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Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass

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R.W. Shucks Seafood Festival featuring The Big Something is set for Nov. 14, Rives on the Road featuring Tan and Sober Gentlemen on Dec. 12

From the good folks at Rooster Walk + Rives on the Road:

You don’t want to miss the fourth annual RW Shucks Seafood Fest from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, on Pop’s Farm, 675 Hobson Road, Axton, Virginia.

The event combines fresh, delicious seafood, live music, beer, wine and spirits in the beautiful outdoor setting of Pop’s Farm. Oysters will be offered raw, steamed and as shooters. Longfill Grill Food Truck will be featuring a full menu of seafood and non-seafood items. Be sure not to miss Longfin’s decadent crab cakes!

Tickets are on sale now at this link: RW SHUCKS TICKETS

Musical performances by Big Something, Red Panda, and Gabriel Van.

Camping options are available. Parking is free. Kids 12 and younger are free with an admitted adult. Thank you to our event sponsor Brightspeed!

Ticket Options

General Admission
Includes admission to the event, including three sets of live music and access to food and drink vendors. All food will be sold a la carte for GA Admission ticket holders. A limited number of tickets will be sold.


Suck Yeah Admission
Includes all-you-can-eat clam chowder and steamed and raw oysters (while supplies last) and admission to the event, including three sets of live music and access to other food and drink vendors. Longfin Grill and other oyster options (shooters) are NOT included in this ticket. Only steamed and raw oysters, and clam chowder, are included.Tickets for RW Shucks have previously sold out, so don’t delay.



IBMA and MerleFest fans won’t want to miss an evening with the North Carolina-based members of the Tan & Sober Gentlemen on Saturday, Dec. 12. Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show at Forest Park, 1821 Mulberry Road, Martinsville, Virginia. The show is sponsored by Brightspeed.

Tickets are $12 in advance and $20 the day of the show.

TICKETSRSVP/ INVITE FRIENDS

“If hurricanes could play music, they’d sound something like North Carolina’s Tan and Sober Gentlemen… They make music that’s a mix of moonshine and rocket fuel. It’s wild and free bluegrass mated with punk rock. Incorporated with unabashed Gaelic influence, they thrive from a hammer-down style.” –Bristol Herald Courier

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Yarnival VI Music and Alternative Arts Festival set for Oct. 8-10 at Pop’s Farm

From Yarn:

YARNIVAL VI IS BACK AT POP’S FARM, 675 Hobson Road, Axton, Virginia, in an effort to continue to grow and keep getting better.  Last year was incredible – quite possibly Yarn’s greatest achievement in our nearly 20 years as a band!

At Yarnival every ticket is a VIP, we will be limiting the number of tickets we sell and continue the laidback vibe that has made our past Yarnival’s so welcoming, friendly and comfortable. 

PLEASE AS ALWAYS BUY YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE AT THIS LINK: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yarnival-vi-tickets-1983368792449?msockid=2ba7a2ddf68b6ecf25e5b43ff28b6a90

We will continue to feature whatever kind of music we feel like alongside our feature of alternative forms of entertainment, i.e. magic, carnival arts, circus performers, etc… You won’t be seeing any super “big names” at our festival but you will be seeing talent that is equal to or even greater than said “big names.” Most likely some will even go on to become “big names.” The difference between a band that draws a hundred people every night and 10,000 people every night is a tiny speck of dust. Albeit magic dust, but just a little dust nonetheless.

So please mark your calendars, SAVE THE DATE, and spread the word, Yarnival VI is coming back to Pop’s Farm this October 8th through 10th, and we’ll grow it until it feels just right. 

