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Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass

Category Archives: Concerts


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IBMA announces Momentum Awards 2022 winners

Full Cord performs at IBMA Momentum Awards lunch on Wednesday, Sept. 28.

The annual International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Momentum Awards lunch has historically been one of the best places to discover new talent and Wednesday’s event was no exception.

Sponsored by Campbell University School of Law, the luncheon included live and recorded performances from the five groups nominated for Momentum Band of the Year, which was won by Full Cord of Grand Haven, Michigan, whose members were shocked and surprised they beat out who they considered very tough competition, frontman Brian Oberlin said after the awards were announced. Full Cord was also this year’s winner of the Telluride Bluegrass Competition.

Oberlin asked the crowd just before the band started playing for a Raleigh Convention Center ballroom packed full of artists, fans, promoters, record label producers, music writers and marketers, “Raise your hands … Who here is hearing bluegrass for the first time?,” which was met with a hearty round of laughter and apparently a single raised hand.

Other Momentum Award winners were:

Vocalist of the year – Rebekka Nilsson, lead songstress of the Norway-based Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra, which was also up for band of the year. Her haunting performance of “Wayfaring Stranger” left no doubt as to why she was chosen for this year’s award in this particular category.

Rebekka Nilsson

Industry Involvement – Lillian Werbin, president and co-owner of Elderly Instruments, who is on the board of directors of the IBMA Foundation and Bluegrass Pride. She also serves on IBMA’s Arnold Shultz Advisory Committee.

Mentor of the Year – Della Mae’s Kimber Ludiker. In addition to touring and performing, she serves as the director of the California Bluegrass Association’s Youth Academy, co-coordinator of IBMA Kids on Bluegrass, director of the Bluegrass Camp at Ashokan and producer-host of the Bluegrass Academy and Bluegrass Campout.

Instrumentalist(s) of the Year – The first award went to Harry Clark, a mandolin and guitar player who performs with East Nash Grass (also up for band of the year), the Dan Tyminski Band and the Wooks. The second award was presented to George Jackson, a fiddle and banjo player, who has performed with Front Country, Peter Rowan and Missy Raines, among others.

ABOUT THE IBMA MOMENTUM AWARDS

The Momentum Awards recognize impressive new talent in the bluegrass world, on both the musical side of our community. These awards focus on artists and businesspeople who are in the early years of their careers in bluegrass music. Learn more at this link.


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The Power of Women in Country Music is coming to the N.C. Museum of History beginning Oct. 28

From international superstars, including Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Rosanne Cash, Shania Twain and Taylor Swift, to contemporary North Carolina artists, such as Rhiannon Giddens, Rissi Palmer and Kasey Tyndall, “The Power of Women in Country Music,” coming to the North Carolina Museum of History from the GRAMMY Museum® in Los Angeles, highlights the past, present, and future of country music’s greatest female trailblazers.

This empowering exhibition will be amplified with a special concert series, author series, family events and activities and more. Tickets are available at this link: Purchase tickets!

“The Power of Women in Country Music” will take visitors on a journey through the history of women in country music, from the early years and post–World War II to the emergence of Nashville as a country music mecca and to female country artists becoming international pop sensations. The exhibit will feature artifacts, such as instruments and costumes, and special content from a diverse roster of 70 female country artists.

Be sure to save these dates for our Southern Songbirds concert series too, emceed by legendary North Carolina native Jim Lauderdale:

MOHA/museum members get unlimited visits throughout the run of the exhibition! Join now to receive this benefit. Learn more at this link: https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/exhibits


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Scythian, Arbo to perform at The Ramkat in Winston-Salem on Oct. 1

Scythian and Arbo

Not going to make it to the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) World of Bluegrass this weekend? Perennial IBMA performers and MerleFest fan favorite Celtic rock band Scythian is set to return to The Ramkat on Oct. 1, 2022, with special guests ARBO, a Cajun swamp rock band. Doors open at 7 p.m., show at 8.

From Scythian’s website:

“Our triumphant return to The Ramkat will be an absolute knockout party you won’t want to miss! With it being so late in the touring season, we’re looking at this as our last HURRAH in N.C. before the end of the year, which means that this will be the LAST CHANCE TO SEE US IN N.C. THIS YEAR! We also advise that you get your tickets NOW because all the seating and balcony seating is SOLD OUT! Only GA for the floor and balcony is left, so BE QUICK and we’ll see you there!”

Tickets (what are left anyway) are on sale at TheRamkat.com!


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Performers announced for 33rd annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards show on Sept. 29

IBMA has announced performances by four of this year IBMA’s Entertainer of Year Nominees for this year’s Bluegrass Music Awards show on Sept. 29: Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Sister Sadie and Del McCoury Band.

