For tickets and more information, visit this link.
Triangle Beer Co. & WQDR present Country Brewfest 2022 in Cary on Oct. 16
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IBMA moves indoors for second time in 10 years in anticipation of Hurricane Ian
In 2015, bands of rain from Hurricane Joachin came down on Raleigh, soaking artists, vendors and attendees of bluegrass music’s biggest week and leaving organizers scrambling to move the International Bluegrass Music Association’s IBMA Bluegrass Live! festivities indoors to the relative comfort of the city’s convention center.
Fast forward seven years and IBMA’s organizers announced today all of the outdoor festivities associated with this week’s IBMA Bluegrass Live! will move indoors, due to expected rain and wind from Hurricane Ian as it approaches the western shores of Florida.
“The music will go on,” said IBMA Executive Director Pat Morris at this afternoon’s IBMA welcome reception celebrating the festival’s 10th year in North Carolina’s capital city. “We have a fantastic week lined up.”
This year, however, will be different than 2015, when the ticketed festival and the free street events were all suddenly forced into the confines of the convention center. What won’t change is several days of bluegrass tunes ringing throughout the facility — some planned in ballrooms and convention rooms, others spontaneously erupting into jam sessions filling up the facility’s not-so-hidden corners and even in hallways and on staircases.
One major difference will be the ticketed Main Stage performances, originally planned for the outdoor Red Hat Amphitheater adjacent to the convention center, will take the stage in the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. Reserved seating bought in advance will be honored. Unfortunately, fans hoping for a free general admission ticket to see headliners such as the Infamous Stringdusters, Jerry Douglas and Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway may be out of luck. Organizers are still working out details to try to make some free seating available.
On a positive note, there is still a lot of free entertainment to take in. All previously scheduled performances at the five free Street Stages are moving into the Raleigh Convention Center along with all 115 vendors including the Art Market, Shop Local and Black Friday Market. Also on tap indoors will be the beer garden, PNC Porch, jam “tents” and other activities planned for this weekend.
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said the resiliency of the organizers and the City of Raleigh is similar to that often sung about in bluegrass music as well as the genre itself, which celebrated its 75th anniversary during the height of the pandemic.
“Whether you have been here before or it’s your first time, you are in for great entertainment,” she told the crowd in the RCC ballroom. “We did this in 2015 and it turned out great, and it’s going to be great again.”
Baldwin added she hopes IBMA will return to Raleigh for another 10 years. “The best part of IBMA is you get to be part of this unique experience and community,” she said. “It’s about bringing people together.”For tickets and more information, visit https://worldofbluegrass.org.
Scythian, Arbo to perform at The Ramkat in Winston-Salem on Oct. 1
Not going to make it to the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) World of Bluegrass this weekend? Perennial IBMA performers and MerleFest fan favorite Celtic rock band Scythian is set to return to The Ramkat on Oct. 1, 2022, with special guests ARBO, a Cajun swamp rock band. Doors open at 7 p.m., show at 8.
From Scythian’s website:
“Our triumphant return to The Ramkat will be an absolute knockout party you won’t want to miss! With it being so late in the touring season, we’re looking at this as our last HURRAH in N.C. before the end of the year, which means that this will be the LAST CHANCE TO SEE US IN N.C. THIS YEAR! We also advise that you get your tickets NOW because all the seating and balcony seating is SOLD OUT! Only GA for the floor and balcony is left, so BE QUICK and we’ll see you there!”
Tickets (what are left anyway) are on sale at TheRamkat.com!
2022 N.C. State Fair Folk Festival features some of state’s top musical talent
The N.C. State Fair has a tradition of featuring some of the state’s most talented artists and this year is no exception.
For 2022, the N.C. State Fair Folk Festival has moved to Heritage Circle next to the historic church. Talented musicians from across North Carolina feature performances ranging from old-time bluegrass music to folk and Americana.
I am looking forward to hearing some of my personal favorites —
Into the Fog, Big Daddy Love, The Barefoot Movement, Violet Bell, Abigail Dowd — as well as being introduced to new talent such as Sweet Potato Pie, Russ Thompson, Jarrett Raymond and Dawn Landes, among others.
