{"id":111694,"date":"2021-06-10T05:45:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-10T10:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=111694"},"modified":"2021-06-10T14:07:10","modified_gmt":"2021-06-10T19:07:10","slug":"north-mississippi-hill-country-picnic-artist-qa-libby-rae-watson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/north-mississippi-hill-country-picnic-artist-qa-libby-rae-watson\/","title":{"rendered":"North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic Artist Q&A: Libby Rae Watson"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The 2021 North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic<\/a><\/strong> is just around the corner. Mark your calendars for June 25\u201326, and get your camping gear ready for a hot weekend of music, family, and Mississippi-flavored shenanigans just a short drive north of Oxford in Waterford, Mississippi<\/strong> at the Betty Davis Ponderosa<\/strong>. Tickets are $25 per day, with a $15 camping fee and a $10 cooler fee, and you can snag them online here until June 15<\/a>. After that, all ticket sales at the gate will be CASH ONLY. So go ahead and get ’em early. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more about the Picnic here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get you all pumped up for the Picnic, we rounded up a few artists who will be onstage this year for a fun Q&A that you are going to love! First up, Libby Rae Watson<\/a><\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Libby Rae Watson at the 2019 North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic. Photograph by Jean Frank Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Libby Rae and I exchanged emails first, followed by a phone conversation that left me in a happy mood the rest of the week. Libby’s charming demeanor and easy spirit has turned me into a fan for life. I’m just sad I didn’t discover her immense talent sooner. Read on, and I guarantee you’ll fall in love, too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your favorite thing about the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aside from the music, my favorite thing about this festival is the sense of family! Every June, those in the know start making their plans for the Picnic. The excitement begins to build as soon as the schedule is released! It\u2019s like a big reunion of the family you get to pick!             <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes it stand out compared to other music festivals?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, the music, which is specific for that region of Mississippi, and the people who love and live that music. It creates a wonderful combination that\u2019s like nothing else! It\u2019s a collective heartbeat to those rhythms of the Hills! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can picnic attendees expect from your set this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ll be performing with Bill Steber, as I always do at the Picnic. Both of us have a varied repertoire, but I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll be heavy on Hill Country music. We both write and will include some of our own songs. We perform as a duo, and with other friends as The Stoop Down Rounders! Bill performs with his group, The Jake Leg Stompers. Also Bill teams up with Sammy Baker in their group, The Hoodoo Men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LIbby Rae Watson with Bill Steber. Photograph by Peter Lee.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How many Picnics have you attended or performed? Would you share a favorite memory from picnics past?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will be my seventh year, six of which I performed at. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My favorite memory may be the first time I played in 2015. Bill Steber was on the festival as Bill and Friends. When I walked up he looked at me and said, “You got a guitar?!” I didn\u2019t, but Luther Dickinson was there and had just played, or was about to. He handed me his guitar and then he joined in with us. I played a song I had recently written about Big Joe Williams. Luther and Bill joined in. Neither had ever heard it before and I barely knew it enough to perform in public, but Bill told me it made him tear up! It was all a memorable moment! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve also got other stories I can\u2019t tell! There\u2019s a lot of those!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have any upcoming projects or shows? How can fans learn more about you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve always got various projects. I\u2019m trying to set up some home recording gear. The Fall seems to be when everyone is having festivals again. I\u2019ve been booked for several of those.
For fans, I have a website, www.libbyrae.com<\/a>. The \u2018gigs and what\u2019s happening\u2019 page will tell you the upcoming shows. Then there\u2019s my Facebook music page, Libby Rae Watson\/Musician<\/a>.

What are your current favorite jams?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jams? As in what am I playing or what am I listening to? HAHA! I\u2019ve been working up some Jessie Mae Hemphill songs and writing some in that style. 
Lately I\u2019ve been listening to Black Pumas, the Black Keys new cd, Little Joe Ayers, and some Jessie Mae. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell me a little more about your first Picnic performance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n