by JOE MACK
TThe three amigos of OIBF ride again when pickin ’ pals Thomas Trapp , Johnny Mullenax and Steven Moore reunite on the Byron Berline Memorial Stage at
5 p . m . on Saturday , October 12 .
Trapp and Moore became fast friends through several years of camping and performing at OIBF and the Walnut Valley Festival . They ’ re both monster pickers , and have truckloads of mutual respect for each other ’ s accomplishments and musical prowess ; Moore a championship-caliber banjoist who ’ s a regular alongside touring acts including John Cowan and David Mayfield Parade , and Trapp , a former lead guitarist with the Byron Berline Band and probably Oklahoma ’ s finest flatpicker .
Then there ’ s Johnny , who spent years touring alongside Tennessee Jet on guitar and mandolin before setting out to create the Johnny Mullenax Band , which now tours frequently across the central United States . That band also includes Trapp , bassist Paul Wilkes , and drummer Matt Teegarden , and can expand to include fiddler Tony Spatz , keyboardist Andrew Bair , and Roger Ray rocking the resonator , all of which are part of a core cast of characters
Trapp , Mullenax & Moore :
that pack Tulsa ’ s Mercury Lounge every Sunday at high noon . Mullenax can shred with the best of them in several styles , from bluegrass to jazz to pocket blues and straight grooves .
Trapp , Mullenax & Moore ’ s performance will blend all their styles together to create a heady sound that ’ s equal parts bluegrass , red dirt , deep blues and rock ‘ n roll ; imagine the intersection of New Grass Revival and Little Feat , if you will . And they ’ re sticklers for hydration , calling for communal cup raising with their caustic calls for ,
hole to hole to head
PHOTO by PHIL CLARKIN
“ TEAM DRINK !” In addition to their Saturday headlining set , these three fellows will provide a foundation for Evan Felker ’ s set of bluegrass flavored Turnpike Troubadours classics Thursday at 8 p . m . on the main stage at OIBF . I ’ m no doctor , but if I were you , I ’ d take both of these sets directly in the ear hole and call me in the morning .
For more information visit www . johnnymullenax . com and www . stevenmoorebanjo . com .
SUPPORT OIBF ... DONATE TO THE ENDOWMENT FUND
Oklahoma ’ s International Bluegrass Festival has established an endowment fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation . The endowment fund was established with combined funds from Oklahoma ’ s International Bluegrass Festival and a matching endowment grant from the Kirkpatrick Family Fund , www . kirkpatrickfamilyfund . org .
The sole intention of an endowment is to invest it , so that the total asset value will yield an annual sustainable source of income for the organization to use in perpetuity .
Endowment funds follow a fairly strict policy allocation without taking on too much risk . This provides donors with taxrelated benefits for their contributions .
“ OIBF has taken an important step in continuing our mission for generations to come ,” Kelsey Avants , board member , said . “ It is our goal to raise $ 2.4 million for
the endowment fund which will keep the festival going indefinitely . We intend for the endowment fund to provide us with an annual source of income as well as make it easy for supporters to donate a variety of gifts to our organization .”
If you are interested in making a contribution , make checks payable to OIBF at P . O . Box 1585 , Guthrie , OK , 73044 with “ Endowment ” noted on the subject line .
IBF
DON ’ T FORGET TO VISIT THE Merchandise Tent !
You ' ll find : Music by the Performers / T-Shirts / Caps / Stickers / Instruments ... and lots of other great stuff
OKLAHOMA ’ S INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL 2024 / 15