Community Hoedown with the Barnstormers and RockCandy Cloggers

             A true Appalachian hoedown experience, the Barnstormers paired with the RockCandy Cloggers to conclude the Appalachian festivities at Frostburg State University on Saturday, September 19 at 5:20 PM. As the Barnstormers played what the band caller, Slim Harrison, called “straight old-time music,” Rock and his partner Candy, otherwise known as the RockCandy Cloggers, interacted with the crowd to endeavor them to join in on dances ranging from folk dancing and line dancing to the waltz and their notorious flatfoot clogging. Although much of the crowd had been exhausted from the long day at the festival, the event still attracted a decent size audience. So much so that the groups collected a staggering number of 11 dancers at one point, amounting to about a third of the crowd, to accompany Rock in dancing to the folk-styled music.

            An event for all-ages, the Barnstormers and RockyCandy Cloggers not only attracted couples and fellow dancers, but also drew in participants as young as eight months as a mother joined in on the dances with her son.  One engaging couple in particular seemed to thoroughly enjoy the performance as they had the opportunity to show-off their moves, while also learning a few in the process. Their first time at the Appalachian festival, these Baltimore inhabitants really embraced the experience and will be sure to be back next year.

Another interactive member from the audience happened to be from Morgantown. She, too, experience the festival for the first time. She heard of the festival from a friend and when asked how her first-time experience was, she commented, “It was awesome! I loved it.” To her advantage, she also happened to be a flatfoot clog dancer in the Brooklyn area so when she stepped on stage to join in with Rock and Candy, the interaction amongst the three of them was astounding as moves were shared and learned and friendship was gained.

The group as a whole has participated in the festival for nine years now, missing only the first year and Rock commented on the event saying it is a great opportunity to “bring people together.” He encourages locals to get involved and come enjoy all the festival has to offer. Rocky and Candy are from the Pennsylvania area, while Slim and another member of the band, Tom, are from the Catoctin Mountains that forms the eastern embankment of the Appalachian Mountains near Hagerstown. Slim and Tom have been playing together for nearly 35 years while the RockCandy Cloggers started performing with the Barnstormers in 2005. As an entirety, the group really displayed great chemistry as well as expressed a sincere passion for their music and dancing. The Barnstormers and RockCandy Cloggers perform at a variety of festivals, conferences, hoedowns, and more, but Frostburg was happy to host them this year and in the past and hopefully will play host to them for many years to come.