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Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass

Tag Archives: North Carolina


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MerleFest shares full lineup for April 24-27, 2025, event adding I’m With Her, Leftover Salmon, Stephen Wilson Jr., The Steel Wheels, and many more

Announcing the return of the Late Night Jam hosted by Sam Bush with special guests Peter Rowan, Tony Trischka, Woody Platt, T. Michael Coleman, and more



From the good folks over at MerleFest:

MerleFest, presented by Window World, has added I’m With Her, Leftover Salmon, Stephen Wilson Jr., The Steel Wheels, Tami Neilson, Becky Buller, and more to its 2025 lineup. Taking place April 24-27, 2025, on the campus of Wilkes Community College, the annual celebration of founding legend, Doc Watson, will play host to both legendary names and exciting up and comers, including fast-rising honky-tonk starlet Emily Nenni, Colorado-rooted newgrass ensemble The Fretliners, blues-drenched guitar virtuoso Cristina Vane, and dozens of others. View the complete lineup below. 
Making a surprise return in 2025, the Late Night Jam hosted by Sam Bush promises an unforgettable super-set featuring “only at MerleFest” collaborations. Among those joining in on the fun will be East Nash Grass, Jack Lawrence, Joe Smothers, Peter Rowan, T. Michael Coleman, Tony Trischka, and Woody Platt, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Lindsay Craven, MerleFest Artist Relations Manager, shares, “The Late Night Jam was always a unique and fun bonus set of music where you never knew who would show up or what you might hear. We took a pause on this offering so that we could revamp and revitalize it for our fans and bring it back bigger and better than ever. Late Night Jam with Sam Bush and Friends will embody the spirit of MerleFest with unique collaborations that you can only see here and the highest quality musical performances in the roots scene.”

MerleFest 2025 is shaping up to be another outstanding celebration of music and community, honoring the timeless legacy of its founding legend, Doc Watson. Tickets for the highly anticipated Late Night Jam with Sam Bush and Friends are on sale now. Jam enthusiasts must have a Friday or equivalent wristband to purchase a late night jam ticket. Secure your spot and explore the full festival lineup at merlefest.org/purchase.

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.


MerleFest 2025 will welcome The Avett Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, The Dead South, Watchhouse, Wyatt Flores, I’m With Her, Leftover Salmon, The War And Treaty, The SteelDrivers, Sam Bush, Asleep at the Wheel, The Lil Smokies, Brent Cobb, Stephen Wilson Jr., Tony Trischka’s Earl Jam, Alison Brown, Della Mae, Thee Sinseers, The Altons, Peter Rowan, Scythian, Donna the Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, Kruger Brothers, The Steel Wheels, William Prince, The Cleverlys, TopHouse, Big Richard, John R. Miller, Emily Nenni, Woody Platt and the Bluegrass Gentlemen, John McEuen & The Circle Band, The Secret Sisters, Tami Neilson, The Waybacks, Andy May, “B” Townes, Banknotes, The Barefoot Movement, Becky Buller, Carol Mallett Rifkin, Carolina Detour, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Chao Tian From China to Appalachia, Charles Welch, Cristina Vane, Dale Ann Bradley, Damn Tall Buildings, Denitia, East Nash Grass, Fancy Hagood, Flattop, Florencia & The Feeling, Fog Holler, The Fretliners, Full Cord, Gravity Check Juggling, The Hooten Hallers, Humbird, The InterACTive Theater of Jef, Jack Lawrence, Jeff Little Trio, Joe Smothers, Josh Goforth, Ken Crouse, Laura Boosinger, The Local Boys, Mark Bumgarner, Mattie Schell, Mitch Greenhill & Mitch’s Kitchen, Muireann Bradley, Paul McDonald, Pete & Joan Wernick, Presley Barker, The Resonant Rogues, Rev. Robert Jones, Roy Book Binder, Six String Soldiers, T. Michael Coleman, Theo Lawrence, Todd Albright, Tony Williamson, Wayne Henderson, and The Wilder Flower. For artist performance dates, visit merlefest.org/lineup.

MerleFest 2025 tickets are available now. For general admission passes, as well as covered patio seating, reserved seating, camping, parking, and more, please visit merlefest.org/purchase.
For media inquiries, contact Danielle Dror (danielle@teamvictorylap.com), Karaline Bailey (karaline@teamvictorylap.com) or Sarah Wilson (sarah@teamvictorylap.com) at Victory Lap Media.
To apply for media credentials to MerleFest 2025, please click here.

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 15th deadline. 

