Saturday evening, February 22, was a great night to get out of the house for the annual Cabin Fever Variety Music Show at the New Testament Christian Church Theater in Reeds Spring. The annual fundraiser attracted a large crowd representing the Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas region.
Presented by the Society of Ozarkian Hillcrofters, the show featured an outstanding lineup, including something I had never seen "live" before, an actual square dance with musicians and a caller. Featuring the Ozark Mountain Square Dancers, these young people were assisted by musicians Dennis Pritchard on guitar, Jeff Michel on fiddle, and Miss Bryar Boldman on bass. Steve Green from near Fayetteville, Arkansas was on hand to do the calling. Their segment was very impressive.
With emcee duties by Justin Sifford for the show, the evening kicked off with opening statements from former Missouri Governor Mike Parson, followed by a performance from the youth musicians of the Ozark Mountain Music Association. Featuring fiddles, mandolins, guitars, dobro and stand-up bass, vocal solos were featured with this ten-piece group of young upcoming musicians.
Also in the first half of the show, local Bluegrass group Driven was featured, and they played an excellent set, kicking off with gospel favorite, "Are You Washed In the Blood." This band has been playing together for just over a year, and range from age 13 to 19. Three of the Driven members are siblings: Miss Bryar Boldman (age 17) on stand-up bass and her brothers Nash (banjo, age 16) and Angus (dobro, age 13). Their guitarist Luke Porter (age 16) sang several solos and has a voice very reminiscent of a young Keith Whitley. Nineteen-year-old fiddler Coy Stephan was also well featured. I can't wait to see this group again; they all sing and play very well together!
Wendy Wright, executive director of the Ozark Mountain Music Association stated, "The Ozark Mountain Music Association preserves and promotes traditional music of the Ozarks by passing it on to the next generation. They do this by hosting bluegrass and old-time music camps and other events. The talented youth in the band called "Driven" is a great example of what happens when musicians are willing to pass it on!"
The second half of the show featured the popular sibling duo, Dawson Flatness and Emalee Flatness-Combs. Known for their arrangements of classic 1950s and 1960s material, similar to the Everly Brothers, their sound was also a crowd favorite.
Finishing the evening were Silver Dollar City's popular Homestead Pickers. This four-piece group of musicians and singers also brought some great humor and storytelling. Bringing old-time music along with a couple of original tunes, the Pickers include on guitar and vocals, Walter Morrison; Greg Becker on hammer dulcimer, harmonica, vocals and stand-up bass; Emalee Flatness-Combs on guitar, fiddle, and vocals; and Greg Bailey on fiddle, banjo and vocals. This group is definitely a must-see when you visit Silver Dollar City. It was so wonderful to see them onstage at this event. Becker and Bailey are both legendary performers that I've known ever since I first worked at Silver Dollar City in 2007.
The Society of Ozarkian Hillcrofters was organized in the 1930s by a group of notable Ozarkers: Otto Rayburn, Vance Randolph and Mary Elizabeth Mahnkey, with the goal of preserving Ozarks’ culture, folklore, history and conservation. The nonprofit organization still pushes these interests when they were re-founded just eight years ago.
"The Society is proud to partner with the Ozark Mountain Music Association, and the young people onstage tonight demonstrated two of the most beloved art forms of the Ozarks, traditional mountain music and square dancing. The Society proudly provides scholarships to these young musicians to attend music camps hosted by the OMMA. A portion of the money from the Cabin Fever Show ticket sales go to support these scholarships," said Hillcrofters President Hayden Head. "Other projects also are supported, such as the recent Pinetop School renovation, and we encourage anyone to join the Hillcrofters if you love the Ozarks and everything it represents," Head stated.
For more information on the Ozark Mountain Music Association, visit their website at:
For more information on The Society of Ozarkian Hillcrofters, visit their website at:
I'm already looking forward to the 2026 Cabin Fever Variety Music Show next year!
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