Early Start: The Sledge Grits Band, four sisters who play blues rock and range in age from 6 to 13, will be one of the groups playing this weekend’s Trackstock festival.
Switching Rails
Trackstock VI heads in a younger direction.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Unlike some hard rock and blues bands, the acts at this year’s Trackstock will probably not be swigging Jagermeister before heading onstage– instead, it’s more likely that the groups at the Salinas music festival will chug chocolate milk.
There’s a reason for that: Trackstock has evolved to showcase a certain type of act. “In the beginning, we had any bands,” event co-director Darryl Cornell says. “Now, we limit ourselves to younger musicians, and they have to be local.”
For this year’s Trackstock, the festival’s sixth outing, middle and high school-aged musicians dominate the lineup. With the exception of the hard rock band Leaving Ground and atmospheric rockers Skyway View, most acts don’t have any members over 20 years old. The Sledge Grits Band, a quartet of sisters who play blues-infused rock, range from a 6-year-old drummer to the oldest player, their 13-year-old guitarist.
Trackstock co-director and Wise Music Store owner Peter Wise says the young talent at the festival bodes well for Salinas’ music scene. “The future looks good, and we are rooting for these kids’ musical futures. I hope they can take it as far as they can.”
TRACKSTOCK takes place 11am to 5pm Saturday, Oct. 11, at 26 Station Place (next to the Amtrak station), Salinas. Free. 424-7885 or 206-7960.
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