Pull up a lawn chair, it’s FidPick weekend!
As one of the (arguably) best times of the year, FidPick signals a lot of things here in Lawrence– an end to the Summer, a prequel to Winfield, and (more than anything) a time to dote on roots music in the Midwest.
The competition, now in its 40th year, takes place in South Park on Sunday. But the party started early on Friday with a kickoff celebration at the Gaslight. The venue rolled out the red gravel carpet, backed in the truck trailer stage, and left room for plenty of lawn chairs for bluegrass fans.
This year, the kickoff celebration featured Pretend Friend (a band with some of the most majestic manes in the Midwest) and The Haymakers. The cicadas played the role as backup musicians as the sun dipped past the horizon, sometimes singing even louder than the bands. There were plenty of patio pups to raise everyone’s spirits, and the venue successfully battled the thick Kansas humidity by posting up powerful fans everywhere. It was a pleasant start to what’s going to be a wild weekend of shows, and you can see photos from the night below after the video:
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