R.I.P. Trip
February 26, 2010 @ 12:00 AM
The Herald-Dispatch
by Dave Lavender
One of my favorite sayings I ever ran across was scrawled on an outhouse wall in Williams, Ind., at the Padanaram. The saying read, “Life on Earth sure is expensive but at least you get one, free yearly trip around the sun.”
Amen, and somebody who’s made that annual sol journey a lot brighter and colorful for a whole lot of folks in the Mountain State and beyond was John Kevin “Trip” McKlenny, the founder of the Terra Alta, W.Va.-based Sunshine Daydream festival grounds.
Trip passed away this last week after a two-year bout with liver cancer. His memorial service is set for 1 p.m. Saturday by the Cheat River.
Virginia flat-picker Larry Keel, who I interviewed last week for his upcoming show (March 5) at the V Club, took a moment and talked about Trip and all he did for music in the mountains.
“I can’t even imagine how many times we’ve played up there, it’s been for years, really, and we’ve played with so many different combos,” said Keel, who has a new CD out this summer with good buddy Keller Williams. “One of the first times was with Leftover Salmon and the last time we played up there it was with Tony Rice and that was really a special one. Trip’s really done a lot for music up there and he was a good, good fellow and we’re going to miss him. The older you get the more you lose and you see a lot more loss. The spirit of that fellow will live on because he did a lot for folks and cared a lot about people.”
Bonnie Branciaroli, a longtime friend of Trip’s and who’s been trucking around the country for decades with her husband Mark in the Elkins-based jam band, ZEN, said life won’t be the same without Trip.
You can help keep Trip’s legacy alive by sharing the music as Sunshine Daydream is carrying on with a full slate of festival shows. The 2010 Festival Season begins May 12-14 weekend with the 10th annual TreeHuggers Ball. Ekoostik Hookah rolls in for two nights June 18-19 for the Highland Spring Jam, the 25th annual Jerry Garcia’s Birthday Bash is set for July 29-31 and The Recipe Family Cookout is set for Sept. 16-17 and the 10th annual Halloween Masquerade party is set for Oct. 15-16. For more info, go online at www.sunshinedreams.com.
Dave Lavender covers entertainment for The Herald-Dispatch. E-mail him at lavender@herald-dispatch.com.
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