One area where live music is thriving is bluegrass festivals. I think it's safe to say there are more festivals now than ever before. They're held all over the the country from spring through the fall.

You have lots of original music mixed in with old favorites and there's a ton of young and old musicians who are at the top of their game musically.

The crowds run the gamut from young hipsters to old hippies, accountants, lawyers, doctors, etc. The audiences are large and enthusiastic.

The festivals range in size from small local affairs to huge festivals like Merlefest where you literally have to be bused in. Merelefest has numerous stages, workshops for various instruments and there are opportunities to meet a lot of performers. It features bluegrass, folk, blues, jazz, country and fusions of all of the above.

Pat Marr went for the first time this past year and said he had a blast.

While it's hard to break into that scene as a performer, they do welcome original music and new acts.

For those of you that have never been to one, you may want to take time to check them out next year when they fire back up, even if bluegrass isn't your thing.