of the people in the crowd have experienced. Eastern Kentucky has always been the butt of jokes, but it has consistently produced some of the best music the world has ever heard. Byron Roberts looked me dead in the eyes and said “I believe the people in these mountains are the chosen people” and I believe him when he says that. He has a love in his heart, like many of the same people do, for the region and the hardships that many of them have had to overcome and the great aspects, like enjoying that beautiful scenery everyday. He loves this area so much that he throws a party with approximately 1500 people in his front yard. It’s admirable, it’s amazing, and it’s just downright precious. They can be proud of the many artists that have come from there, but there’s something about Tyler Childers and the way he conveys his love and admiration for not just the land, but the people who make that land so special. He would close the set and give his sincere thank yous to those in attendance and the Robert’s family of course. Coming off stage he was giving hugs and high fives to people he hadn’t seen in a bit. I was honored to have been given the opportunity to witness this from such a unique perspective.

Larry Keel would close the night after midnight and do, like he always does, an amazing job at it albeit to a smaller but appreciative crowd. I sat on a couch in the backstage area and was joined by some talented fellas in Padre Paul Handelman and Arthur Hancock (former member of The Wooks) and was able to have some great conversation as the night rolled on into the chilly early Sunday morning hours. Arthur was nice enough to give me his brand new EP Alive at Hillbilly Central, which has a song dedicated to the beloved festival. Larry Keel is a wild man and brings an insane energy for how long he has been doing this. The crowd was dancing the whole time and maybe one of the most energetic crowds of the entire festival, as a man yelled just before the start of the set “Let’s get weird!” and weird they got.

I met so many amazing people, made some great connections with the help of a select few people (Katie, Gary, Jonathan, & Alexis) and I struggle to find the words to express how much it meant to me. I feel different after Kickin’ It On The Creek, I feel reenergized, I feel somewhat new, and I definitely feel more loved. What Byron and his family have done in Estill County, Kentucky is something the world needs to know about. They’ve given people a piece of paradise to go to for 3-4 days and get away from this crazy world for a little bit. They’ve made me feel included in a music scene that I live 4 hours away from and they’ve given the people in this region something to be proud of. I don’t know how many times I hugged Byron on my first visit to KIOTC, but I could go for another one as I sit in my house typing this love letter. Like everyone who graced a microphone said “I’d like to thank Byron Roberts and the entire Roberts family for putting this event on.” Oh yeah and to answer everyone’s question of “Where the hell is Jeff Cox?” He’s everywhere at the same time.