I am so excited to see The Midatlantic in this lineup for the first Folk ‘N’ Funk Music Festival at Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard in Raleigh! Grab your tickets starting at $15 now, as they are limited at this link.
I had the pleasure of being invited to this festival several years ago by the incomparable Kruger Brothers, who are MerleFest fan favorites for the uninitiated, and I fell in love with this festival. It’s mostly free, it’s intimate (I sat on the stage steps as Ricky Skaggs performed just a few feet away), it always has a great lineup (and this year is no exception) and it’s in a fantastic location (downtown Wilkesboro has a very Mayberry vibe). Trust me, you are going to want to add this festival to your fall music calendar!
From the good folks at Carolina in the Fall: Carolina in the Fall returns for our seventh festival in the Carolina West Community Commons in Downtown Wilkesboro, North Carolina, with our host band, The Kruger Brothers, for two days of great music, food, drink and community.
This year’s festival will be Sept. 22 and 23. Our lineup is headlined by Balsam Range, The Kruger Brothers, Woody Platt and Shannon Whitworth and John Cowan’s NewGrass Allstars. The lineup also includes Hank, Pattie & the Current, Alex Key, His & Hers, Presley Barker, Shay Martin Lovette, and returning international guests, Thurler-Mosimann Project.
We have made some significant changes to last years festival in an effort to simplify the festival experience and want to highlight those again. Here are the biggest changes to be aware of:
Carolina in the Fall is a mostly free festival. VIP tickets will be sold for reserved seating at the main stage. All seating behind the reserved and sponsor seating areas will be open and free to the public.
There will only be one stage this year. Managing four stages spread out across the downtown had become an overwhelming task and we wanted to bring the focus back to those artists who perform on our main stage each year. The Carolina Stage in the community commons is our one featured stage.
Music begins at 5 p.m. on Friday. After five years of watching our attendance, we’ve realized that most festival goers arrive after work on Friday. So, we’ve condensed our Friday lineup to begin when most folks can attend.
2023 Stage Schedule
Friday
5:00 – 5:45 – Presley Barker
6:00 – 6:45 – Alex Key
7:00 – 8:15 – Balsam Range
8:45 – 10:00 – The Kruger Brothers
Saturday
12:00 – 12:45 – Shay Martin Lovette
1:00 – 1:45 – His & Hers
2:00- 3:00 – Thurler-Mosimann Project
3:15 – 4:15 – Hank, Pattie & the Current
4:30 – 5:30 – John Cowan’s NewGrass AllStars
6:00 – 7:15 – Woody Platt & Shannon Whitworth
7:45 – 9:15 – The Kruger Brothers
Registration is also open for the 8th Annual Chad Lovette Memorial Trail Run at Cub Creek Park in Wilkesboro on Saturday, Sept. 23! Link to register below. Of course we will have our virtual option available for our friends and family who aren’t able to make it in person! We can’t wait to gather again with everyone to celebrate Chad and then head to Carolina In The Fall (Chad played at the inaugural festival). As always, all proceeds go to the American Cancer Society to contribute to the fight against cancer!
From the Town of Cary website: Come to downtown Cary and be a part of incredible evenings of entertainment through the Marvelous Music Mainstage Series. The 23nd season marks the 12th anniversary of this beloved series in the restored, historic Cary Arts Center. The series showcases a variety of emerging and nationally-acclaimed touring artists.
Amanda King has delighted audiences from New York City to San Francisco with her joyous celebration in “Ella, the Early Years.” Focusing on Ella Fitzgerald’s early career with great music and superb storytelling, Amanda is backed by a “big band” ensemble to artfully deliver a wonderful jazz concert as well as a cultural retrospective. Audiences of all ages love the swingin’ tunes from the Big Band Era as well as the anecdotes of Ella’s storied career.
Since its founding in 1994, Sones de México Ensemble has grown to be one of the country’s premier Mexican folk music ensembles with a diverse repertoire, rich in colors, textures and rhythms demonstrating that there is more to Mexican music than mariachi with a repertoire, including the regional styles of huapango, gustos, chilenas, son jarocho, and more. Sones de México has toured coast-to-coast, performing at The Getty in Los Angeles, Carnegie Hall in New York City, The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and Orchestra Hall in Chicago celebrating the riches of Mexican music, dance and culture.
Join the EMPIRE TRIO for a unique celebration of music from the Great White Way to the Big Screen. Starting with classic show tunes from beloved Broadway musical, including Les Miserables, West Side Story and Phantom of the Opera the Trio brings their own breathtaking and unique arrangements. Then the show moves west with a dazzling performance of some of the most beloved and toe-tappingly famous songs from the world of film, with songs ranging from the Wizard of Oz and Casablanca to Ghost and Titanic. The performance weaves together the stories from both backstage and behind the camera as well as the singers who performed them.
