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The Rev. Frank Newsome, who sang brilliantly at FloydFest in July, and Bobby Patterson, a banjo man who is an organizer of The Old Fiddlers Convention, in Galax, are among Virginia-based traditional artists selected for the first-ever round of Virginia Heritage Awards.

The Virginia Commission for the Arts presented the awards, "to honor Virginia masters of the traditional arts for their contributions to the cultural heritage of Virginia, to recognize the preservationists of traditional culture, and to bring public attention to important cultural traditions.

Go to http://www.arts.virginia.gov/news/VHArecipients09.html for the full list of winners.

Read more about Newsome and Patterson below.

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For the past couple of years, FloydFest has asked festival-goers to vote for their favorite band on a list of "under the radar" groups. This year's winner is The Mantras, a really energetic jam band. Check out some of the band's music at its MySpace.com page. I did a short review of one of the band's FloydFest sets on this here blog.

The Mantras have played Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, Roanoke, a couple of times over the past year, but we might not see the band again for a while. It has signed with Perpetual Groove's management company, which is trying to get The Mantras out beyond the mid-South.

Mad Tea Party, just off of a few FloydFest sets, hits The Sun Music Hall, Floyd, on Saturday.

Last week, the duo's Jason Krekel joined us to talk and stream tunes before the band's Aug. 29 show at The Sun Music Hall, Floyd.

Krekel comes from heavy-duty Nashville, Tenn., mainstream success -- his father, the late Tim Krekel, wrote hit songs for such artists as Crystal Gayle and Patty Loveless. The older Krekel, also a session and touring musician, even played the guitar solo on Jimmy Buffett's "Cheeseburger in Paradise."

Jason Krekel's career has been a lot different. He's been an early or original member of such outfits as Snake Oil Medicine Show, Larry Keel Experience and Firecracker Jazz Band. These days, he spends most of his time working with his girlfriend, songwriter/ukulele banger Ami Worthen, in Mad Tea Party.

We discuss all of that and more in this podcast.

"Dancin'" Dave Versch is a FloydFest institution, setting up his traveling tent city annually for folks who like camping without the hassles. The paper has been cool enough to put me up in a Dave tent three of the four years I've gone -- the first year, I hadn't learned about his setup.

Versch hits some of the best bluegrass and roots festivals in the country, and has heard a lot of bands. So I've made it a habit of asking him what he's liking from year to year. He stresses to me that he's just giving his opinion -- other people might like other stuff. True enough; he and I have different thoughts on some of the bands. But he has good taste, so his opinion is worth some of our ether.

I didn't have to ask him about The Belleville Outfit, because I saw him dancing at their dance stage set. And I didn't have to ask him about Holy Ghost Tent Revival, because they were playing at the beer garden, right in front of his tent, where I was his neighbor -- he was enthusiastic about the act.

Later, he told me that he had dug Boulder Acoustic Society, The Horse Flies, the Duhks, Yarn and Railroad Earth.

"And getting turned on to Grace Potter was certainly a treat!" he said in an e-mail exchange this week.

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At FloydFest, Community High School Band was one of the big surprises for me. The kids were good players and worked well together.

After the set, I spoke with singer Lindsey Willis, 17, and guitarist/keyboardist Ellis Byrd, 14, two young players who are musically wise beyond their years. Then I talked some with their music teachers, John McBroom and Mike Maycock, both talented and well-seasoned pro players. I sandwiched the interviews between some sound clips that will give you an idea of this band's talent.

The rest of the band is: Dereck Volpe (drums); Will Hooper (guitar) and Isha Devine (vocals). Keep an eye out for them.

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For years, I've been wanting to capture in words what it's like at certain points on the FloydFest grounds, where a listener can catch several acts blazing at once. This year, podcast machine in hand, I decided to forego words in favor of the sound itself.

So here, at about 11:45 p.m. Saturday, July 25, is what the Zoom H4 caught at a hilltop just above the beer garden, across from the dance stage and catty cornered to the holler stage. The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker were on the holler stage. The New Familiars were at the dance stage, and Rose's Pawn Shop was jamming the beer garden.

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This might possibly be the poorest-quality podcast ever. The wind was whipping at FloydFest last week as I spoke to Django Haskins on Thursday afternoon. He and his band, The Old Ceremony, had just played a fine set to open the fest, proving that this event is quality from jump.

I had to chop a lot of substantial interview stuff, which was simply overpowered by the wind. If you were there, you know what I'm talking about. But here it is anyway. Sorry, Django -- we'll get it right next time.

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Main stage area empties Sunday afternoon

The laptop's battery has dropped to 18 percent. Seems like a good time to put this puppy to bed.

It's been another year of growth for FloydFest. By Saturday, it had likely matched its attendance total of last year, 12,000, with one day still to go. The crowds were fairly big today, so attendance has likely grown by at least a thousand over last year.

More than 120 vendors selling food, clothes, gee-gaws and whatnots were on site this year, according to festival organizer Erika Johnson, who did not use the words "gee-gaws" and "whatnots". Last year, there were about 100.

