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Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass


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Carrboro Music Festival celebrates 21st annual event with 200 acts across 29 venues Sept. 29-30, 2018

The 2018 Carrborro Music Festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29, and Sunday, Sept. 30. This year marks the 21st anniversary of the festival that will feature 200 acts across 29 venues.

Saturday’s kick-off event will feature three bands at Carrboro Town Commons, beginning at 2 p.m. following the Farmer’s Market. A free, ticketed, show will be held at the Cat’s Cradle at 8:30 p.m.

The Carrboro Music Festival is an effort to showcase Triangle-area performers and the varied musical styles they represent, according to the website. All of the performers donate their talents to foster a strong sense of community and to reveal their talents to a wider audience.

And while the acts are too numerous to mention, I am particularly excited to see some of my personal favorites, including Triad-based Abigail Dowd and newly relocated to the Triangle Will Overman, among this year’s performers.

The event is a product of a coordinated effort by the Carrboro Recreation and Parks Department and the Carrboro Music Festival Planning Committee.

This program is supported by the Town of Carrboro and the Carrboro Tourism Development Authority.  Generous support is also provided by the local business community.

Find a map and list of all the acts and times here: http://www.carrboromusicfestival.com/DocumentCenter/View/3119/2018-Carrboro-Music-Festival-Guide–Map?bidId=

 


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IBMA announces lineup for free Wide Open Bluegrass Streetfest on Sept. 28-29, 2018, in downtown Raleigh, N.C.

8iuiyBluegrass fans listen up: The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s World of Bluegrass announced today an amazing lineup of more than 100 bands that will perform on seven stages set up throughout downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, and inside the Raleigh Convention Center on Sept. 25-29 as part of Wide Open Bluegrass StreetFest. Best of all for music lovers, all the performances are free!

There will also be a dance tent, local artisans, food trucks, youth performances, and the Master’s Workshop Stage inside Raleigh Convention Center.  And there’s always plenty of free jamming to stumble upon for your listening pleasure.

Among just a few of the acts I am looking forward to hearing are Cane Mill Road, Fireside Collective, Frank Solivan and the Dirty Kitchen, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Alison Brown Band, Hank, Pattie and the Current, the Kruger Brothers, Zoe & Cloyd, Town Mountain, Balsam Range, Front Country, Love Canon, ShadowGrass, Jim Lauderdale, Tim O’Brien, Dori Freeman and Flatt Lonesome.

Who are you looking most forward to seeing?

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Women of bluegrass dominate nominations for International Bluegrass Music Awards in Raleigh, N.C, on Sept. 27

After Molly Tuttle’s impressive win at the 2017 International Bluegrass Music (IBMA) Awards as the first female IBMA guitarist, Becky Buller leads the field for the  2018 International Bluegrass Music Awards with eight nominations followed by Tuttle’s six. Close behind with five nominations each are Special Consensus, and The Del McCoury Band/The Travelin’ McCourys, with strong showings by Rhonda Vincent, The Earls of Leicester, Balsam Range, and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Results of the balloting will be revealed at the International Bluegrass Music Awards on Thursday, Sept. 27, at the Duke Energy Performing Arts Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion 2018 celebrates 18 years with OCMS, Railroad Earth, The SteelDrivers, Annabelle’s Curse, and many more Sept. 21-23

Some 45,000 music lovers from all over the world will gather on State Street in historic Downtown Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia for the 18th annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival on Sept. 21-23. The event honors the twin cities’ unique history as the place where the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions were recorded.

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North Carolina Folk Festival set for Sept. 7-9, 2018, in Greensboro to feature Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah

The North Carolina Folk Festival is a free, three-day outdoor celebration of cultural roots and heritage held annually in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina. The folk festival is a legacy event of the National Folk Festival which was hosted in Greensboro from 2015 – 2017.

Performers include hometown girl Rhiannon Giddens, co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and star of CMT’s “Nashville;” Amythyst Kiah, Cabin Creek Boys and Bobby Hicks, Mark Kuykendall and Asheville Bluegrass. Continue reading


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Carolina Bible Camp Bluegrass Festival, Chick-fil-A of Clemmons announce inaugural Davie County High School seniors’ Bluegrass Day on Friday, Sept. 7

From the good folks at the Carolina Bible Camp Bluegrass Festival:

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8th annual Apex Music Festival to feature The Gravy Boys, Shawn Mullins, Lauren Nicole on Sept. 15, 2018

The eighth annual Apex Music Festival is set for Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, in downtown Apex, North Carolina. Featured acts include The Gravy Boys, Lauren Nicole, Beth Wood, Shawn Mullins, and many more. Continue reading


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Claire Lynch, Jeff Little Trio, Mavis Staples among artists to perform at free Richmond Folk Fest on Oct. 12-14, 2018

The Richmond Folk Festival, scheduled for Oct. 12-14, 2018, is one of Virginia’s largest events, drawing visitors from all over the country to downtown Richmond’s historic riverfront, according to organizers.

Much like the Greensboro Folk Festival, this festival is a FREE three-day event that got its start as the National Council for the Traditional Arts’ National Folk Festival, held in Richmond from 2005-2007. The Richmond Folk Festival features performing groups representing a diverse array of cultural traditions on seven stages.

 

In 2017, the festival attracted more than 220,000 people to downtown Richmond’s riverfront to celebrate the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance traditional crafts, storytelling and food.

The Richmond Folk Festival has become one of Virginia’s largest and most-loved events of the year and has been voted as the best musical festival in Richmond several years running. The 2018 Festival will bring a new and similarly amazing list of performers — including bluegrass superstar Claire Lynch, Boone, North Carolina-based Jeff Little Trio and gospel queen Mavis Staples — as well as other artists and exhibitors.

Learn more here: https://www.richmondfolkfestival.org/performers/


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Sam Bush Band, Hank and Pattie Duo rock Cat’s Cradle

Sam Bush loves North Carolina. And gauging from the roar of the appreciative crowd of some 200 souls gathered at the Cat’s Cradle live music venue in downtown Carrboro on Saturday night, North Carolina loves Sam Bush and company, and in this particular instance, the Sam Bush Band.

“It don’t get no better than to play in North Carolina,” Bush said from the stage.

His fans agree. “As always, Sam and band were amazing,” commented Rick Henderson of Raleigh. “No two shows are the same, but they’re all terrific.” Continue reading