Umoja and Malcolm are the two talented violinists that make up Sons of Mystro. Their unique sound draws from an array of musical genres, from classical to R&B to hip-hop, all while incorporating their signature touch of soulful improvisation. Each concert is a perfect blend of covers and original compositions that showcase their musical prowess. With their mesmerizing arrangements, intricate harmonies, and contagious energy, Sons of Mystro is sure to sweep the audience away in an unforgettable evening.
The Tartan Terrors are their own Celtic Invasion, mixing music energy with traditional folklore, dance, and humor. With an arsenal featuring classic bagpipes and fiddle, driving drum tones, and signature guitar styles, audiences marvel as The Terrors use their sonic blitz to underscore award winning Step Dancers and internationally recognized comedic performers alike. They have performed on four different continents, in some of the most prestigious Festivals and Highland Games as well as all across North America. Join the phenomenon of the Tartan Terrors and see why Celtic Beat Magazine hails them as the heirs apparent to “Celtic mayhem.”
Appalachian Road Show is a visionary acoustic ensemble, bringing new-generation interpretations of traditional Americana, bluegrass and folk songs, as well as offering innovative original music, all presented with a common thread tied directly to the heart of the Appalachian regions of the United States. Featuring multiple Grammy winners and Grammy nominated performers, these musicians showcase both the traditions and the history of this storied region. Appalachian Road Show invites us to come and sit a spell on its porch as the band shares its dynamic musicianship through songs and stories.
Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle to host this year’s show on September 28
From the good folks at the International Bluegrass Music Association: Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle have been announced as hosts for the 34th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Show, presented by Yamaha, on Thursday, Sept. 28 during the 2023 IBMA World of Bluegrass®.
Secor is the consummate entertainer: the merry ringmaster, mischievous busker, passionate professor, modern Beat, and unassuming virtuoso, all rolled into one. Ketch is best known as the founder and frontman of Old Crow Medicine Show, a two-time GRAMMY Award-winning juggernaut whose triumphs include induction into the Grand Ole Opry and double-platinum certification for their iconic hit single “Wagon Wheel.” The scope and potency of Ketch’s work has long since spilled over to include documentaries, writing and starring in variety shows, authoring a children’s book, composing a musical, and launching a school. His myriad projects also include serving as an advisor, historical consultant, and featured speaker in Ken Burns’ acclaimed 2019 documentary Country Music. “Whether I’m in front of an audience of concert-goers or a six-year-old, whether I’m using puppets or a banjo, I’m always trying to show people that they can be mesmerized by a story, by a person, by a character,” says Ketch. “By humanity, really. By one another.”
Jubilee, releasing August 25 via ATO Records, is a companion album to Old Crow Medicine Show’s critically-acclaimed 2022 release Paint This Town and marks the band’s 25-year anniversary. The album was co-produced with Matt Ross-Spang, and features several special guests including legendary soul singer Mavis Staples, singer/songwriter Sierra Ferrell, and Old Crow co-founder Willie Watson, who records with the band for the first time in over 10 years on their recent single “Miles Away.”
Since moving to Nashville in 2015, Tuttle has continued to receive widespread accolades, most recently earning seven 2023 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards nominations: Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Guitar Player of the Year, Album of the Year (Crooked Tree), Song of the Year (“Crooked Tree”), Instrumental Group of the Year and Collaborative Recording of the Year (“From My Mountain [Calling You]” with Peter Rowan and Lindsay Lou). Additionally, Tuttle also won Best Bluegrass Album at the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards earlier this year (Crooked Tree), Album of the Year at the 2023 International Folk Music Awards, IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year in 2022, Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2018 Americana Music Awards, and IBMA Guitar Player of the Year in both 2017 and 2018.
Tuttle’s new album, City of Gold, was released last month on Nonesuch Records to critical praise. Once again produced by Tuttle and Jerry Douglas, City of Gold was inspired by Tuttle’s constant touring with Golden Highway these past few years and follows her 2022 release of Crooked Tree.
“I’m thrilled Ketch and Molly will host this year’s Awards Show,” said Paul Schiminger, Interim Executive Director of IBMA. “They are sure to make the ‘Biggest Night in Bluegrass’ a memorable and entertaining night for everyone gathered to celebrate a terrific year in bluegrass music!”
Wednesday nights could turn out to be your favorite night of the week when the “Pickin’ In The Pines” music series, presented by B93.9, returns on Aug. 30 to Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre, according to the website.
A beautiful outdoor setting in the heart of North Carolina’s Triangle regeion will set the stage for some of the region’s best talent with a country and bluegrass flare. Gates open at 5:15 and the music starts at 5:45 p.m. Tickets start at just $9.39 and picnics are allowed (no alcohol please). Kids 12 and under are free on the lawn. Buy all five concerts for just $40.