HERITAGE CIRCLE STAGE
| Thursday, October 13 | ||
| 1 p.m. 3 p.m. 5 p.m. 6:30 p.m. |  | Sweet Potato Pie All-female bluegrass band blends Americana, country, and gospel into their classic sound |
| Friday, October 14 | ||
| 10 a.m. 12 p.m. |  | Russ Thompson Folk and Americana singer-songwriter out of Greensboro |
| 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 8 p.m. |  | Big Daddy Love Winston-Salem’s purveyors of Appalachian rock, bluegrass, and psychedelic jams |
| Saturday, October 15 | ||
| 10 a.m. 12 p.m. |  | Jarrett Raymond Wilmington-based folk singer-songwriter and 1st Place winner at NC Dogwood Festival |
| 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 8 p.m. |  | Ages Past “Traditional with a twist” bluegrass from Western NC |
| Sunday, October 16 | ||
| 10 a.m. 12 p.m. |  | Chris McGinnis Sultry, salty, and deeply rooted folk music out of Morganton, NC |
| 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 8 p.m. |  | Jon Shain & F.J. Ventre Blues, jazz, and folk from these gifted Durham scene mainstays |
| Monday, October 17 | ||
| 11 a.m. 1 p.m. 3 p.m. 5 p.m. 7 p.m. |  | Sideline Pickin’ and grinnin’ on these bluegrass classics and original compositions from some of the capital city’s finest |
| Tuesday, October 18 | ||
| 11 a.m. 1 p.m. 3 p.m. 5 p.m. 7 p.m. |  | Into The Fog Adventurous genre-jumping newgrass from Raleigh-by-way-of-Wilmington |
| Wednesday, October 19 | ||
| 11 a.m. 1 p.m. 3 p.m. 5 p.m. 7 p.m. |  | The Holland Brothers Old-school country and country-blues from the Piedmont duo |
| Thursday, October 20 | ||
| 11 a.m. 1 p.m. 3 p.m. 5 p.m. 7 p.m. |  | The Barefoot Movement Americana and bluegrass quartet originating from Granville County |
| Friday, October 21 | ||
| 10 a.m. 12 p.m. |  | David & Kolby Bluegrass, gospel and country music duo from Greensboro |
| 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 8 p.m. |  | Violet Bell Delicated progressive folk duo from Chapel Hill |
| Saturday, October 22 | ||
| 10 a.m. 12 p.m. |  | Abigail Dowd Greensboro’s folk singer-songwriter known for her vivid lyrics and unique classical influenced guitar style |
| 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 8 p.m. |  | The Grassomatics Bluegrass and more out of the capital city |
| Sunday, October 23 | ||
| 10 a.m. 12 p.m. |  | Dawn Landes Folk and Americana-pop songwriting from the Chapel Hill musician |
| 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 8 p.m. |  | Carolina Line Bluegrass Bluegrass and country straight out of Southport/Oak Island, NC |
Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival set for Oct. 6-9
The Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance is a collaboration between the Shakori Hills Community Arts Center and Donna the Buffalo’s GrassRoots Festival Organization, providing a family-friendly celebration of music, dance, art and education.
The Shakori Hills Community Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Make a donation to the SHCAC! The Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival Organization is also a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. Find out more about the GrassRoots Family.
For tickets and more information, visit this link https://www.shakorihillsgrassroots.org/
A friend and fellow musician suggested the band name of “Dawn of the Buffalo,” which was misheard as “Donna the Buffalo.” The name stuck, and a couple years later in 1991, Jeb Puryear started the GrasssRoots Festival along with Donna the Buffalo, his family and everyone else that he knew.
Now almost 30 years later, Donna the Buffalo tours regularly and hosts multiple GrassRoots festivals. Their devoted fans, The Herd, are a self-organized “tribe” of people who met at the group’s shows and travel to see them.
Carolina in the Fall Music and Food Festival returns to Wilkesboro Sept. 23-24
I call it the mini-MerleFest. After a two-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic, I’m excited to announce Carolina in the Fall Music and Food Festival, presented by Window World, is set to return on Sept. 23-24, 2022, to Wilkesboro.
Organizers say significant changes have been made for this year’s festival including a new presenting sponsor, Window World, which also sponsors MerleFest.
“We have been blessed with great local support for the festival from the very beginning and that tradition continues as Window World has taken over the role of the presenting sponsor for Carolina in the Fall”, said Dale Isom, festival organizer, on the event website. “We are very thankful for all of our sponsors over the years and their desire to provide excellent entertainment to our community”.
Additionally, this year’s festival will be held entirely in the Carolina West Wireless Community Commons in Historic Downtown Wilkesboro.
“Probably the biggest change to the festival is that it will be free to those that want to attend free”, Isom added. “We will sell a limited number of Reserved Seats to help fund the festival and the rest is free to the public”.
The goal from the very beginning was to present a free festival, said Jens Kruger, of the festival’s host band, The Kruger Brothers, who call Wilkesboro home. “It just took us a while to figure out how to do it. We are excited to offer an amazing weekend of free music to our community and those that will visit Wilkesboro.”
The festival begins on Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday’s festivities will begin at noon.