Also, a star-studded list of performances by Dan Tyminski Band, Ronnie Bowman and Bela Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart will be included in the show, with special Hall of Fame tributes and performances to honor Norman Blake, Peter Rowan and Paul “Moon” Mullins.

The awards will be held at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh.

For tickets and more information, visit https://ibma.org/.


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Free Concert: Cary’s Park After Dark to feature Nik Parr on Sept. 21

Nik Parr photo resized
Nik Parr

Enjoy a fun night out in Downtown Cary with your significant other, a group of friends, or flying solo. Each Park After Dark features unique food from local vendors and entertainment! The concert runs from 7 to 9 p.m. and is free. It will be held on the site of the former library across the street from The Cotton House Craft Brewery.

Nik Parr’s original music is a high-energy piano-driven rock n’ roll endeavor with strong soul, funk and blues influences. Parr’s band is built around his piano playing and singing, with an ear for catchy, danceable and widely appealing new songs. The show is made even more unique, as Nik switches seamlessly from the saxophone to the piano in between singing, working the crowd, and directing his band. 

Food Vendors

Flattz Signature Flat Breads
Sweet Fare Logo
Bond Brothers Brewing Co.

Items Allowed

Outside food and beverages are allowed. Outside alcohol is not allowed.

A limited selection of free, low-level lawn chairs will be available. Personal lawn chairs are allowed.

Parking

Multiple parking areas are available, including the Cary Arts Center (101 Dry Ave.), the downtown parking deck (113 Walnut St.)  and parallel parking along S. Academy St. Please mind all parking signs if parking in private lots.


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Creedmoor Music Festival celebrates 29 years of music and much more

GrassStreet

Twenty-nine years. That’s how long the annual Creedmoor Music Festival has been bringing folks together. Wayne Kinton, founding member of bluegrass band GrassStreet, remembers when the event started on a resident’s front porch. Kinton’s band was one of eight musical groups performing on two stages during Saturday’s festival held on Main Street. 

Those humble beginnings have grown into a full-blown festival attracting a variety of genres including blues, R&B, soul, country and original rock.

The weather cooperated to help visitors and more than 100 vendors and local businesses that lined packed streets. The festivities included a car show. And food. Hot dogs and hamburgers. BBQ. Giant turkey legs. Thai curry. Pizza. And the ubiquitous funnel cakes.  

Trey Snide, owner and on-air personality at Granville County’s Next Door Radio, served as guest emcee welcoming bands to their respective stages.

“We have a great mix of music and we’re thrilled to be back after missing the past two years due to Covid,” Snide said. 

One of the bands, Bellflower, played the festival for the first time. The five-piece rock band from Chapel Hill performs all original songs, some of which include a pocket trumpet played by Sam Davis-Castro.

“We’re thrilled to have this opportunity to share our music here,” said Franklin Bellflower, band founder and leader. “I love festivals because they allow us to expose our unique sound to a wide variety of people, who otherwise might never get to hear us play.”

But back to Kinton, who has been involved with the Creedmoor Music Festival since its inception. GrassStreet plays contemporary tunes based on traditional stylings, a mixture of bluegrass standards and original compositions. The current group is a derivative of the band Swift Run which has performed regionally since the early ’80s. 

A Henderson native, Kinton plays a 1951 Martin D-18 on stage. On Saturday, GrassStreet played a mix of gospel and classic rock songs — from Hank Williams to Bob Seger.

Kinton praised the Creedmoor Music Festival and its organizers for making sure the show has gone on all these years.

“This festival has hung with it and they built on what they had,” he explained. “They had competent and able help, they had a large volunteer pool, and they were very well organized. This festival is unusual because it is still here and it is thriving.”

Here’s a video clip of GrassStreet’s performance: https://www.facebook.com/wayne.kinton/videos/425032206283931

Read original story at https://restorationnewsmedia.com/articles/local-news-butnercreedmoor/creedmoor-music-festival-celebrates-29-years-of-music-and-much-more/


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Free Creedmoor Music Festival set for Sept. 17

The 29th annual Creedmoor Music Festival will be held on from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on SATURDAY, SEPT. 17, 2022. 

The 2022 Creedmoor Music Festival is dedicated in memory of Mrs. Merle Edwards. Mrs. Edwards was one of the original founding members of the festival in 1992.

Main Street Creedmoor will be closed to vehicular traffic starting at 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. from W. Lyon Street to Park Avenue for the safety of festival attendees.

For more information, visit creedmoor.org/departments/recreation/events/creedmoor-music-festival.