Don’t Miss Out: Lovin’ Life Music Fest Fan Appreciation Sale Ends March 21 at Midnight!
Lovin’ Life Music Fest set for May 2-4 in Charlotte is just around the corner and tickets are in high demand.
The festival’s annual Fan Appreciation Sale is coming to an end on March 21 at midnight. This is your last chance to grab tickets before the next pricing tier kicks in.
SKIP THE LINES AT WILL CALL – get your tickets purchased by March 28 to make sure you get your wristbands (aka entry into the festival) shipped directly to you! All current payment plan holders must be paid in full by March 28 to get their wristbands shipped to them.
Don’t wait – tell your friends and grab your three-day or single-day tickets now!
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Country music legend Moe Bandy honors George Jones for the 45th anniversary of “He Stopped Loving Her Today” by releasing his version as the latest single from his upcoming album, “Songs I Missed.”
Written by Bobby Braddock and Curley Putman, the song became a No. 1 hit for Jones in 1980 and was ranked among Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” The single premiered on Feb. 28 on the Dillon Weldon & Drifting Cowboy Podcast and is now available on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Spotify.
Produced by Jimmy Capps, “Songs I Missed” is a collection of Bandy’s renditions of timeless country classics and will be released on May 2, 2025, via StarVista Music.
“Every country singer, if they’re being completely honest, would probably admit they wish they had recorded ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today,’” said Bandy in a press release. “That being said, no one could have delivered it the way George Jones did. The heart and emotion he poured into every note made it truly his own. We can all wish, but that song found its rightful owner. I loved George and wanted to honor him with this tribute.”
One of America’s all-time leading classic country music artists, Bandy’s long string of hits includes “Bandy The Rodeo Clown,” “Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life,” “Till I’m Too Old To Die Young,” “Americana,” “It’s A Cheatin’ Situation,” “Just Good Ol’ Boys,” “Barstool Mountain,” “I Cheated Me Right Out of You,” “I Just Started Hatin’ Cheatin’ Songs Today,” “Rodeo Romeo,” “You Haven’t Heard the Last of Me,” “Holding The Bag” and dozens of other chart-toppers.
Whether writing, recording new songs, or traveling the world performing, Moe has one of the busiest schedules in show business. He has amassed 10 #1 hits, 40 Top Ten hits, and 5 Gold Albums. He has also won the ACM Song of the Year award, the ACM Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year award, the American Video of the Year award, and the ACM and CMA Duet of the Year awards.
Fans can catch up with Bandy on tour in the coming weeks:
MAR 06 – Grand Ole Opry / Nashville, Tenn. MAR 07 – The Liberty Showcase Theater / Liberty, N.C. MAR 08 – Old Dominion Barn Dance / Hopewell, Va. (with Joe Stampley) MAR 09 – Tuck’s Bar / Minor Hill, Tenn. MAR 13 – Main Street Crossing / Tomball, Texas MAR 14 – Granbury Live / Granbury, Texas MAR 15 – Brady Civic Center / Brady, Texas MAR 22 – Jackson Street Jams / Burnet, Texas APR 12 – Texas Pride / Adkins, Texas APR 26 – Smithville Jamboree / Smithville, Texas (with Joe Stampley) MAY 02 – Blackhawk Creek Grill / Whitehouse, Texas MAY 03 – Downtown San Saba / San Saba, Texas JUN 06 – The Pines Theater / Lufkin, Texas JUN 07 – 11th Street Cowboy Bar / Bandera, Texas JUL 18 – Spencer Theater / Alto, N.M. AUG 22 – Private Event / Kingsport, Tenn. OCT 09 – Clay Cooper Theater / Branson, Mo.
The Stokes County Arts Council, 500 N. Main Street, Danbury, North Carolina, is hosting Come Hear Stokes Thursday Songwriter Series hosted by Laurelyn Dossett. Tickets are $10 at the door.
The Arts Place of Stokes 502 Main St Danbury, NC 27016
Thursday March 13 – 7-9 PM- Caleb Caudle & Laurelyn Dossett Thursday April 10 7-9 PM- Anna Mertson & Josh Shelton Thursday May 8 7-9 PM- Alicia Bullard (Full Band Show) Thursday June 13 7-9 PM- Sarah Sophia & Jacob Harbour
WILKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA — From the good folks over at MerleFest:
MerleFest, presented by Window World, will return to Wilkes Community College the weekend of April 24-27 for its 2025 event. Known for blending incredible live music with strong community ties, MerleFest continues to hold its title as a can’t miss annual tradition for both area natives and visitors from all over the world.
This year’s festival will highlight the 10th Annual Band Competition, where eight talented finalists will compete for the opportunity to perform on MerleFest’s iconic Hillside Stage. The competition performances will take place on Saturday, April 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the winner announced at 4:30 p.m. The victorious band will then perform at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 27, on the Hillside Stage in front of thousands of attendees.
