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Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass


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MerleFest announces initial lineup for 30th celebration in April 2017

The following announcement is from the good folks at MerleFest, which is slated for April 27-30, 2017. Early bird tickets are on sale now here. I am particularly excited to see Mountain Heart, Front Country, Chatham County Line, Scythian and Swift Creek in the lineup. Here’s hoping subsequent lineup announcements include Mipso, Flatt Lonesome, Will Overman Band, Dead Horses, Mandolin Orange, Zoe and Cloyd, Dori Freeman, The Church Sisters, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Infamous Stringdusters, Sarah Siskind, Sierra Hull, Yarn, American Aquarium, Mike Farris, Rhonda Vincent, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Annabelle’s Curse, Town Mountain, Little Hill Trio, The Genuine, The Honeycutters, The Steel Wheels, Elephant Revival, Balsam Range, Mason Via, The Judy Chops, Swampcandy, Chamomile and Whiskey and Billy Strings, among others.

From the release: “2017 will be a celebration of 30 years of MerleFest! The annual homecoming of musicians and music fans returns to the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The star-packed lineup for MerleFest 2017 will be announced over the next few months; today MerleFest made its first announcement for the 2017 lineup, 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.”

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Mt. Airy’s historic Earle Theatre concert series ‘Blue Ridge and Beyond’ to feature Mark O’Connor, Del McCoury, Jerry Douglas, Balsam Range

Mark O’Connor and the O’Connor Band will start off the “Blue Ridge and Beyond” series on Nov. 19 at the Historic Earle Theatre in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

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Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell to perform in Winston-Salem on Friday, Nov. 11

If you’re a Rolling Stones fan, listen up: Chuck Leavell, keyboardist for the group, is coming to Winston-Salem on Friday, Nov. 11. You can catch him beginning at 8 p.m. at the city’s newest venue, The Barn at Reynolda Village, 2201 Reynolda Road. Advance tickets are $25, $30 at the door. Click here for more details.

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Chapel Hill’s Mipso brings unique string band stylings to Rives Theatre on Friday, Nov. 18

If you haven’t had the chance to hear Mipso, the unique string band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, perform live, you’re in luck. You can catch them beginning at 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, at the historic Rives Theatre in uptown Martinsville, Virginia. Season passes are accepted, otherwise tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Tickets available locally at Daily Grind, Woodall’s Music and online here.

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Bluegrass, Barbecue & Brew Festival 2016 set for Saturday, Nov. 5, in Brookneal, Virginia, featuring The Church Sisters, Lonesome River Band

The Bluegrass, Barbecue and Brew Festival 2016 will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Patrick Henry’s Red Hill in Brookneal, Virginia.  Tickets for music only are $15 and children 12 and younger are free.
The music lineup follows:

Davis Bradley- 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The Church Sisters– 1:15 – 2:45 p.m.
Lonesome River Band: 3:30 – 5 p.m.

There will also be a first-ever BBQ Cookoff Contest Judging from 2:50-3:20 p.m.

From Facebook: “We’re expecting great weather , so come out and join us for amazing music, great local food, and ice cold beverages!”

https://bluegrassbarbecuebrew2016.eventbrite.com


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Fifth annual The Shindig rescheduled for Sunday, Nov. 13, in Clayton, North Carolina

Fans of American Aquarium, Town Mountain, Love Canon, the Snyder Family Band and Big Daddy Love won’t want to miss the fifth annual The Shindig Music Festival rescheduled for Sunday, Nov. 13. There will be 10 bands on two stages plus seven breweries on tap, including Foothills and Bull City.

Learn more http://www.theshindig.net/ or watch https://www.facebook.com/TheClaytonShindig/?fref=ts

 

 


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People’s Blues of Richmond with Atlas Road Crew to perform Halloween Throwdown at Rives Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 29

If you’re looking for a unique way to celebrate this Halloween weekend, make plans to attend the “Halloween Throwdown” featuring the People’s Blues of Richmond with Atlas Road Crew beginning at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Rives Theatre  in uptown Martinsville, Virginia. Doors open at 8, according to organizers.

Tickets are $10 advance and $15 at the door. Season passes to The Rives are accepted for this event.

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American Aquarium, Corey Hunt Band and Seth Williams to perform at Muddy Creek Music Hall on Thursday, Oct. 27

American Aquarium, Corey Hunt Band and Seth Williams will perform at Muddy Creek Music Hall on Thursday, Oct. 27. Both BJ Barham, frontman for American Aquarium, and Williams are Reidsville natives.

Tickets for the 8 p.m. show at 5455 Bethania Road in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, are $22 in advance and $25 at the door.

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On Huffington Post: Exclusive premiere of Chatham County Line’s video ‘All That’s Left’

Read the following post on The Huffington Post here.

I first had the pleasure of hearing Chatham County Line play live at MerleFest a few years ago and then again in the summer of 2015 at The Steel Wheel’s Red Wing Roots Music Festival. What initially drew me to this Raleigh, North Carolina-based quartet is that in addition to the unique mix of bluegrass, folk and Americana tunes they harmonize so beautifully on is the fact that they typically crowd around a single, large, silver radio microphone. And that’s not the band’s only nod to the past. Much like Jerry Douglas’s Earls of Leicester, they perform in old-timey tailored suits, harkening back to the Golden Age of the Grand Ole Opry.

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