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Thursday, August 21, 2008
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All in the Family Popular Faris Family returns to Lakes Bluegrass Festival Entertainment Editor Just when Bob Faris thought he'd retired from music, the Family dragged him back in. Faris had worked with Wally Fowler of the Oak Ridge Boys and Reba McEntire, but he quit the music industry in 1991 when he and wife Michelle started a janitorial business that would allow them more time at home with their four boys.
By 1997, he was on the road again. But this time, he didn't have to leave his family behind. Faris laughed when asked if he raised bass, guitar, fiddle and mandolin players by design. In addition to Bob and Michelle, the Faris Family includes James, 24, Richard, 23, Edward, 21, and John, 20.
"The idea of my family playing music was always there as a desire," said Faris, a Davenport, Iowa, native who now lives in Ozawkie, Kan. "When you start having kids of your own, you don't write a business plan when they're 4 and 5 years old. I don't think you can force art. The boys showed interest, so we acted on it. If I was going to do anything, I just wanted to share the music. To do it professionally, I'm as surprised as anyone."
Fans at last year's Lakes Bluegrass Festival were surprised and delighted by the Faris Family, which will return this year for shows at 12:40 p.m. and 8:50 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. Sunday at the Pine River Fairgrounds.
Faris owes his music interest to his family, as well. He started fiddling when he was 9, but the seeds were planted two generations before that.
"My grandfather and my great aunts and uncles played together in a family band, so that's the strongest family connection," Faris said. "My grandfather passed away when I was 6, and he spent his last decade in Oregon, so I saw him rarely. But my mother kept his music alive with stories, and I feel like he's the influence on my music. When we went out to his funeral, everyone spoke so highly of his music. So even though I was only 6, I mentioned to my mother, 'I want to be just like him.'"
Music not only led Faris to his career, but also to Michelle, a fellow Quad Cities native. They met at an open jam night, and have now been married for 28 years. Before moving to the Kansas City area, they lived in the Ozark Mountains, where their interest in roots music was invigorated.
If you go
What: Sixth Lakes Bluegrass Festival.
When: 6-11 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Pine River Fairgrounds.
Tickets: $35-$45 (adult weekend), $15-$20 (adult single day), $12-$15 (adult single evening), $7-$10 (adult Sunday gospel show), $17.50-$22.50 (teen weekend), $7.50-$10 (teen single day), $6-$7.50 (teen single evening), $3.50-$5 (teen Sunday gospel show), free (12 and younger), $30-$55 (camping). Bring your own lawn chairs.
Phone: (218) 568-7366.
For the complete schedule of bands and workshops: www.lakesbluegrassfestival.org.
Spin for Yourself
The Faris Family song samples from the album "Black Horse Inn" (2008)
All files used with permission.
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The Faris Family's first show bore little resemblance to what fans will see this weekend.
"When we first started out, we did exclusively gospel music," Faris said. "It didn't seem right when the boys were young to sing about lost wives and girlfriends. We played a lot of churches early on. As we began playing bluegrass festivals, people would say, 'Boy, that youngin' would do well on "Blue Moon of Kentucky."' We just listened to the folks."
Now, folks can bring the music home with them, because the Faris Family released its sophomore effort, "Black Horse Inn," after last year's Lakes Bluegrass Festival.
"We had a lot of requests for, 'Do you have that song on CD?,'" Faris said. "Unfortunately, I had to tell them it's not out yet. I look forward to getting the CD into more folks' hands. Bluegrass folks expect you to be able to play the good covers of classic bluegrass, but it's especially nice when they embrace the original material."
"Black Horse Inn" features seven covers and seven originals. Bob wrote one, Michelle wrote one and Richard wrote five.
"The songs for this album, Rick does lion's share," Faris said. "They seemed to be the ones that were best at the time. The only design we have when picking material is 'Does this song move us?' If we can get behind the song, then we can communicate that to our audience."
Bob's contribution, "How Would You Live?," hearkens back to the band's gospel days.
"For that song, I was feeling self-pity," he said. "I had actually watched a movie that got me thinking about that, a Disney movie starring Bruce Willis called 'The Kid.' The story is he's going through a mid-life crisis and in a magical way is introduced to his 9-year-old self. They get a glimpse of their 70-year-old self and they realize they get a chance to accomplish all their dreams. That got me thinking (for the song)."
Faris has already accomplished several career dreams, including playing on the Grand Ole Opry stage as a fiddle player in 1984 with McEntire. But nothing can top playing with his family.
"It's been a real treat and humbling as a parent to watch them develop," he said. "It's been a neat ride."
Other touring bands and musicians at the Lakes Bluegrass Festival will include David Davis and the Warrior River Boys (Alabama), Pine Mountain Railroad (Tennessee), Michelle Nixon (Virginia), the Martin Family (Missouri), Cedar Hill (Missouri), Midnight Flight (Missouri) and Cottonwood (North Dakota).
Minnesota performers will include the Platte Valley Boys, the Berge Family, Tim & Cindy & Friends, the High 48s, Dick Kimmel & Company, Blue Wolf, the Blue Drifters, Blue Hazard and the Woodpicks.
On the Web:
www.farisband.com
www.myspace.com/farisbluegrass
JOHN HANSEN may be reached at john.hansen@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5863.
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