We have not seen them since we headed north and they headed south from the Tennessee Good Sam Rally in Pigeon Forge in early June! We have talked often, but nothing beats an in person visit! We are not using this time to sightsee. We are relaxing, working a bit on the Key West rally, going to the Alison Krauss & Union Station show and enjoying the company.
I will share some history about the St Augustine Amphitheatre. I found it interesting that when I walked through their parking lot, the Anastasia State Park office and work campers and ranger's house are all attached to the parking lot.
The Ampitheater's history goes way back, as its home lies in the nation’s oldest city — let me take you back in time and give you a glimpse into the story that made The Amp what it is today! Let’s start with St. Augustine itself, the oldest city in the US and the Amphitheatre has been able to call this town home — that’s one fact you’ll probably remember, because no other venue can say that about its location!
Now for a little history lesson: In 1565 the Spanish explorer, Pedro Menendez de Aviles, landed on the shores of St. Augustine and established the first permanent European settlement. The city was rich with resources, including coquina, a sedimentary rock that was utilized to construct numerous buildings in St. Augustine, including the Castillo de San Marcos, the fortress built to defend the city. The Amphitheater sits on land that was once part of these quarries. In 1773, the famed naturalist William Bartram visited the coquina quarries and recorded the flora and fauna of the area. Today, visitors can walk the grounds and find remnants of these quarries — what a cool way to discover a piece of history.
Fast forward into the future… In 1965, St. Augustine celebrated the 400th Anniversary of Menendez’s founding of St. Augustine and the community revamped the historic core of the city, renovating the Cathedral Basilica and restoring the City Gate. The plans also included constructing two key monuments that would live well beyond the city’s birthday party. One was the Great Cross at the Mission Nombre de Dios, and the other was the St. Augustine Amphitheatre.
Although The St. Augustine Amphitheatre is now best known as a world-class music venue, it was constructed for a singular purpose — as the stage and setting for a symphonic outdoor drama by Pulitzer-prize winning playwright, Paul Green. The play, titled “Cross and Sword,” was a retelling of the arrival of Menendez and the founding of St. Augustine. The original building of The St. Augustine Amphitheatre was a true community project. The original site was secured in 1960 by W.I. Drysdale when a 40-acre tract of land in Anastasia State Park was leased to the Board of Directors of Cross and Sword, Inc. from the State Board of Parks and Historical Memorials on behalf of St. Augustine’s 400th Anniversary Corporation. Additional approval was given by the US Department of the Interior, the original owner of the land.
Big changes began in 1988 for The St. Augustine Amphitheatre, while the 24th season of Cross and Sword ran from June 17th to August 27th that year, for the first time there was a huge push to fill up the calendar with other events during the off season. In the decade that followed, the stage hosted a number of other theatrical productions including “Pirates of Penzance,” “Tom Sawyer,” “A Christmas Carol” as well as musical events. In 1997, after a 32-year run, “Cross and Sword” had its final curtain call. The amphitheater was in poor shape with a leaky roof, holes in floors, damaged seats, peeling paint and more. In 1999, facing $3 million of necessary repairs to the space, the Board of Directors of Cross and Sword asked St. Johns County to assume control of the site. By December, a seven-member Board of Directors was established, with the Board of County Commissioners appointing five members, and the Tourist Development Council and the St. Johns County Recreation Advisory Committee each appointing a member as well.
In October of 1999 the St. John's Board of County Commissioners approved a 30-year lease with the State’s Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. With the signing of the new lease, the County also committed to a 5-year, multi-million dollar renovation and fundraising campaign that hit the ground running in 2000. In October of 2001, a master plan for The St. Augustine Amphitheatre produced by Fred Halback and Les Thomas was approved. After five years of construction, The St. Augustine Amphitheatre re-opened with a new capacity of 4,100 music fans, four concession stands, a large plaza and an elaborate arboretum with walking trails. I saw the walking trails, but the mosquitos were fierce enough in the parking lot, I was not going to venture down the paths!
