Bluegrass bands jam on the Comstock

The sound of bluegrass music filled the air at Miner's Park in Virginia City for the Bluegrass on the Comstock festival Saturday.

"It's just awesome, real laid back, the weather's perfect," said Mark Johnson, a member of the Carson City-based band Hick'ry Switch, as he sat in the shade to enjoy another band after playing his set. "You can't get any better than this."

The festival started Friday night with impromptu jam sessions at the Red Dog Saloon and other locations. Saturday began with Hick'ry Switch taking the stage, followed by the Gardnerville-based group Country Valley Jug Stompers. Other bands entertaining the afternoon crowd included Contraband, Westwind, Faux Renwah and Nell Robinson & Red Level.

Award-winning singer-songwriter Jessica Kilroy gave an afternoon workshop on songwriting, with help from Jack Ausick, an 18-year-old prodigy on the fiddle, and Nate Biehl on mandolin and tenor guitar.

"This is the first time I've done a workshop," Kilroy said. "I've been to a lot of them before, and this was a lot of fun. We played a couple of songs, and then talked about how we wrote them. Because I'm a songwriter, I just wanted to do the background of the songs, and the songwriting that goes into it, where it comes from."

As bands played on the stage, other musicians gathered in groups to play together as well. For festival veterans like Kilroy, the laid-back atmosphere made this a great place to play.

"The thing I like about festivals is it's a community, and it just builds and builds and builds until it becomes a tradition," Kilroy said. "I haven't had a tradition of my own. I've always moved around a lot, and festivals have become my tradition. I feel at home every time I'm at a festival."

Kilroy, Ausick and Biehl were scheduled to take the stage Saturday evening, followed by the Del Williams Band. Sunday's schedule features the Del Williams Band, Ponderosa and Smiley Mountain, starting at 1 p.m.