Scott, Seth and John Twomey would record some acoustic songs in April 2000, and they would submit one of those songs into the Merlefest Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. The Chris Austin Songwriting contest started in 1993, Chris was a singer-songwriter who died in 1991 in a plane crash along with six members of Reba McEntire’s band. They Submitted Kind of in Love, but it did not make the cut to even get to finals 12 songs in each category.
"My dream of all dreams and my hope of all hopes
Is only to tell you and make sure you know
How much I love you and how much I always did"
Claire Armbruster booked the Avett Brothers for the International Bluegrass Music Association Conference in Louisville, KY on October 3, 2003. They set up in the lobby of the hotel to play as other musicians often did at the conference. The kick drum, the hi-hat and screaming didn’t go over so well with some of the bluegrass purists. Claire was in her room when she heard all this noise, so she looked over the railing to see the Avett Brothers. Claire was also the artistic director for MerleFest. She got Love Like the Movies on the Fresh Faces of Merlefest CD and booked them to play Merlefest in 2004.
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Merlefest 2004. Photo by Daniel Coston.
First Merlefest Poster
Merelfest 2006