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Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass


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Steep Canyon Rangers, the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters return to Blue Ridge Music Center on Saturday, June 14

From the good folks over at the Blue Ridge Music Center, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Galax, Virgnia:
The Steep Canyon Rangers are perennial favorites at the Blue Ridge Music Center and fans look forward to their annual show. Playing together since 2000, the the group has developed a sound all their own. Combining original songs, traditional tunes, and a whole lot of fun in their shows, they received IBMA’s Entertainer of the Year Award in 2011 as well as a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2013. Their dynamic live performances include a great deal of humor and playfulness.  With tight harmonies and instrumental dexterity, the band plays bluegrass and beyond, incorporating elements of folk, country, Americana and pop music to create a unique take on their “traditional plus” sound. As they approach their second decade, the Steep Canyon Rangers are still moving forward, searching for new horizons and musical vistas.
With their hard-driving old-time rhythm, the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters are a favorite among flatfoot dancers and mountain fiddle music fans. The group takes its name from the original Ballards Branch Bogtrotters, a popular Galax string band during the 1930s that was a frequent winner in the early years of the Galax Old Fiddlers’ Convention.

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Scythian, David Childers to play benefit for Water For People at Lincoln Theatre in downtown Raleigh on Aug. 4

Celtic rock band Scythian and folk singer-songwriter David Childers have announced they will perform on Saturday, Aug. 4, in downtown Raleigh’s the Lincoln Theatre at a benefit concert for Water For People.
Doors for this all-ages show will open at 5 p.m. and the music starts at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $50.
Water for People is a non-profit dedicated to providing water and wastewater education, training, and service in an effort to protect public health and the environment.

“We are always excited to come back to North Carolina and Raleigh in particular hold a lot of great memories for us with IMBA and the First Night Raleigh show we’ve played,” explains one of Scythian’s frontmen Danylo Fedoryka (vocals, guitar, accordion).

“To link a return show to a great cause makes it twice and meaningful for us and we hope that people will come out and support a great cause.”

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The Judy Chops share the love this summer with latest album release

One of my favorite places to discover new music is at festivals like this week’s Red Wing Roots Music Festival in Mt. Solon, Virginia. And three years ago, one of the acts my husband and I were lucky to find was The Judy Chops who hail from the nearby Shenandoah Valley. Continue reading


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The Steel Wheels present sixth annual Red Wing Roots Music Festival on July 13-15, 2018, with a new stage

The Steel Wheels present the sixth annual Red Wing Roots Music Festival on July 13-15, 2018. Three days, four stages and 40 bands at the beautiful Natural Chimneys Park and Campground in Mt Solon, VA, in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. Continue reading


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Hot Rize announces 40th anniversary album recorded live at Boulder Theatre releases first single ‘Colleen Malone’ featuring Jerry Douglas via Relix

From the good folks at The Press House:

Hot Rize, one of the most respected and influential bands in bluegrass music, is pleased to announce the release of their aptly named new record Hot Rize 40th Anniversary Bash, recorded live at Boulder Theatre, over the course of three sold out shows in January of this year. Hot Rize (Nick Forster on bass, Pete Wernick on banjo, Tim O’Brien on mandolin and fiddle, and Bryan Sutton on guitar) were joined by longtime musical friends Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, and Sam Bush, treating Boulder to three nights of unforgettable music. “We wanted to have a party,” says Forster.  “We wanted to have a full-out bash!” And now, on August 3rd, celebrating the anniversary of the band’s 40th year together, fans worldwide are musically invited to the party, as the band selecting 19 of the best of those unforgettable performances for the new record. On Monday, Relixreleased the video for “Colleen Malone,” Wernick commenting that he “ …learned this touching and lyrical song from the writer himself, Pete Goble, on his bus one day at a festival in the 1980s. The band liked it right away and our version became Song of the Year in 1991. It already seems to have become a standard at bluegrass jam sessions.” Watch here.

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Gaelic Storm to headline Scythian’s 2018 Appaloosa Roots Music Festival over Labor Day Weekend

Scythian announced today Gaelic Storm will be headlining the Celtic rock band’s annual Appaloosa Roots Music Festival on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018.

Gaelic Storm, Santa Monica, California’s internationally renowned Celtic band, has been topping the Billboard World Music Charts for decades.

The band also announced its full lineup on its new festival website, designed by none other than Danylo Fedoryka, that is full of visuals and videos to give fans a sense of the festival.

In an email, the band writes: “We invite you to our hometown for a music festival set under the Blue Ridge Mountains. Appaloosa is making waves and was chosen by Virginia Tourism to receive a ‘Virginia is for Music Lovers’ grant. We hope you can come join us this Labor Day Weekend and allow us to host you in our hometown of Front Royal, Virginia!”

In addition to Gaelic Storm and Scythian, Chapel Hill, North Carolina’s Mandolin Orange will also headline. The lineup includes Town Mountain, Humming House, Fireside Collective, Mountain Duo and Will Overman, among many others.

Visit http://appaloosafestival.com for advance ticket sales and more information.


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The Kruger Brothers’ Carolina in the Fall 2018 announces expanded lineup

This just in from the good folks over at Carolina in the Fall Music and Food Festival:

The fourth annual Carolina in the Fall Music and Food Festival set for Sept. 21-22, 2018, in downtown Wilkesboro, North Carolina, has expanded its powerful lineup of entertainment to include The Secret SistersJim LauderdaleFront Country and Humming House, among others. These artists will join festival hosts The Kruger Brothers and The Steel WheelsThe RooseveltsFireside CollectiveThe ContendersSnyder Family BandThe Arcadian WildNikki Talley and more than 100 other musicians, chefs, vintners and craft beer brewers from the region.

The complete lineup is available online at www.carolinainthefall.org.

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Reevestock Music Festival 2018

In what has become a trend for many bands, Charlotte-based folk-rock band Time Sawyer is once again hosting the Reevestock Music Festival in its hometown of Elkin, North Carolina, on Aug. 4-5, 2017, featuring none other than Time Sawyer, the Marcus King BandTown MountainDavid ChildersWilliam Wild and the Corey Hunt Band.
Started in 2011, the festival began as a fundraiser “for our beloved Reeves Theater, one the town’s oldest buildings, as we looked to aid in the buildings restoration,” Time Sawyer writes on its website. “In 2014, the Reeves building was purchased and is now privately owned.  The group is finishing the rebuilding and it will re-open as a performing arts venue with a bar and restaurant.

“Reevestock as a festival lives on, pushing into the future, still as a benefit festival put on by The Foothills Arts Council. We have created the Reevestock Scholarship Fund from the money raised each year at the festival to serve as our fundraising project. These scholarships are made available to Elkin and Starmount seniors looking to continue their education at any two-year program, four-year program, or technical school.“Reevestock offers something for everyone in the family and looks to benefit the community in every way possible. Great music for all ages, food and drinks made available by your favorite restaurants, and even activities for the kids. Music helps to bring us all together and that’s what Reevestock is all about. We hope to see you all the first weekend in August for some great music and fun.”

For ticket information and a schedule for Friday’s free show and Saturday’s lineup, visit http://www.reevestock.com.


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Listen Up: Live music opportunities abound for Memorial Day 2018

There are numerous live music festivals and venues throughout North Carolina, Virginia and beyond on tap to help you celebrate the official kickoff of summer over the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend. Following are a few highlights. If I’ve missed one, let me know! Continue reading