Apply to be a MerleFest vendor! Vendors are carefully selected to provide a variety of quality and unique goods for every MerleFest fan. Included in the vendor fee is the cost of your tent, tent setup, fire extinguisher, gutters, table, chairs, lightbulb for nighttime illumination, on-campus security, as well as general admission passes for the entire festival and one on-campus parking pass. Simply put, it’s a great deal! Please visit merlefest.org/vendors to apply now before the application window closes on January 15th.

Apply to be a MerleFest food vendor! MerleFest is looking for a few select non-profit organizations to fill availability in the main food tent!  If your civic organization or local non-profit has food service experience and would like to participate, please visit merlefest.org/vendors to apply. The application window closes on January 15th.

Apply to be a food truck vendor! MerleFest will now be accepting applications for food trucks. Starting in 2025, a select number of food trucks will be placed in the shoppes at MerleFest. These vendors will be hand picked in order to bring only the best offerings and service to our fans. Please visit merlefest.org/vendors to apply now before the application window closes on January 15th.
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. New for this year, MerleFest fans will have the opportunity to take part in a 50/50 Raffle which will take place during the festival. Stay tuned for more details at merlefest.org/silent-auction.
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Old Crow Medicine Show to headline ‘Music for the Mountains’ benefit show in Raleigh on Oct. 27

From the good folks at WRAL: Ketch Secor, founder of Old Crow Medicine Show, shares his deep connection to North Carolina, where the band first found its roots and inspiration.

Though he grew up in Virginia and now lives in Tennessee, Secor says his heart is in North Carolina.

“I look to those mountains for my inspiration and my heart really,” the  founder and frontman of Old Crow Medicine Show told WRAL on Thursday, Oct. 24. “If your heart is really for the western mountains in North Carolina, it’s broken now.”

Old Crow Medicine Show started playing together more than 25 years ago and got it’s first break on the streets of Boone.

“Old Crow Medicine Show met Doc Watson, the granddaddy of all pickers on the street corner right out in front of Boone drug on King Street in Watauga County,” Secor said. “So that was sort of my encounter with the roots, with the traditional music makers of North Carolina.” 

Perhaps most well-known for the song “Wagon Wheel,” Secor wrote along with Bob Dylan’s lyrics, Old Crow garnered much inspiration from the mountains.

“The southern highlands are really the region that that that, you know, without without them, there’d be no rock and roll, there’d be no country music,” Secor said. “It’s really quite sacred to us. You know, if you love song, American song is really at at its peak, up in those jagged peaks.”

Many places that have meant so much to Secor and his bandmates were forever changed by Hurricane Helene.

“The little town of Beach Creek that we lived in in Avery County, North Carolina, has had terrible, irrevocable damage, the place where we’re supposed to play this weekend, Spruce Pine in Mitchell County, North Carolina. I mean, Mitchell County has just been devastated,” Secor said.

Secor has been on the ground in the mountains, helping deliver supplies and seeing the damage for himself. He says the recovery is just beginning.

“We need to remind folks that that the the hard work really is what’s ahead,” he said. 

He also wants you to know you can support Western North Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 28, and have fun doing it by checking out the band on stage at Red Hat Amphitheater during the Music for the Mountains benefit concert. WRAL is a proud sponsor for this event. Joining Old Crow will be Chatham County Line, B.J. Barham of American Aquarium and more.

 “I want you guys to come out there bring bring your dancing shoes and your wallets,” Secor said. 


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Tar Heel Troubadours concert series wraps up at N.C. history museum with Rissi Palmer, Miko Marks and Henhouse Prowlers on Oct. 4-5

The North Carolina Museum of History is embarking on a transformative journey that will redefine how visitors experience the state’s rich history. As part of this project, the physical museum building will close to the public on October 7 to begin an exciting makeover that will last two to three years. The Museum Shop will remain open to the public until December 29, 2024.

Don’t miss your chance to visit the museum before it closes. With two exciting concerts planned, this final weekend will punctuate the many wonderful years of programming and exhibits the museum has brought to the community. Following the museum building’s closure, Tar Heel Troubadours will experience a brief pause during this time.