Yarnival VI Lineup

Oct 8, 2026

Oct 9, 2026

Oct 10, 2026


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2026 Hopscotch Music Festival ticket prices increase at noon on Tuesday, July 28

Experience all three days of music at Hopscotch Music Festival on Sept. 10-12, 2026, in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, from Moore Square and City Plaza to the participating club venues. Tuesday, July 28, is the last chance to secure a Three-Day GA Pass for just $129! BUY PASSES

Single-Day Passes go on sale also on Tuesday at 12pm ET! Whether you can only join the festival for just one day or have your eye on a specific day’s lineup, this is your chance.⚠️ Quantities are limited, so don’t wait if you’re planning to grab one. Whether you’re coming for one day or all three, find the ticket that fits you and we’ll see you in September. BUY PASSES

The party doesn’t stop at City Plaza and Moore Square Commons – check out which of Raleigh’s most beloved and iconic clubs are joining us for Hopscotch 2026! From intimate halls to jam-packed clubs, this is where Hopscotch comes alive. LEARN MORE

Interested in Hosting a Day Party?

Bring Hopscotch to your doorstep!Learn how Downtown Raleigh businesses can host an official Day Party during festival weekend and land a spot on our schedule.Applications close on August 21st at 11:59pm ET. LEARN MORE


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Scythian returns to North Carolina bringing its unique brand of Celtic rock to Elkin, Raleigh and Wilkesboro in March, April

The members of Scythian, a Celtic rock band known for bringing legions of MerleFest fans to their feet since 2007, may call Virginia home, but North Carolina comes in at a close second.

And their upcoming touring schedule is reflective of why the Old North State feels like coming home for the current foursome made up of brothers Alexander Fedoryka (Vocals, Fiddle, Mandolin, Harmonica) and Danylo Fedoryka (Vocals, Guitar, Accordion) along with Ethan Dean (Vocals, Upright and Electric Bass, Percussion, Guitar) and Johnny Rees (Vocals, Drums, Percussion).

The classically trained Fedorykas grew up on the Ukrainian folk music of their ancestors and bluegrass, while Dean was raised on the greats of 60’s and 70’s folk-rock. Lafayette, Louisiana native Rees brings a Cajun beat to the Celtic-Americana fusion giving Scythian yet another dimension to keep audiences entertained and moving.

Scythian had its most prolific year in 2020 with more than 1,000 hours of live streams held during the Covid lockdowns, the release of two new albums (Roots & Stones and Quaranstream: The Album) and four new music videos. But you have to catch their live show to understand why The Camel City Dispatch said of one of their Merlefest performances: “[Scythian gives] no quarter in their quest to entertain and bring a joy to their music that gives it an irony-free, wide open feel of manic possibility. The playing is technically brilliant, but it is the energy that carries the day.”

Scythian, which means “nomad” in Ukranian, has been described as fusing Celtic and Americana music with thunderous energy into what the band’s members call “immigrant rock.” Check out the following links to catch one of the band’s upcoming N.C. shows.

Learn more abou the band in a story I wrote about them that was published in The Huffington Post.

NORTH CAROLINA TOUR SPRING 2025

The Reeves Theater and Café

Friday, March 14 @ 8 p.m.

“One of our favorite places to play, and it ALWAYS sells out months before we get there, we’re BACK at the Reeves Theater! Grab your tickets ASAP because this place sells out faster than Taylor Swift Concert,” the band says on its website.

Nashville Farmer’s Market

Friday, Apr 11  FREE SHOW

4th Annual Farmers Market

PineCone Presents 2025 Down Home Concert Series: Scythian

Saturday, April 12 @ 7:30 p.m.
Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts Raleigh, NC

MerleFest 2025, Wilkesboro

Friday, April 25

Saturday, April 26

Sunday, April 27

“We couldn’t be more excited to return to MerleFest for another incredible year! There’s nothing like the energy and camaraderie of this iconic festival. Join us as we turn up the fiddles, kick up the tempo, and dive into a set that celebrates the heart and soul of MerleFest. Get ready to sing, dance, and make some new memories—see you there!”



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IBMA announces move to Chattanooga in 2025, Raleigh to host Wide Open Bluegrass Festival

The popular International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) World of Bluegrass annual conference and music festival has announced it is moving to Chattanooga, Tennessee, after a decade in downtown Raleigh thanks to a $25 million incentive from The Volunteer State after this fall.