From the good folks at the Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival: Music lovers from all over the world flock to the Outer Banks for this tradition that adds a roster of acclaimed bands with one of the most beautiful venues anywhere. The Bluegrass Island Music Festival is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year, and this year’s event is no exception, with a number of regionally and internationally famous bands set to take the stage.
The festival is held in Manteo at the stunning Roanoke Island Festival Park, which overlooks miles of pristine sound waters. This unique 22-acre island becomes Bluegrass Island each year to host the event. Attendees are encouraged to purchase tickets and lodging well in advance as this event tends to fill up fast each year. If your dream vacation involves laying back in your most comfortable beach chair and listening to great music, then you’ll definitely want to set this long weekend aside for the Outer Banks most popular festival!
If you follow this blog, you know I have been a big fan of the Steep Canyon Rangers, affectionately known as just “Steep,” for a long, long time so I am excited to announce they are returning to the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh on Friday, Aug. 18, for a show with the incomparable Amythyst Kiah, whom I have also had the pleasure of hearing perform on numerous occasions. You don’t want to miss this show, trust me! For tickets, which are $30 for nonmembers, and more information, visit https://ncartmuseum.org/events.
From the Museum’s website:
The Steep Canyon Rangers are made up of Graham Sharp on banjo and vocals, Mike Guggino on mandolin/mandola and vocals, Nicky Sanders on fiddle and vocals, Mike Ashworth on drums and vocals, Barrett Smith on bass, guitar, and vocals and Aaron Burdett on guitar and vocals.
The band has been on a journey that is uniquely their own. They started in college at UNC–Chapel Hill, then dove headfirst into bluegrass in its most traditional form. Over the years they rose to the top of the bluegrass genre, headlining top festivals such as Merlefest and Grey Fox Bluegrass.
The Rangers were then discovered by Steve Martin, famous actor and banjo player, who took the band on a decade-long tour. He introduced them to hundreds of thousands of new fans and gave them prime time TV exposure. This helped SCR become the most recognizable modern name in bluegrass music.
The band has continued to tour extensively on their own and has expanded into country, jam, and Americana. The Rangers are big players in the bluegrass/country and Americana scene today. They are often compared to predecessors The Band, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and the modern Zac Brown Band.
Amythyst Kiah’s Rounder Records debut, Wary + Strange, marks the glorious combination of two vastly different worlds: the iconoclastic alt-rock that first sparked her musical passion and the roots/old-time music scene where she’s found breakout success in recent years, including recognition from Rolling Stone as “one of Americana’s great up-and-coming secrets.” With an unforgettable voice that’s both unfettered and exquisitely controlled, the Tennessee-bred singer/songwriter who identifies as an LGBT woman expands on the uncompromising artistry she most recently revealed as part of Our Native Daughters—an all-women-of-color supergroup. Their Kiah-penned standout “Black Myself” earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best American Roots Song and won Song of the Year at the 2019 Folk Alliance International Awards. In her graceful interlacing of political commentary and personal revelation, Kiah infuses “Black Myself” with a potent vulnerability that builds and deepens all throughout Wary + Strange. The transcendent quality of her newly elevated sound is an extraordinary vessel for Kiah’s songwriting: a raw yet nuanced examination of grief, alienation, and the hard-won triumph of total self-acceptance.
A new exhibit, “African American Musicians of North Carolina,” is coming to the City of Raleigh Museum! Visitors can view the materials from Aug. 4, 2023, through Oct. 29, 2023.
“African American Musicians of North Carolina” celebrates the contributions of individuals and bands to regional and popular culture. In addition to a title and introductory panel, seven panels feature various musical genres and celebrate some of our state’s most notable musicians and sounds. Genres, or musical styles, include string bands, blues, gospel, jazz, soul, funk, and hip hop. A final panel highlights N.C. Arts Council’s African American Music Trail through the state’s central coastal plain. An interactive touch screen allows users to learn more about several musicians and listen to examples of Black North Carolinians’ musical creations.
The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources created this traveling exhibit to help cultural heritage institutions statewide connect with local communities, according to the City of Raleigh’s website.
The exhibit is part of the department’s “Come Hear NC” initiative, which celebrates North Carolina’s musical traditions, artists and legacy. Learn more at www.ncarts.org/comehearnc.
The International Bluegrass Music Association announced the nominees for this year’s IBMA Industry Awards and IBMA Momentum Awards, which will be presented during the IBMA World of Bluegrass on Sept. 26-30 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The announcement was made earlier this morning on SiriusXM Bluegrass Junction.
