Those who know me well know that the Winter Solstice (otherwise known as the shortest day of the year) is my least favorite day. But this year just might be different thanks to a dear friend’s generosity and the talents of Leah Shaw, a North Carolina-bred singer songwriter.
Category Archives: Concerts
Del McCoury Band to play Mount Airy’s historic Earle Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 17
Fans of MerleFest and other bluegrass festivals are no strangers to the talents of the Del McCoury Band. They are also in for a holiday treat this weekend where they can catch the band performing at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Historic Earle Theatre, 142 N. Main St., Mount Airy.
Del McCoury sings lead vocals and plays guitar along with his two sons — Rob McCoury, Ronnie McCoury, who play mandolin and banjo. Other band members include Alan Bartman and Jason Carter.
Elected into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2011, Del McCoury is also the recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Tickets are $25, $50, $60 and $65. For more information, call (336) 786-7998 or visit www.surryarts.org .
Carri Smithey Band to release debut album, ‘Midnight Ride,’ at Gibb’s Hundred Brewing Company on Saturday, Dec. 10
The Carri Smithey Band will release its debut album, “Midnight Ride,” at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Gibb’s Hundred Brewing Co., 117 W. Lewis Street, Greensboro, N.C. The Ends will also play. I first wrote about Smithey and her bandmates when they were finalists in MerleFest’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest here.
The Wailers to perform with Piedmont Wind Symphony on Dec. 16 at LJVM
This just in from Smitty’s Notes:
This first-of-its-kind concert will feature the world-renowned reggae group The Wailers performing with the Piedmont Wind Symphony at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16, at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
MerleFest adds Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Sarah Jarosz, The Steel Wheels, The Kruger Brothers and Mipso to 30th anniversary lineup
This just in from the good folks at MerleFest:
“MerleFest, presented by Window World and slated for April 27-30, 2017, has just announced five more artists added to the 2017 lineup: Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Sarah Jarosz, The Steel Wheels, The Kruger Brothers and Mipso. MerleFest 2017 will be the 30th annual homecoming where musicians and music fans return to Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
“Many artists who have graced the stages over the past three decades plan to return for the celebration! MerleFest has already announced over 75 artists, including Zac Brown Band with a very special acoustic set, Del McCoury Band, Jim Lauderdale, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan, Mountain Heart and many more. The rest of the packed lineup for MerleFest 2017 will roll out over the next few months.”
For more information and tickets, visit http://merlefest.org/
Don’t miss Will Overman Band and Carbon Leaf at Richmond’s The National on Saturday, Dec. 17
Treat yourself (and preferably someone else) to the gift of music this holiday season and make plans to catch two of Virginia’s hottest up-and-coming acts — Will Overman Band and Carbon Leaf — on Saturday, Dec. 17, at The National, 708 E. Broad St., Richmond, Virginia.
Tickets now on sale for Rooster Walk 9 featuring Billy Strings, Yarn, The Trongone Band, among others
From the good folks at Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival:
Tickets for Rooster Walk 9 are now available online here. Don’t miss out on early bird tickets at the cheapest prices of the year! Our ninth annual family-friendly festival will take place May 25-28, 2017, at the idyllic Pop’s Farm in Axton, Virginia. For more info, including the early-bird band lineup, visit www.RoosterWalk.com.
Lowland Hum returns to its roots on fourth album, ‘Thin,’ set for release Feb. 10, 2017
It’s safe to say that in the cacophony that has been this political season, we are all looking for some peace.
“It’s such a noisy time in history, people want something quieter,” says Daniel Goans, one half of the duo that makes up Lowland Hum.
FloydFest 17 announces 17 additions to lineup for July 26-30, 2017
FloydFest fans listen up: Festival organizers have announced 17 new artist additions to the FloydFest 17~Freedom lineup. Check out the new and previously announced artist list below. For the uninitiated, FloydFest is a five-day celebration of music and art nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia at Milepost 170.5 off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Find tickets at https://floydfest17freedom.eventbrite.com
Robert Earl Keen celebrates 20th anniversary of ‘No. 2 Live Dinner’ with new album, tour that kicks off Nov. 29
Americana music icon Robert Earl Keen has released “Live Dinner Reunion” 20 years after he released “No. 2 Live Dinner,” his biggest-selling album to date. But this time he has brought along a few friends including friend and recent touring partner Lyle Lovett, Joe Ely, Cory Morrow, Cody Canada of Cross Canadian Ragweed and The Departed, Cody Braun of Reckless Kelly and Bruce Robison along with some 5,000 fans.
If you haven’t had the chance to see REK live, now is your chance and I highly recommend it. I had the opportunity to see him perform live a few years ago at Red Wing Roots Festival and he put on one of the best live shows I have seen.
Following is the press release announcing the new album and some upcoming tour stops including the historic Ryman Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee.
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