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Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass

Monthly Archives: March 2016


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On Huffington Post: FloydFest’s On-the-Rise Competition opens Saturday, April 2

Mix up some Swampcandy, Annabelle’s Curse, Look Homeward and The Midatlantic in a bowl, and what you get are some of FloydFest fans’ favorite flavors.

What do you call it? Who knows, but it sure sounds good.

All were chosen as winners and runners up in the festival’s On-the-Rise (OTR) Competition in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Now, FloydFest fans have a chance to choose who takes part in the festival’s OTR 2016
competition during an eight-week roster of shows at The Phoenix, a little “cubby-of-
cool” in Roanoke, Virginia’s Old Southwest neighborhood. The competition starts April
2 and runs through the end of May, says Kris Hodges, co-founder of the festival set for
July 27-31 off the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milemarker 170.5. Several of the bands are
alumni of other area festivals, including Rooster Walk Arts and Music Festival and Front
Porch Fest, among others.

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This is no April Fool’s joke: Will Overman Band, Annabelle’s Curse to perform at Tin Pan on April 1-2

Two of my favorite bands — Will Overman Band and Annabelle’s Curse — are playing at The Tin Pan, 8982 Quioccasin Road ,in Richmond, Virginia, April 1-2. If you’re in the area, you need to buy your tickets now because both shows are sure to sell out.

I discovered both bands at Rooster Walk 7. Annabelle’s Curse is returning to Rooster Walk 8 over Memorial Day and hosting The Howling Craft Beer and Music Festival  May 27-28 while WOB is performing at MerleFest and Front Porch Fest.

If you haven’t heard either of these bands play live, you won’t want to miss either one of these shows!

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MerleFest adds John Oates to lineup, Donna the Buffalo to host Midnight Jam

MerleFest, slated for April 28–May 1, 2016, announced today  John Oates, a legend of American music, will be joining the official 2016 festival lineup as the final headliner. Also announced, Donna the Buffalo will host the much-anticipated Midnight Jam at the Walker Center, and the Jam will be sponsored by The Bluegrass Situation.

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On The Huffington Post: Scythian gifts St. Patrick’s Day show to its biggest fans

The following post also ran on The Huffington Post Entertainment Blog here.

If you’re Scythian, a Celtic rock band known for bringing legions of MerleFest fans to their feet since 2007, St. Patrick’s Day is your Super Bowl.

And this one’s big.

Huge.

It’s not a well-paid gig at a club in Manhattan or Washington, D.C., from where they mostly hail.

It’s much bigger than that.

The band will no doubt play to an audience of adoring fans — possibly its biggest,  but these fans won’t be paying a dime.

This one is on Scythian, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

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The Black Lillies, Mipso, Scythian to headline Labor Day Appaloosa Festival

The Black Lillies and Mipso are among the headliners at MerleFest favorite Scythian‘s second annual roots music Appaloosa Festival set for Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 3-4, in Front Royal, Virginia, which is about an hour from Washington, D.C., in the stunning Shenandoah Valley. Continue reading →


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The Fiddle and Bow Society to celebrate 35 years in the Triad on Saturday, March 5

The Fiddle and Bow Society has been bringing folk and acoustic music to the Triad area since 1981. On Saturday, March 5, organizers are planning a mini-festival at Muddy Creek Music Hall in the historic Bethania Mill to celebrate this milestone. The event, which is scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m., will feature Low Lily, The Fretless, Mountain Birch Duo featuring WFDD’s Paul Brown and Crann Ull.

Tickets are $20 at the door, which opens at 11:30 a.m. Organizers suggest you get there early if you want a good seat. For more information, call (336) 414-1699 or visit www.fiddleandbow.org.

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