For the Journal

POCATELLO - The Bannock County Bluegrass Festival will be bringing 10 bands that hail from Nampa, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, Montana and Utah, among other places. This year, Pocatello can be added to that list with its newly formed bluegrass band, Portneuf Gap.

In fact, Portneuf Gap has the previous festival to thank for making the band what it is today.

After guitar and fiddle player Kevin Smith, guitarist and vocalist Randy Hackworth, and mandolin player Roy McKee all met while jamming at the last festival, they, as well as two other acquaintances, banjo player Jake Jacobson and bassist Max Gregory, started playing together this last January and haven't looked back.

"Some of these bands and artists have been playing for over 20 years," McKee says. "Although we don't have the experience that those bands have, it is amazing to play on the same stage as them."

Although McKee and his band members enjoy the music they play and are excited to play, one of their main goals in playing the festival is to get the community excited about bluegrass and to represent Pocatello sufficiently. In fact, their band name of the city landmark was chosen deliberately to give the city a voice in the bluegrass scene.

"Most people around here have heard of bluegrass, but they don't know too much about it," McKee says. "I want to get our area out to experience fun, toe-tapping music that just makes you feel good."

McKee also believes that bluegrass is more than just plucking a banjo - it has a profound history in American music and feeling. He has heard songs about pioneers coming west, sang songs about people losing family farms after generations, and written songs about losing loved ones.

"People and stories from the past live inside all of us," McKee believes. "They have brought their hardship and survival stories into music."

He believes that bluegrass has a certain honesty and sincerity in its songwriting, which makes it unique and heartfelt. He thinks that when bad things happen, music is there to help people cope with their problems and that is what it has done for generations.

Whether it is enjoying the rhythm, the lyrics, or the Bluegrass Festival's environment, McKee and Portneuf Gap are looking forward to an eventful weekend and hopes the same for the future. McKee hopes that there will be a large attendance this year and the future, eventually putting Pocatello on the map for its perennial festival.

Portneuf Gap invites anyone to watch or jam with them this weekend at the Bannock County Fairgrounds, starting at 7 p.m. on Friday and going until 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

And although the band has been around for less than a year, members promise an entertaining show, complete with Hackworth's Tennessee drawl, smooth harmonies, and music that will make you get out of your seat and make you dance.

"This weekend will be full of good, clean entertainment," says McKee. "We want to share it with as many people as we possibly can."