From its origins in the mid-1980s as a backyard party hosted in a garlic shed, Pickamania has evolved into an annual festival celebrating the love of acoustic music of all genres. Pickamania 2023 will feature a talented line-up of bluegrass, Americana, folk and blues musicians at the Black Range Lodge in Kingston, NM. A theme throughout will be a tribute to, and celebration of life for, the originator of the event, Bill Bussmann.
Pickamania originator Bill Bussmann, who died in May, was a self-taught luthier, and his hand-crafted “Old Wave mandolins” were known world-wide. For more than 40 years he and his wife Susie lived along Animas Creek, near Truth or Consequences, NM, raising a family and contributing to their community. Bill was also an accomplished bass player, performing in a number of local bands, and, as Pickamania’s Master of Ceremonies, injecting his special sense of humor into the proceedings. On Sunday, Sept. 10, Pickamania will be dedicated to celebrating his life, with friends far and wide gathering to play music and honor his memory.
Pickamania 2023 – A Tribute to Bill Bussmann
September 8, 9, & 10, 2023
Black Range Lodge, Kingston, NM
Tickets Fri. $20 • Sat. $40 • Sun. Donation only
3-day Festival Pass $50
Advance ticket sales: www.sierracountyarts.org
The event line-up:
Friday, September 8: 5pm – Gates Open
5:30 pm – Potluck Supper
6 – 7pm – Gabrielle Louise & Ryan Dilts, singer / songwriters, Paonia, CO
7:30 pm – 9pm – Wil Maring & Robert Bowlin, Americana Originals
Saturday, September 9: 2pm – Gates Open
3 – 4pm – The Duke City Swamp Coolers – Bluegrass traditional and originals
4:30 – 5:30pm – Tim Weed, Banjo virtuoso
6 – 7 pm – Peter McLaughlin & Chris Brashear – Southwest Bluegrass
7:30 – 9pm – Bluegrass Super Jam w/ Peter & Chris, Tim Weed, Wil Maring and Robert Bowlin, etc.
Sunday, September 10: 10:30am – Gates Open
11am – 4pm – Celebration of Life for Bill Bussmann
Gospel Hour – 11am – 12pm – Songs to inspire and heal
Noon – Community potluck & Memories of Bill
Afternoon musical tribute to Bill Bussmann from family and friends far and wide, including the Hard Road Trio, The 24/7 Blues Band, The Hassle Family, and more!
Sponsored by the Sierra County Arts Council admission is $20 for Friday, $40 for Saturday, and Sunday will be free, with donations accepted. A 3-day Festival Pass is $50 per person. Advance tickets are available online at www.sierracountyarts.org.
Pickamania will kick off on Friday at 6pm with original folk music from Gabrielle Louise, a singer/songwriter from Paonia, CO, with Ryan Dilts, www.gabriellelouise.com. Next, veteran songstress Wil Maring and her partner, guitar/fiddle virtuoso and Nashville session musician Robert Bowlin, will entertain with traditional and original country, folk and bluegrass. www.wilmaring.com
On Saturday at 3pm Albuquerque’s Duke City Swamp Coolers will liven up the afternoon with their high energy traditional and original tongue-in-cheek bluegrass tunes www.dukecityswampcoolers.com. They’ll be followed by banjo virtuoso Tim Weed, www.timweed.com, performing an eclectic blend of original music from traditional bluegrass, to soulful ballads, to classical instrumental compositions. Next, the duo of flat-picking guitar champion Peter McLaughlin and Chris Brashear (fiddle and mandolin) will offer an original blend of “southwestern” bluegrass music, shaped by the landscapes and legends of the west, www.petermclaughlin.info. Saturday evening will culminate as Pickamania’s all-stars combine their talents in an audience-pleasing “Super Jam”.
Sunday music will begin at 11am, with a “Gospel Hour” singalong, followed by a community potluck lunch, and personal memories of Bill Bussmann. The afternoon will be filled with music from Bill’s family, many friends and former band-mates, including the Hard Road Trio, the Hassle Family, the 24/7 Blues Band, the Miner’s Garage Band, and many more, and notably his son Ezra Bussmann, who is highly accomplished on fiddle, dobro, and mandolin.
The outdoor pavilion and shady landscape at the Black Range Lodge offers a covid-safe environment for music and mingling. On Saturday refreshments will available throughout the afternoon and evening, including pizza, ice cream and apple pie. Black Range Vineyards will be on hand to offer New Mexico wine and beer for purchase throughout the festival. blackrangevineyards.com
Since 2017 Pickamania has been held in the mountain community of Kingston, once a rich silver mining town, now a quiet hamlet surrounded by the Gila National Forest, about 30 minutes west of I-25.
This event is sponsored by the Sierra County Arts Council, and advance tickets are available at www.sierracountyarts.org. The SCAC is supported by a grant from New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information call the Black Range Lodge at 575-895-5652, or visit www.blackrangelodge.com.
The majority of the content for this article including photos was provided by event organizers and sponsors.