The Momentum Awards will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. (EST) at the IBMA World of Bluegrass Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. The IBMA Industry Awards will follow on Thursday, Setp. 28, at 11 a.m. (EST), and also includes the IBMA Distinguished Achievement Awards presentations. Both awards luncheons will feature music and memorable presentations to and by this year’s recipients.
IBMA Interim Executive Director Paul Schiminger says, “The IBMA’s Industry Awards and Momentum Awards are important to recognize the exceptional contributions by those who are dedicated to furthering bluegrass music behind the scenes and those who are successful rising stars in our music. I can’t wait for the luncheons in Raleigh to honor them all. Congratulations to these nominees who are lifting bluegrass music to new heights!”
IBMA INDUSTRY AWARDS
The Industry Awards recognize outstanding work in categories including Broadcaster of the Year, Event of the Year, Graphic Designer of the Year, Liner Notes of the Year, Writer of the Year, Sound Engineer of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year.
Nominees in each category are selected by specially appointed committees made up of bluegrass music professionals who possess significant knowledge of that field. The recipient of each award is decided on by the Panel of Electors, an anonymous group of veteran bluegrass music professionals selected by the IBMA Board of Directors.
2023 IBMA INDUSTRY AWARDS NOMINEES
WRITER OF THE YEAR
Chris Jones
Craig Havighurst
Garret K. Woodward
Gary Reid
Stacy Chandler
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Becky Buller
Jon Weisberger
Rick Faris
Thomm Jutz
Tim Stafford
SOUND ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Aubrey Shamel
Brad Benge
Dewey Boyd
Key Chang
Steve Chandler
BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR
Barb Heller
Brad Kolodner
Michelle Lee
Ned Luberecki
Peter Thompson
GRAPHIC DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Eric Barie
Gina Dilg
Grace van’t Hof
Pharis & Jason Romero
Tim Kapustka
LINER NOTES OF THE YEAR
Birthright: A Black Roots Music Compendium
Written by Ted Olson
Dom Flemons – Traveling Wildfire
Written by Dom Flemons
Jake Blount – The New Faith
Written by Jake Blount
Pharis & Jason Romero – Tell ‘em You Were Gold
Written by Pharis & Jason Romero
Sam Bush – Radio John: The Songs of John Hartford
Written by Sam Bush and Jon Weisberger
EVENT OF THE YEAR
Blue Highway Fest
Big Stone Gap, Virginia
Bluegrass in La Roche
La Roche-sur-Foron, France
Doc at 100
Various locations
Durango Bluegrass Meltdown
Durango, Colorado
Pickin’ in the Pines
Flagstaff, Arizona
IBMA MOMENTUM AWARDS
The Momentum Awards recognize both musicians and bluegrass industry professionals who, in the early stages of their careers, are making significant contributions to or are having a significant influence upon bluegrass music. These contributions can be to bluegrass music in general, or to a specific sector of the industry. The Mentor Award, in contrast to the other Momentum Awards, recognizes a bluegrass professional who has made a significant impact on the lives and careers of newcomers to the bluegrass industry.
Nominees are chosen through a multi-stage process by committees made up of respected musicians and industry leaders in the bluegrass world.
2023 IBMA MOMENTUM AWARDS NOMINEES
MOMENTUM BAND OF THE YEAR
Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band
The Fretliners
Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra
Never Come Down
MENTOR OF THE YEAR
Austin Scelzo
Dan Boner
Louisa Branscomb
Ruth McLain Smith
Scott Napier
INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Daniel Mullins
Katie Kirchner
Maggie Rainwater
Matt Hutchinson
Mike Kaiz
INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Anthony Howell
Alex Genova
Gavin Largent
Jake Eddy
Josiah Nelson
Maddie Dalton
Michael Prewitt
VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Carley Arrowood
Crystal Lariza
Nick Dumas
Starlett Austin
Tianna Lefebvre
IBMA World of Bluegrass is the most important week in bluegrass! The week encompasses four events: the IBMA Business Conference, September 26-28; the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases taking place September 26-28 in downtown Raleigh and at the Raleigh Convention Center; the 34th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards scheduled for Thursday evening, September 28, and IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC, September 29-30, a two-day festival. IBMA Bluegrass Live! features the best of the best in bluegrass today, benefiting the IBMA Trust Fund—a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that assists bluegrass professionals during financial emergencies—and introducing the music to thousands of new fans every year. Tickets are now on sale for all IBMA World of Bluegrass events; visit worldofbluegrass.org for details.
About IBMA
IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the non-profit music association that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals and enthusiasts, honoring tradition and encouraging innovation in the bluegrass community worldwide.
Gears and Guitars is back in 2023 for its 10th year! One of the country’s most prestigious cycling events combined with live music for a weekend of exciting racing, local riding and a full weekend of FREE live music from big name bands. Watch the recap of last year’s Gears and Guitars.
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