The Earl Scruggs Music Festival is back for another unforgettable Labor Day Weekend, Aug. 29-31, 2025, at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina.
This one-of-a-kind bluegrass festival boasts a star-studded lineup of bluegrass icons, Americana greats and rising stars, including Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Del McCoury Band, Watchhouse, The Wood Brothers, The War & Treaty, and many more.
Enjoy rare artist sit-ins, insightful artist workshops and discussions, premium on-site offerings like trail rides, equestrian jumping demos, restaurants and on-site lodging, and unscripted musical moments as you celebrate Labor Day Weekend with artists you know and love, and those you have yet to discover.
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA — You may recognize singer-songwriter John McEuen as a founding member of the legendary country/bluegrass act The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which recently performed in Durham at the Carolina Theater.
Now McEuen, who left Nitty Gritty in 2017, is planning to perform at the Blue Note Grill on Thursday, Jan. 12, with the help of Les Thompson (another founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), John Cable (former NGDB member), and Matt Cartsonis. The quartet plans to perform songs from “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” the landmark platinum-selling album originally released by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 50 years ago, along with contemporary originals penned by McEuen and other storied offerings from the bluegrass/country songbook. The show will also feature archival photos and video from McEuen’s time in the NGDB, according to his publicist Matt Kelly.
McEuen has personally logged 9,500 plus concert appearances and traveled 3 million plus miles on the road both during his time as a member of NGDB and now as a solo performer. McEuen is in his 15th year of hosting his Acoustic Traveler show on Sirius/XM and is prominently featured in the Ken Burns documentary “Country Music,” which has aired on PBS. He also recently released a coffee table book showcasing 150 rare and unseen photos from the “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” writing and recording sessions to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the release. “Will the Circle Be Unbroken- The Making of a Landmark Album,” which has been featured in Bluegrass Today, Westword, and Aspen Daily News, among others.
IF YOU GO
Who: John McEuen & The Circle Band
What: Concert Performance
Where: The Blue Note Grill- 709 Washington St, Durham, NC 27701
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 20, at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds as part of the 2018 Classic Country Concert Series. The concert will be held in the Annex Theatre at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds, 421 W 27th St.
Opening for Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will be aspiring local recording artist Jukebox Rehab.
While 2017 will be remembered for many things, it turned out to be a great year for new music. Artists including Steve Earle & the Dukes, Lee Ann Womack, Chris Stapleton, Rhiannon Giddeons and Jason Isbell turned out some amazing albums over the past 12 months, but you don’t need me to tell you that.
Instead, I am going to focus on my own purely subjective list that evolves mainly from music festivals I attended, interviews I conducted and stories I published online on this blog, HalfwaySouth.com or on HuffPost that features my favorite genres (primarily folk, Americana, country, rock) and up-and-coming artists that I hope you will take the time to listen to in the coming year and beyond.
And now, in no particular order, here’s my picks for the best listens of 2017. Happy listening! Continue reading →
Founded in June 2004 by the International Bluegrass Music Museum, ROMP Festival has been celebrating the roots and branches of bluegrass ever since and this year is no exception.
Scheduled for June 21-24, 2017, in Owensboro, Kentucky, ROMP’s impressive lineup includes: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Punch Brothers, Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass, Los Lobos, Rhiannon Giddens, Yonder Mountain String Band, Jerry Douglas Band, Peter Rowan, The SteelDrivers, Pokey LaFarge, Dailey & Vincent, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, We Banjo 3, Billy Strings, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Scythian, Becky Buller, Dustbowl Revival, Kelsey Waldon, The Wooks, Driftwood, Snyder Family Band, High Fidelity, Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys and Hogslop String Band.
I am particularly excited to see Scythian, We Banjo 3, Rhiannon Giddens, The SteelDrivers and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band are on tap to be there. Would love to hear who you are interested in seeing and hearing at this festival that is sure to be a good time.
To purchase tickets visit:www.rompfest.com or call (270) 926-7891.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will release a greatest hits album featuring five decades of American music on Friday, Feb. 24. Check out this interview I did with founding member Jeff Hanna on the band’s 50th anniversary in September 2015.
I have always found it a bit ironic that one of the most iconic American bands that plays bluegrass has its roots, not in the verdant hills of Appalachia, but in the shifting sands of sunny Southern California.
Note that I said “band that plays bluegrass” rather than “bluegrass band.” Because that’s what Nitty Gritty Dirt Band leader and co-founder Jeff Hanna calls them.
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