“We are very excited about the bands we have lined up for this year’s festival,” said Festival Director Michelle Isom on the website. “We have worked very hard to bring excellent talent to Wilkesboro just as we have in our previous years. As always, we focus on bringing bands from North Carolina as this festival is a celebration of our musical roots. We are thankful to have the Kruger Brothers back as our host band and this year they are bringing a very special surprise for our audiences”.
For more information and the full lineup, visit www.carolinainthefall.org.
Famous for an amazing selection of food trucks, Carolina in the Fall will be bringing some of western North Carolina’s best trucks to feed their audiences. The festival will also have a limited number of vendor tents. The festivities will include the Annual Chad Lovette Memorial Run to benefit the American Cancer Society. Festival beer and wine sales will be handled by the Wilkes Heritage Museum with all proceeds going to benefit the museum.
Carolina in the Fall Music and Food Festival is a production of Heart of Folk, LLC along with the Town of Wilkesboro and The Kruger Brothers.
Old Crow Medicine Show performs on CBS Saturday Morning on Sept. 3
If you are a frequent reader of this blog and/or attend many of the music festivals I write about, you are no stranger to the talents of Old Crow Medicine Show.
On Saturday, Sept. 3, the rest of the nation and beyond will have the chance to experience the unique musical stylings of this alternative Americana group that in the past year has headlined MerleFest, FloydFest, the Grand Old Opry, and others too numerous to mention.
The Grammy-award winning band, which recently released its seventh studio album, is set to perform in the last half of the second hour of CBS Saturday Morning. For Saturday Sessions, the band will perform “Gloryland” and “Paint This Town,” the title of their newest album.
Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival 2022 is set for May 5-8
Vist this links for tickets and more information: https://www.shakorihillsgrassroots.org.
MerleFest 2021 announces Late Night Jam hosted by Shinyribs and Music City Roots
Keeping with a longstanding tradition of MerleFest’s all-hands-on-deck late night jam, MerleFest, presented by Window World, is happy to announce their 2021 installment of the after-hours jamboree: Gulf Breeze: Songs Of The Third Coast. Co-presented by Music City Roots and hosted by the eclectic and enthralling Shinyribs, this year’s late night jam will focus on music from the broadly varied traditions along our countries third coast.
Jim Lauderdale, Hogslop String Band, Brittney Spencer, The Cleverlys, Donna the Buffalo, Peter Rowan, Los Texmaniacs, and Cordovas are slated to join Shinyribs for this momentous event. Tickets for the Gulf Breeze: Songs Of The Third Coast are available now at merlefest.org. Tickets are still available for MerleFest 2021 which will take place September 16-19 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina
“The Gulf Coast region is and continues to be a driver of American culture. When one considers the collective musical history measured from the tip of Florida’s Keys to the tip of Texas’ Rio Grande Valley – with Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana in between – the very notion fills one with awe,” says Shinyribs’ front-man Kevin Russell. “Jazz, Blues, Rock ‘n Roll, Country, Southern Rock, Soul, R&B, Swamp Pop, Reggae, Tex-Mex, Zydeco, Cajun, Swing, Gospel, Bluegrass, Rap, Hip-Hop, Psychedelia, Conjunto, Tejano, Cumbia, Cuban, Bahamian, and all manner of hybrids made from those sub-tropical, humid, salty elements form an undeniable cultural Fertile Crescent that informs and inspires our American song bag to this day. I’ve long tried to pay tribute to this vast repertoire of Americana. MerleFest’s Late Night Jam is the perfect place to do it. I can hardly wait to experience the pastiche of grooves that will be emanating from MerleFest that night.
With the late night jam as well as the entire festival, MerleFest will continue to prioritize the safety of its artists, attendees, staff, vendors and volunteers. The festival will adhere to safety protocols set by local and state governments for a safe live music environment. Stay tuned to merlefest.org for safety protocol updates.
Raleigh Magazine: MerleFest 2021 Sticks to Its Roots
Despite changes, the 33rd annual MerleFest, which starts this afternoon, promises to be one fun-filled event.
The show must go on, as they say, and so too will MerleFest 2021, taking place Sept. 16–19 this year on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro. Albeit a little different this year (as most things are these days…) the 33rd annual MerleFest will bring the high energy and exciting performances seen in years past—and promises to be worth the 2.5-hour drive from Raleigh.
MerleFest, now synonymous with its mix of traditional roots-oriented music from the Appalachian region, will feature a plethora of world-class bands and artists on its 13 stages, including Sturgill Simpson, Tedeschi Trucks, Melissa Etheridge, Mavis Staples, Margo Price, LeAnn Rimes and so many more.
Read more about the festival in my latest web exclusive for Raleigh Magazine at this link: https://raleighmag.com/2021/09/merlefest-2021-sticks-to-its-roots/