Tar Heel Troubadours: Rissi Palmer & Miko Marks
From 7–9:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, there will be a performance by Rissi Palmer, who is known for her groundbreaking work in country and R&B music, coining her own genre called “Southern Soul.” She advocates for musicians of color and those marginalized in mainstream country through her radio show Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer on Apple Music Country. Palmer will be joined by Miko Marks has created a unique sound by blending country, blues, southern rock, and gospel. Her warm and soulful spirit has drawn widespread acclaim, establishing her as a catalyst for change in the country music genre.
Tar Heel Troubadours: Henhouse Prowlers
The Henhouse Prowlers will perform from 7–9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5. The group has been spreading their powerful and original music for nearly two decades. Their latest album, Lead and Iron, showcases their songwriting and intricate instrumentation. The band has also been working with the US State Department and their nonprofit, Bluegrass Ambassadors, to tour more than 25 countries, bridging cultural gaps through music and education. Their experiences in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East have shaped their worldview and influenced their approach to incorporating international elements into their traditional American music repertoire.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/news/events/tar-heel-troubadours-henhouse-prowlers


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IBMA’s 2024 Momentum Award winners include DownRiver Collective, Heather Berry Mabe, Wyatt Ellis and Gibson Davis

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) 2024 Momentum Awards, sponsored by Campbell University School of Law, were presented on Wednesday during the World of Bluegrass convention in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Jaelee Roberts served as host and Master of Ceremonies during the luncheon. A number of the band of the year nominees gave toe-tapping performances including DownRiver Collective, Jackson Hollow, Jake Leg, JigJam and The Price Sisters.

The following awards are given to artists and those in the business of bluegrass during the early years of their career. The purpose is both to recognize special talent on the way up, and to give a boost to their efforts at this crucial stage. And the winners are:

Band of the Year – DownRiver Collective, a group of Belmont University alumni out of Nashville, Tennessee

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IBMA Bluegrass Ramble artist lineup features something for every musical taste

Bluegrass is back in Raleigh beginning Tuesday with IBMA’s World of Bluegrass featuring the annual Business Conference, award shows, showcases, the Ramble, free music on stages spread across downtown on Friday and Saturday and of course, the headliners at Red Hat Amphitheatre.

Beginning Tuesday, the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Official Showcases are the premier platform for introducing talent and new music to the bluegrass community during IBMA World of Bluegrass®. Each selected showcase act will perform at least twice during the week — typically once during the IBMA Business Conference and once at an IBMA Bluegrass Ramble venue.

All emerging bluegrass bands, as well as established bands with new music or new personnel, are encouraged to apply. Thousands of bluegrass fans fill six venues throughout Downtown Raleigh over three nights to catch the newest in bluegrass music!I

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20th annual Fall Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival set for Oct. 3-6, 2024

The Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance is a collaboration between the Shakori Hills Community Arts Center and the GrassRoots Festival Organization, providing a family-friendly celebration of music, dance, art and education; a Music Lovers’ Paradise!

To purchase tickets or to learn more about the festival, visit https://www.shakorihillsgrassroots.org/


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31st Creedmoor Music Festival set for Saturday, Sept. 21


From the good folks in Creedmoor, North Carolina, which is just north of Durham:

The 31st annual Creedmoor Music Festival will be held from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on SATURDAY, SEPT. 21, 2024.

The lineup include GrassStreet, British Invaders, Soul Triii, God’s Men of Harmony, Fifth Floor, Bender Street and Sagamore.

Parking Information

Complimentary parking will be available at the Creedmoor Community Center located at 108 East Wilton Avenue.

Main Street in Creedmoor will be closed to traffic starting at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. from West Lyon Street to Park Avenue for the safety of festival attendees.

The Creedmoor Music Festival welcomes Bill Young, co-anchor of CBS 17 News This Morning and CBS 17 News at Noon, and Amber Freeman, the vibrant co-host of My Carolina on CBS 17, will be the Guest Emcees for this year’s Creedmoor Music Festival.

Young, known for his love of cars and his impressive collection of 200 neckties and 300 quirky socks, is ready to bring his unique flair to our festival stage. Visit his Facebook page and vote for your favorite tie and sock combo for him to wear on air.

Freeman, the engaging personality behind Triangle’s only daily one-hour lifestyle TV show, is bringing her lively energy to the festival. With a passion for Ranch Doritos, champagne, pickles and Prince, Freeman is set to add a fun and unique vibe to the event.

Vendor Information

Sponsorship Opportunities

No Pets Policy
While pets are welcome at several other city events throughout the year, due to the nature and location of this event, the CMF Committee established a “No Pets” policy.  We understand this policy may not be popular with some, however the committee is appreciative of the full cooperation that has been shown by attendees over the years.

Stay up-to-date with the CMF!

Potential performers, vendors, and sponsors are encouraged to register for Event News & Updates under e-Notification to ensure receipt of time-sensitive festival announcements and information.  Residents and other interested persons are also encouraged to register and stay informed of all news and happenings in Creedmoor.

