@sealrock, ah, The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, one reason I wished I still lived in San Jose, a 45 minute drive away. I have old friends who go every year. Did you get to see Dann Penn backed by Buddy Miller and the band he put together?
I agree, Iris Dement is an astonishing songwriter and singer, absolutely one of the greatest, living or otherwise. I learned of Iris from Merle Haggard, who recorded her "No Time To Cry", one of the most devastating songs I’ve ever heard. An absolute masterpiece. That there are those who don't "get" her is bewildering to me. I feel very, very sorry for them.