And I'm four days older and relatively sleepless. Same time next year.

Sunday afternoon: Roosevelt Collier

For the second consecutive FloydFest, my favorite show was the Saturday night, Hill Holler closer. The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker inspired this thought: Who needs to listen to oldies stations for fixes of old-school soul, funk and R&B? This band is making great original music and delivering it explosively right now.

Walker, according to his myspace bio, has been performing since the 1950s and worked for Chess and Motown. Now, with the all-white Dynamites, this black soul singer from Nashville, Tenn., has found a niche to get the recognition he deserves. This handkerchief-waving, Southern church-seasoned, gravelly-throated tenor looks and sounds like the vital embodiment of acts from Memphis' Stax/Volt to Augusta, Ga.

And the band? Amazingly authentic, and brilliant improvisers.

The Lee Boys' Daric Bennett

At set's end, guitarist/bandleader Bill "Leo Black" Elder told the crowd: "You can't stop him. We've tried to stop him. Somebody try to stop him."

I had no interest in stopping him. With Elder writing the songs, and Walker singing like the real freaking deal that he is, I was in soul heaven last night.

From there, it was down the hill to the village stage about 1 a.m. for the Lee Boys. (By the way, The Lee Boys are on the main stage right now, with Roosevelt Collier's steel guitar licks cutting through the distance to where I'm writing). I and many other listeners were blown away when the band played here three years ago, and this time out, the act is even better. Way better.

I decided to leave my notebook alone, and just let this sacred steel gospel music soak in. But a couple of things came up that I had to remember and share:

Lee Boys' Earl Walker

> During one extended jam, Collier began quoting Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough." I know people are sick of hearing and thinking about the recently departed Jacko, but again, he and Quincy Jones came up with timeless pop melodies. And Collier showed the he's brilliant working with a familiar riff, using it to launch furious improvisations.

> The rest of the band was up to the same funky, free-flowing business. Drummer Earl Walker was a beast. Singer Johnny Walker, onstage in place of Keith and Derrick Lee, was an apt replacement. And Daric Bennett, of Rochester, N.Y., (a sacred steel music stronghold and home of The Campbell Brothers), was probably the best bass player at this festival.

After the Sunday main stage set, Lee Boys leader/guitarist Alvin Lee told me that Bennett is the son of pedal steel player Lonnie "Big Ben" Bennett. The tradition runs so rich and deep.

This laptop battery is about to go dead, so I'm outta here for now. I'll go catch the Lees at the main stage. Haw!

I'm back, and The Lee Boys delivered again, to close the main stage. As I write, Railroad Earth is closing Hill Holler, sounding sort of ancient and cool as always.

Just a word about the Sunday afternoon set. Luxembourg-based harmonica player Ron Tuffle joined the Lees onstage for a rollicking version of Solomon Burke's "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love." Tuffle was last at FloydFest three years ago, sitting in with Rory Block and Scott Perry at the folklife stage.

Tuffle, who was born in Texas and raised in Kansas, has lived overseas for years. He said he flew in from Europe last night, to see friends and family here and to sit in with The Lee Boys.

FloydFest, Tuffle said, "is one of the premiere eclectic music venues in America."

DJ Dickie working the tables

About an hour of rain finally let up an hour or so ago, and the weather feels cool and breezy up here.

It's been a long Sunday without a wireless connection, but the excellent A.J. Roller is letting me run a line into the admin trailer. I've got some catching up to do. So, here's some Saturday stuff.

> Yard Dogs Road Show: Hill Holler stage: This one started late Friday, but I'm counting it as Saturday. Two photographer buddies of mine, Ty Brady (aka the guy who discovered the blown fuse) and Roger Gupta, had told me this band was worth catching, for the good music and amazing visual elements. They were right. Post-vaudeville, post burlesque. Basketball-tall guitarist with big, fake Billy Gibbons beard, playing well with fat Strat tone. Hot dancing girls! Hot accordion player. Completely strange and colorful.

> Forro in the Dark, Village stage: I was beat-down tired, lying in my tent, when this strange music floated up the hill and shook me awake. I can't really describe it other than to say it's good music to try to sleep to.

> Sol Driven Train, beer garden stage: Bouncy, horn- and percussion-driven originals with non-cheesy island vibes. The band's cover of Paul Simon's "Late In the Evening," complete with percolating drum/percussion break, was fun.

> Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas with Hot 8 Brass Band at folklife stage: I know I wrote about them yesterday, but I needed to add that it was the first time members of these Louisiana acts performed together. Apparently, it won't be the last. Nathan Williams said from the stage, "We'll definitely be doing something together." Keep an ear out for it. These two acts make a good combination.

> DJ Dickie working the turntables at the beer garden: This young man is a live wire. He's always working somewhere. He's in bands. He DJs for rap acts. He spins party music. He hosts parties. He opened up his  own store at Happy's. So it made sense that he was at FloyFest, either selling screen-print T-shirts near the beer garden, or getting on the ones and twos between beer garden sets. He's a nice guy, too.