This year’s band competition will include:
A Different Thread (Chapel Hill) Admiral Radio (Columbia, South Carolina) Charlie Maples (Johnson City, Tennessee) Corrie Lynn Green (Port Republic, Virginia) Mama & The Ruckus (Asheville) Ranford Almond (Greensboro) Upstream Rebellion (Waynesville) The Well Drinkers (Charlotte)
In addition to these band competition finalists, MerleFest 2025 is proud to welcome several exciting new acts to its already-stacked lineup. Final additions include Sweet Megg, Carolina Detour, Creekwater Collective, Dear MariBella & The Pig Kickers, Ella Hennessee, Myles Gee, Pickin’ Thistles, and Wilder Flower. These performers join an outstanding roster of talent, ensuring MerleFest 2025 will be a celebration of diverse musical styles and fresh voices.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, North Carolina, will once again host a special performance by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriterTift Merritt and North Carolina Artist Thomas Sayre.
“Four Walls, Four Songs,” a sound response to Thomas Sayre’s “Four Walls,” returns to Cameron Art Museum for a reprise at 7 p.m. The performance explores the burned, brushed, rusted and razed layers of Sayre’s visual work. Merritt’s multi-movement piece uses voice, piano, and guitar while drawing us deeper into the elemental artworks on display in Sayre’s “Four Walls.” Drawing from a deep friendship and creative dialogue between the two artists, Merritt crafts a sound exploration that resonates with the materials, visuals, and questions posed by Sayre’s monumental piece.
The first showing of this performance in September 2024 sold out completely, with one attendee describing it as “a remarkable multi-sensory exhibit that pushed the bounds of the typical gallery/museum experience.”
Tickets for CAM Members are $75; not-yet members $100.
You heard it here folks: North Carolina native Mason Via’s latest single and music video are destined to be hits. I dare you not to tap your fingers and your toes once you start listening to the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter’s “There Goes Another One,” released by Mountain Fever Group.
Via returned home to the foothills of his native state for his newest music video, in which he asked FOX8’s Chad Tucker to play the high sheriff, a nod to the classic “Smokie and the Bandit.”
A Stokes County native, Via has performed on some of the biggest stages and recently stepped away from the legendary group “Old Crow Medicine Show” to go out on his own.
His recently self-titled album captures Via’s unique musical style, songwriting and voice.
MerleFest, presented by Window World, will make its return to Wilkes Community College the weekend of April 24-27, 2025, continuing its tradition of blending incredible music with a deep commitment to its community.
This year’s festival will once again showcase four days of unforgettable performances, while honoring the rich legacy of Doc and Merle Watson. Fans from all over will gather once more in the scenic foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains for this iconic event.
MerleFest is proud to once again welcome our Acoustic Kids Showcases with Andy May. Since 2001, the Acoustic Kids program has given young musicians of any skill level the opportunity to perform on festival stages in a supportive environment. Beginner through pro, all musicians 18 or younger are welcome to participate and share their music with the MerleFest audience. Each year, we host three 1.5-hour showcases and a half-hour Acoustic Kids Ambassadors set. Pre-registration is required to participate in Acoustic Kids and is open from February 1 through March 15 (or until all showcases are full, whichever comes first). Register earlyto hold your spot! Online registration, showcase schedules, and FAQs are available at https://andymay.com/acoustic-kids/acoustic-kids-merlefest/, and detailed registration instructions are at https://andymay.com/acoustic-kids/registration-instructions/.
School Day and Outreach – MerleFest School Day hosts students and their teachers from area middle and high schools on Friday to enjoy the festival free of charge. Over 2,300 school children from Wilkes and surrounding counties attend MerleFest annually through the MerleFest School Day program. In addition to welcoming students to MerleFest, the MerleFest Outreach program brings MerleFest to the students. The MerleFest Outreach program enhances regional education by showcasing performances from festival artists in 17 public elementary and middle schools, giving many students who may otherwise not be able to attend a face-to-face encounter with the artists and their craft. This program reaches 5,900 students annually.
The WCC Foundation is pleased to announce that we’ve added a new twist to our Silent Auction! This year’s Silent Auction offers mobile bidding so that festival guests and supporters can view items and place bids even before the festival begins. During the festival, you will be able to place bids from the comfort of your seats. Stay tuned for more details at merlefest.org/silent-auction.
MerleFest volunteer applications are now open. As a volunteer, participants will receive free entry to the festival for the entire day of their shift, free parking and shuttle, and 10% off camping at River’s Edge Campground. Most importantly, volunteers will be supporting a major fundraiser for Wilkes Community College. Please visit merlefest.org/volunteer to sign up before the April 15 deadline.
The 2025 MerleFest Mobile App, is available now for Apple and Android devices. Start planning your weekend with performance schedules, reminders, and artist discovery through the official MerleFest 2025 Spotify playlist.
About MerleFest
MerleFest, presented by Window World, was founded in 1988 as a fundraiser for the Garden of the Senses at Wilkes Community College to memorialize world-renowned flatpicker Doc Watson’s late son, Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including old-time, classic country, bluegrass, folk and gospel, and blues, and expanded to include Americana, classic rock, and many other styles. The festival hosts a diverse mix of artists on its 12 stages during the course of the multi-day event. MerleFest is the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, funding scholarships, capital projects, and other educational needs.