Today, the St. Augustine Amphitheatre is a state of the art, internationally known performing arts venue consistently ranked among the Top 50 Amphitheater Venues Worldwide. Musical icons including Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, John Legend, Robert Plant, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt and hundreds more have taken the stage. We are here to see Alison Krauss & Union Station take the stage. But tonight, Thursday, Weird Al Yankovich is performing there to a sold out crowd.
After a relaxing afternoon with Gary & Sheryl we went into the Elks to pay bills and visit. While we were there, the rain came down! So, we stayed put and waited. After the rain stopped we got in the car and headed to dinner at the Sunset Grille on A1A facing the beach. In 1990, Pete Darios and Mike Rosa made their way to St. Augustine with lofty ambitions and bartending experience in tow.
Out of the dust came The Sandpiper – formerly an old Phillip’s 66 gas station- now transformed into one of the beloved city’s favorite beachside restaurants: Sunset Grille! Since then, it has earned five stars from guests near and far along with multiple awards for its flavorful fare set against a Key West style atmosphere that won’t be forgotten soon.
The owner's unwavering dedication to their neighborhood has made Sunset Grille an iconic part of the local community. Their meal masterpieces have been showcased in events like The Great Chowder Debate, The Taste of St Augustine, etc., earning them acclaim as one of the most decorated restaurants in all of St. Augustine! Pete proudly remarked that they always put forth tremendous efforts during these occasions – making sure to showcase only their best recipes and styles at every opportunity!
On Friday 9/26, we sat outside, enjoying the weather and the company. Sheryl and I did some work on the Key West Rally while Charlie and Gary worked on a couple projects.
All day, the weather looked horrible for the show that night. It rained hard while we were eating dinner and watching the Elks members park the cars. But, it stopped when the sun came out. We headed over to the amphitheater. We are able to walk from the Elks lodge. We saw what tailgaters look like for an Alison Krauss & Union Station concert looks like!
We bypassed the beverages and food, as we were all stuffed from dinner! We found our way to our seats and we learned what "partially obscured" meant on the tickets we purchased. We made the best of it, because you could hear the music well and we were enjoying ourselves!
The opening act for the show tonight was Willy Watson. He is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, banjo player, actor and was the founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show. Watson left Old Crow Medicine Show in 2011 due to a mix of musical differences and the desire to pursue a solo career. He really wanted to focus on a more dedicated form of folk revival music. He has described the situation as a "classic band conflict" where the music itself wasn't speaking to him anymore and he felt constrained in the band's direction. He played some great music and he has an awesome voice! Unique fact, he is from Watkins Glen NY, which is less than 50 miles from where we lived in New York!
Sami Braman played fiddle with Willy Watson for the opening act. Sami teaches fiddle and performs across the US, primarily with her band, The Onlies, and Willie Watson. In previous years, Sami has appeared on stage alongside Watchhouse, Laurie Lewis, Bruce Molsky, Elvis Costello, Darol Anger, Critter Eldridge, Cahalen Morrison, Eli West, Pharis & Jason Romero, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Altan. She has performed at festivals like MerleFest, Freshgrass, and Bristol Rhythm & Roots.
For nearly four decades, Alison Krauss & Union Station have been celebrated as one of the most influential acts in bluegrass and roots music. Known for an immaculately crafted but endlessly surprising sound, the group has returned with Arcadia, their first album since the 2011 masterpiece Paper Airplane—a multiple Grammy Award-winning LP that debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country, Bluegrass, and Folk Album charts.
The members of Union Station are a team of virtuosos, all with thriving solo careers. Krauss (fiddle, lead vocal) signed to Rounder Records at age 14 and has gone on to sell over 12 million albums, earning 27 wins and 44 nominations from the Grammy Awards. Jerry Douglas (Dobro, lap steel, vocals), Ron Block (banjo, guitar, vocals), and Barry Bales (bass, vocals) are all award-winning players, songwriters, and producers who have worked with and are considered some of the greatest musicians in the world.
While reassembling for Arcadia, there was a crisis to address: Dan Tyminski informed the band that after thirty years as Union Station’s guitarist and vocalist, he was not returning and would be solely focused on pursuing his solo career. “The four of us met when Dan left,” says Krauss, “and Jerry asked me, ‘What do you think?’ I said, ‘Russell Moore,’ and they all said, ‘Absolutely!’” Krauss remembers seeing him play when she was a teenager, during Moore’s early days with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, and recalls it as “a very big deal.” She claims that she didn’t think Moore would take her up on the offer to join Union Station, but then there he was.