For more information, contact
MusicFestival@Cityofcreedmoor.org


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Hopscotch 2024 hosts VIP parties starting Wednesday, Sept. 4

Hopscotch 2024 kicks off with a VIP party on Wednesday, Sept. 4. The VIP only schedule follows:

Wednesday, Sept. 4

Hopscotch Music Festival + The Rialto Present

The dB’s

Doors: 7:00pm | Show: 8:00pm

Hopscotch VIPs can claim up to

two (2) complimentary tickets to the show!

Click the link below and select the “General Admission – Hopscotch VIPs” ticket. Enter the email address used to purchase your Hopscotch VIP passes in all lowercase.

Remaining tickets will be available to the general public beginning Saturday 8/31 for $22 + applicable taxes and fees.

This show is at The Rialto.

THURSDAY, September 5

Where: Landmark Tavern | 117 E Hargett St

When: 4:00pm – 6:00pm

Food: Provided by Raleigh Times

Presented by: Come Hear NC, Merge Records, Dash Media

Friday, September 6

Where: Natural Science | 2409 Crabtree Blvd #126

When: 4:00pm – 6:00pm

Food: Provided by Local’s Seafood

Presented by: Levitate

SATURDAY, September 7

Where: Jimmy V’s Osteria & Bar | 420 Fayetteville St

When: 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Food: Provided by Jimmy V’s

Presented by: Parker Poe, Axios


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Rialto Theatre offering BOGO ticket sales over Labor Day Weekend 2024

The Rialto Theater in Raleigh’s Five Points neighborhood is having a BOGO sale over Labor Day Weekend that starts at 10 a.m. on Aug. 30 and ends at midnight on Sept. 2 for tickets to upcoming concerts including Joan Osborne, Cowboy Mouth, Jack the Radio, Phil Vassar, The Brothers Comatose, Jim Lauderdale and many more.

Purchase tickets at this link: https://therialto.com/events/


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Caleb Caudle & the Sweet Critters to perform album release show at Wake Forest Listening Room on Saturday, Aug. 31

If you are a fan of this blog or have been following me for awhile, you know I am a big fan of Caleb Caudle, a Stokes County, North Carolina, native whom I had the pleasure of discovering at the now, unfortunately, defunct Phuzz Phest nearly a decade ago in Winston-Salem.

Here’s what I wrote at the time for The Huffington Post:

“Caudle weaves the richness of the tobacco leaves he grew up between into the flavor of his songs. The singer-songwriter plays acoustic guitar and harmonica, rockin’ it out one minute and switching to a haunting ballad the next. Think Steve Earle pre-heroin.”

If you haven’t heard Caudle play, don’t take my word for how talented he is, go see him for yourself this holiday weekend at the Wake Forest Listening Room on Saturday, Aug. 30. Tickets are $20 and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

According to the Listening Room’s website, Caudle’s show is also the release of his sixth studio album “Sweet Critters.”

Through sometimes shadowy arrangements that creep and lurk, Caudle continues to mine both the brightest and murkiest corners of his imagination, finding that purest of points where tenderness and grit collide, inspired by musical heroes like Buddy Miller and Guy Clark, and mentors like Elizabeth Cook and John Paul White. It was White who Caudle tapped to produce Sweet Critters, along with Ben Tanner, at the duo’s Florence, Alabama studio Sun Drop Sound.

White is also performing at the Wake Forest Listening Room on Sept. 6 but the show is sold out, according to the website.

“I was very excited to work with Caleb on this record. Iʼve been a fan for Iʼve been a fan for years and count him as a friend,” White says of working with Caudle. “Heʼs a stellar songwriter, so I knew heʼd bring the goods. And he did.” The album features Allison Russell, Aoife OʼDonovan, John Paul White, and Caudleʼs own touring band.

These songs are a showcase of Caudle’s singular command of language. He sees the world through a hyperreal lens wholly unique to him, one that renders dank humidity “horsefly heat,” a moody sky “cast iron skillet” dark, or a loved one’s “wind chime of a smile.” For Caudle, details are the last frontier in a world where thousands of new songs are created every day. As such, he weaves his intricate tales of redemption, sacrifice, forgiveness, and loss with the colorful threads of living, breathing characters and all the rich idiosyncrasies and ephemera that fill out their worlds.

Caudle and his band have played Stagecoach, Cayamo, Luck Reunion, Mountain Stage, Merlefest, Americanafest, The Long Road (UK), AMAUK (UK), and recently supported Marty Stuart, Steve Earle, Hayes Carll, Elizabeth Cook, Brent Cobb, Charles Wesley Godwin, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and many more.

In other notable news, Caudle is headed to his Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville on Nov. 23! You can learn more on his website at https://www.calebcaudle.com/