But that doesn’t mean the Oak City is going to stop hosting a bluegrass festival. Instead, Pinecone announced last fall it would partner with the City of Raleigh to introduce the Raleigh Wide Open Bluegrass Festival, which will debut in downtown Raleigh on Oct. 3-4, 2025.

PineCone, the Raleigh music organization that has coordinated much of the free music at IBMA’s event, plans to resurrect the branding of a previous street festival with the help of the City of Raleigh, the Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau and the State Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The new name is a tribute to a 2005 Raleigh festival that was launched to bring life to downtown at the time, PineCone says.

The goal, organizers say, is that festivalgoers won’t feel like Raleigh Wide Open is a completely new festival. The plan includes a mix of performances along Fayetteville Street and other downtown areas, with sights on keeping it a primarily free event. The festival will focus on bluegrass but will also include genres like Americana, alt-country and other folk music, especially those with North Carolina ties.

For more information, visit https://pinecone.org/


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Raleigh’s The Rialto Theater to feature Amythyst Kiah, Kate Rhudy and many more in March


On Saturday, March 9, The Rialto Theater will host the Weekend Excursion.

And the following Saturday, you won’t want to miss Grammy-nominated artist Amythyst Kiah‘s star turn at The Rialto. “We’re excited to share that Kym Register of Meltdown Rodeo has been added to the bill to open,” organizers stated in an email.

Tickets are going fast for Kate Rhudy on 3/15 and the Pat McGee Band on 3/22, and you’ll want to be there when Jake Blount with Viv & Riley bring their unique style of banjo and roots music to you on 3/23.

“If you like Chatham County Line, we guarantee you’ll love Jake Blount. Check out his NPR Tiny Desk show below,” organizers said.

Tickets for all of these shows and more are available at TheRialto.com. 


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Check out The Martha Bassett Show live from the historic Reeves Theater in Elkin, North Carolina

The Martha Bassett Show is recorded live at the historic Reeves Theater, in downtown Elkin, North Carolina, and blends the fabric of the national roots and Americana scene with the rich artistry, history and flair of North Carolina’s Piedmont region.

Helmed by one of the state’s most distinguished musicians, the live show features national artists, fresh local faces and the music of Martha Bassett. Each show is a collaboration in song and conversation between Bassett, her band and the guests.

Each performance is recorded, live-streamed and edited into a weekly one-hour broadcast on 88.5 WFDD and other NPR stations. You can also listen to the show as a podcast.

This week’s The Martha Bassett Show will be performed on Thursday, Feb. 1, and will feature Maia Kamil, native son and co-founder of Time Sawyer Sam Tayloe and The Blue Ridge Girls. Tickets are available at https://www.reevestheater.com/.


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Nitty Gritty Dirt Band announces farewell tour, tickets on sale Jan. 19


After being on the road for nearly six decades, members of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band have announced they are ready to hang up their collective traveling shoes following the “All the Good Times: The Farewell Tour.”

The Grammy award-winning band known for timeless classics including “Mr. Bojangles” and “Fishin’ in the Dark” will kick off the first leg of their last traditionally scheduled gigs on March 21, 2024, according to a press release from their publicist Maria Ivey of IVPR.

If you’re in the North Carolina Triangle, you can catch them opening for Hank Williams Jr.
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek on May 17.

According to the press release, there is no need to fret, this isn’t goodbye forever, but it will be the last fans see of multi-city runs and long bus rides from the group that helmed the multi-artist “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” series featuring Mother Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Levon Helm and dozens more. 

“‘All The Good Times’ perfectly describes our career,” said the band in a statement this week. “Playing our music for Dirt Band fans all over the world has been an incredible experience for us. The most important part of that has been the connection to our audience—that beautiful communal give and take is like nothing else. That’s the very spirit we’ll be celebrating as we head into our farewell tour. We’re really looking forward to seeing you folks. Good times will be had by all!” 
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