Taking over as co-lead vocalist/multi-instrumentalist, Russell Moore is the newest addition to Union Station. The legendary Moore is the the most awarded Male Vocalist in the history of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), with six honors to his name. As the frontman of Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out—a band he founded in 1991—he has guided the group to over 50 industry accolades, including seven IBMA Vocal Group of the Year titles. Known for his rich, soulful voice, Moore delivers performances that resonate with authenticity while embracing a modern edge. His work continues to captivate audiences, cementing his influence as one of bluegrass music’s most respected voices.
Barry Bales has been a member of Alison Krauss & Union Station since 1990. He is also a successful songwriter, session musician and producer. Barry’s awards include 15 Grammys, 23 International Bluegrass Music Association awards - including 4 Bass Player of the Year trophies, 1 Country Music Association award, and 2 Academy of Country Music awards, including Song of the Year for the Top 10 hit “Nobody To Blame”, written with and recorded by Chris Stapleton. He appeared in the movie “Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?”, as well as contributing heavily to the soundtrack, and has recorded and performed with such artists as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney, Dwight Yoakam, Vince Gill, and Wood Box Heroes.
Ron Block joined Alison Krauss and Union Station in 1991, contributing banjo, guitar, vocals, and songwriting. He’s written 10 AKUS songs, including “In the Palm Of Your Hand” and “A Living Prayer,” which received a 2006 Gospel Music Association Dove award for Bluegrass Song of the Year. He’s recorded seven solo albums, a collaborative Gospel album with pianist Jeff Taylor and writer Rebecca Reynolds. Ron’s latest collaboration is with Irish tenor banjo wizard Damien O’Kane, an instrumental fusion of bluegrass, Celtic, and other influences. Ron has also recorded on albums by Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Bill Frisell, Kate Rusby, and many other artists throughout his musical career.
Jerry Douglas is a world-renowned Dobro player, and has played with Alison Krauss and Union Station since 1998. His transcendent technique and his passionate musicality has helped him net sixteen Grammy Awards, three CMA awards and numerous International Bluegrass Music Association awards including multiple Dobro Player of the Year wins. Jerry has performed with everyone from Billy Strings, Phish to Paul Simon, Ray Charles to Elvis Costello. Jerry also produced Alison Krauss’ 1990 album, I’ve Got That Old Feeling, and has also produced records for Maura O’Connell, Del McCoury, Molly Tuttle, Jesse Winchester, Cris Jacobs, and Eric Clapton. As music director for the acclaimed Scottish BBC Television Series "Transatlantic Sessions", Jerry has collaborated with hundreds of artists from the UK, Ireland, and Europe.
The incomparable Stuart Duncan joined Alison Krauss & Union Station on the Arcadia Tour. Raised in Southern California, Stuart took up the fiddle at age seven. Since then, he has chalked up a career that includes four Grammys, six Academy of Country Music Awards, and nine titles as the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Fiddle Player of the Year. Now a multi-instrumentalist with a staggering command of not only the fiddle but also the banjo, the guitar, and the mandolin, Stuart Duncan has built upon his bluegrass roots to become an artist that defies categorization and surpasses the limits of any specific genre. He’s performed live with the likes of Diana Krall, Robert Plant, Lyle Lovett, Béla Fleck, Steven Tyler, and Elvis Costello. Duncan has also been featured on an estimated 900 recordings including collaborations with Dolly Parton, Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer and Yo-Yo Ma.
The encore lasted for several songs, about 6 or 8, mostly gospel. It started out with Alison, Ron and Russell. Then Barry Bales joined them.
By the last few songs, the whole band was back out on stage. They sang around a microphone on the right side of the stage, so we could actually see them all at once.
What a great show at an excellent venue. Next time we will look for better seats!
We walked back to the campers and enjoyed peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream!
Stay tuned for more #TwoLaneAdventures
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