Uncle Dave Macon. Clayton McMichen. Gid Tanner. John Carson.
These names might be so much bunk to most modern audiences, but back in the ’20s, they were string-band superstars, all of whom took the stage during Chattanooga’s then-legendary fiddling conventions.
Those festivals saw their heyday fade in the 1930s, attracting 4,000 to 5,000 guests and hundreds of competitors annually until the 1940s. For a time, they put Chattanooga on the map, said old-time musician Matt Downer.
“It’s kind of an overlooked part of history here,” Downer said. “It was a very big deal at the time.”
Since last November, Downer has spearheaded the Great Southern Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention, a spiritual successor to the festivals of old. The event is meant to help Chattanooga reclaim the spot at the epicenter of old-time music it occupied during the roaring ’20s.
In keeping with the traditions of the genre, the festival will focus on banjos and fiddles, which comprise the core of most traditional string bands. Mandolins and guitars, neither of which were part of historic string bands, need not apply, Downer said.
“When this started, bluegrass didn’t exist as we know it,” he said. “I wanted to keep (the festival) true to its roots.”
The all-day event, which will be held at Lindsay Street Hall, will include performances by six to eight bands and competitions for banjos, fiddles, ensembles and buck dancers. Food and drink vendors also will be on-site.
Technically, Saturday’s event won’t be the first time an old-time convention has been held in Chattanooga. A one-time event was held in 2006 through Atlanta-based organizers.
With locals backing it, however, the festival should have better legs this time around, Downer said.
“That’s one of my main goals, to make it a self-sustaining annual event,” he said. “Chattanooga, as a community, has been very supportive … of the idea of bringing it back, which is great.”
IF YOU GO
* What: Great Southern Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention.
* When: 3-11 p.m. Saturday.
* Where: Lindsay Street Hall, 901 Lindsay St.
* Admission: $5.
* Phone: 755-9111.
* Venue Web site: www.lindsaystreethall.com.
ON THE BILL
Here are the bands confirmed to play during the semi-inaugural Great Southern Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention:
* Citico
* The New Binkley Bros.
* Matt Kinman
* Mick Kinney
* The Roan Mountain Hill Toppers
DID YOU KNOW?
The DeKalb County Fiddlers Convention in nearby Fort Payne, Ala., was resurrected by the Big Wills Arts Council. This year’s event, scheduled Aug. 7 at Fort Payne Middle School, is the 102nd anniversary and seventh annual revival.