Wintergrass Music Festival

Annual bluegrass fest is a winter pick-me-up

By Chris Kornelis Wed., Feb 20 2008 at 12:00AM

Wintergrass gets two of the most important Northwest festival features taken care of right from the get-go: Its indoors, and its free (well, at least the best parts are). Itll also break you away from the monotony of everyday living: no indie rock or scholarly hip-hop on the Hill, but plenty of mandolin, banjo and Downtown Tacoma. The annual bluegrass party attracts pickers from around the country in search of a winter fix. Sure, there are headliners, like the youthful, poppy Duhks, and former Nickel Creeker Chris Thile, who once wrote a song about Jack Nicholsons character in As Good As It Gets. But the main draw of this four-day affair is the jamming. Every corner, armchair, and elevator will be filled with amateurs and pros, playing side by side into the early morning. Theres no fee to jam or to wander around and hear how your neighborhood fiddlers sound. Hotel Murano, 1320 Broadway Plaza, Tacoma, 253-238-8000, www.acousticsound.org. $100/pass, $280/family pass, $15-$20 per show. Through Sun., Feb. 24. CHRIS KORNELIS