The Yadkin Arts Council kicks off its 2017 Sounds of the Mountain Music Series, co-presented with Blue Ridge Music Center, with Town Mountain and special guest, Winston-Salem’s own Caleb Caudle , at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Willingham Theater in Yadkinville, North Carolina. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here.
Category Archives: Music Festival
Robert Earl Keen hits the right note with ‘Live Dinner Reunion’ 20 years after ‘No. 2 Live Dinner’ release
You know Robert Earl Keen is an amazing musician and entertainer. What you may not know is that he’s funny. Really funny.
If you have ever heard the West Texas troubadour trading one-liners with Charlotte DJs John Boy and Billy on their Big Show or seen him live in concert at one of the myriad music festivals he headlines, you might have guessed he’s got a sense of humor. But in one-on-one conversations, he drops one-liners faster than Jim Gaffigan.
But that doesn’t mean he can’t be serious. And make no mistake, he’s serious about his music. But not too serious.
Keen’s biggest-selling album, 1996’s “No. 2 Live Dinner,” was in fact an accident.
“That one was totally raw and reckless,” he said in a recent phone interview. “I truly didn’t intend to make a record. It was truly a grassroots kind of thing. For a year there, you could hear that record blasting out of dorm rooms, bars, cars and parties. It was warts and all but it was fun.”
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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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