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Staff Concerts

Staff concert information is quite blurry near the beginning. I'm posting what I know and what I believe to be true, but I'm hoping y'all can help me fill in the gaps.

The Kerrville Folk Festival Staff Concert has been a tradition unique among folk festivals since 1982. It was created to acknowledge the vast amount of talent of the volunteers of the Kerrville staff, particularly in the area of songwriting and performing.
Voting has been handled in a few different ways over the years, but it the participants have always been chosen by ballots cast by the staff itself. Jason Wakefield was one of the staff members who made sure it happened every year - even one year when Rod forgot to put it on the schedule!
It has always been held on the last Saturday of the festival, originally at 10:00 in the morning on the mainstage. That was a very hot time to be playing on that stage! The year Rod neglected to put it on the schedule, the way it got produced was by finding a time on the Threadgill Stage for it and it has stayed there ever since.

1982
I remember I, Ky Hote, was on the first staff concert. Does anyone else have any memory of who was on that concert? Or who hosted it?
Brian Cutean was also in this one

1983
Who else?

I remember I was in the 2nd or third year concert, Think Barbara Dieckmann was on stage with me, I also played quite a few concerts with others – Brian QTN, Ky, Jerry Housley, Buddy Sims… Always loved those concerts. One year I was going to be in Staff Concert, and had a habit of being up late playing at campfires… I found myself at the front ticket gate, not sure who was working, I think El Monte Slim, Rod comes by in his car, and yells, Carolyn, you are on stage for staff concert, get to sleep…lol… think I got about 4 hours that night, and most nights….thats what I remember
... Carolyn Norulak


1984
Hosted by Jerry Jeff Walker
There is a video extant of part of the 1984 concert that Steve Lackey shot. I believe Jerry Jeff was invited to host at the last minute and found the whole experience quite amusing judging from some of his introductions.

1985
The only note I have for this year is that Michelle Shocked was almost voted in. They had 10 top vote getters and she was number eleven. Then one of the ten couldn't make it and instead of letting her play, Rod decided to just have nine acts. Jim Hancock let her play a song as part of his set. I believe this was in 1985.

I have few notes for the shows 1986 - 1994 - I know I was on some of those.


1986
Hosted by Steve Gillette

1988
I believe 1988 was the year Rod forgot to put the Staff Concert on the program and it almost didn’t happen because of that. Jason Wakefield was instrumental in making sure it went on that year and he hosted the show.

1989
Hosted by Steve Gillette

1995
Hosted by Chuck Pyle
partial list:

1996
Hosted by Christopher Yarrow
Christopher Yarrow was asked to host the Staff Concert in 1996 and enjoyed it so much that he made it his staff position to host and organize it for ten years.

1997
Hosted by Christopher Yarrow


1998
Hosted by Christopher Yarrow

1999
Hosted by Christopher Yarrow


2000
Hosted by Christopher Yarrow


2001
Hosted by Christopher Yarrow
Full list:
2002
Hosted by Christopher Yarrow


2003
Hosted by Christopher Yarrow


2004
Hosted by Christopher Yarrow


2005
Hosted by Country Joe Montgomery
In 2005, Joe Montgomery hosted the show and there was an active movement to have the hosts be from the staff itself.

2006
Hosted by Country Joe Montgomery
Although I was not voted in this year, I was part of an act that began the show that stemmed from a contest to raise money for the staff shower fun. There were only four entries in the contest and Steve Brooks won. As part of his prize, he had a chance to play his song at the Staff Concert, but as it turned out, he was not going to be on the ranch that day. His song was a straight forward lyric centering around "Shower with a Kerrvert" so us three other participants (myself, Canadian Rob and Robert Blake) volunteered to sing it. It was pretty short, so we spiced it up a bit with quotes from all of our songs and some dancing girls (in towels).

2007
Hosted by Jonathan Byrd
Full list: I had helped Joe in 2006 putting together the concert. This year, I was running Staff Rekerrds and it became part of my duties to put together the concert along with the host (chosen by Dalis). We made a conscious decision to choose hosts that were either on staff or were mainstage performers who had been on staff before. We also began to codify the rules. At this point we established the rule that if you are on the bill three years in a row, you cannot be on it the following year.

2008
Hosted by Brian Cutean
Full list:
2009
Hosted by Brian Cutean
Full list:
2010
Hosted by Ky Hote
Full list:
2011
Hosted by Ky Hote
Full list:
2012
Hosted by Jason Weems
Full list: Gingus was voted in, but had to decline when she got ill before the concert.

2013
Hosted by Jason Weems


2014


2018


2019