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Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass


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RockyGrass 2025 lineup includes The Infamous Stringdusters, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Sam Bush, Del McCoury Band, Rhonda Vincent, Mason Via, and many more

The 53rd annual RockyGrass Festival 2025 is set for July 25-27. Very limited tickets and camping are still available! Located in Lyons, Colorado, RockyGrass is traditional bluegrass at its finest. Red rock cliffs and ottonwoods peer down over the property as the North St. Vrain River flows through the festival grounds just feet from the main stage.

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Volunteers are still needed! Join the awesome community of volunteers! Work three shifts in exchange for your Festival pass. 

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Sam Bush, Rhonda Vincent, Steep Canyon Rangers, Chatham County Line, Amythyst Kiah, and many more to perform at 2024 IBMA Festival Main Stage on Sept. 27-28

During the two-day festival, the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) and Pinecone bring some of the best in bluegrass music across downtown Raleigh, from the Main Stage at the Red Hat Amphitheater to six street stages on and around Fayetteville Street on Sept. 27-28, 2024.

The 2024 lineup features:

FRIDAY
Sierra Ferrell, Sam Bush, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, Crying Uncle

SATURDAY
Steep Canyon Rangers (with special guests Chatham County Line), Sierra Hull, Amythyst Kiah, Danny Paisley

In addition to the Red Hat Amphitheater, there are six more stages at IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC. Performers on those stages include:
Balsam Range; Barefoot Movement; Broken Compass; Compton & Newberry; Chris Jones & the Night Drivers; Country Current (US Navy Band); Dewey & Leslie Brown; Earl White String Band; Evans, Smith & May, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen; From China to Appalachia (Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Chao Tian); Golden Shoals, The Gospel Jubilators; The Gravy Boys; Hank, Pattie & the Current; Henhouse Prowlers; Jacob Jolliff Band; Jake Blount; Jake Leg; Jim Lauderdale; Junior Appalachian Musicians; Kaia Kater; Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands; Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road; New Dangerfield; Nixon; Blevins & Gage; Raised in Raleigh All Star Jam; Sister Sadie; Songs From the Road Band; The Tan & Sober Gentlemen; Tray Wellington Band; Union Grove Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention 100th Anniversary; Unspoken Tradition; The Williamson Brothers; Wyatt Ellis; and more!

IAs in years past, events during IBMA World of Bluegrass will take place at the Raleigh Convention Center, the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, the Red Hat Amphitheater and at various venues in town.

“This is our favorite time of year. I just love seeing everyone coming down to Raleigh with guitars and banjos slung over their shoulders,” said David Brower, festival producer and executive director of PineCone, in a press release. “In addition to all the bands playing the big stages, there’s also something special for the everyday pickers. We’re dedicating a stage to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Union Grove Old Time Fiddlers Convention. We’ll have contests for fiddlers, banjo, mandolin and guitar players, plus a great big square dance to cap off the afternoon each day. Lifting up North Carolina’s musical traditions is something we’ve been proud to do with the festival over the last decade.”

For the 12th year, PNC Bank returns as the presenting sponsor of IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC. “Since helping bring this festival to Raleigh during the early days of PNC’s local growth story, all of us at PNC have been committed to making this event a success for visitors, residents and local businesses,” said Jim Hansen, PNC regional president for Eastern Carolinas, in a release. “We look forward to this year’s event, the community togetherness it will foster and the economic impact it will create.”

IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC is part of the five-day IBMA World of Bluegrass event, billed “The Most Important Week in Bluegrass,” which also includes the IBMA Business Conference, the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble showcase series and the 35th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, Sept. 24-28.

Tickets and hotel reservations will open for IBMA members May 8 and to the general public May 15. More information is available at the IBMA World of Bluegrass website, worldofbluegrass.org.

ABOUT IBMA

IBMA 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. IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC, featuring the best of the best in bluegrass today, helps benefit the IBMA Trust Fund—a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that assists bluegrass professionals during financial emergencies—and introduces the music to thousands of new fans every year.

ABOUT PINECONE

PineCone is the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music. It is a Raleigh-based nonprofit that serves as the official local host and festival producer for IBMA’s World of Bluegrass. It was founded in 1984 by a group of friends looking to preserve, present and promote music and dance that’s rooted in the Piedmont. PineCone hosts year-round events that highlight rich and diverse musical traditions that’ve been passed down informally for generations. There’s more about PineCone’s concerts, jam sessions, workshops, camps, youth programs and weekly radio show at pinecone.org.


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ROMP single-day tickets on sale

From the good folks over at ROMP fest set for June 26-29 in Owensboro, Kentucky:
“We’re thrilled to release the daily lineup!  Single day tickets are on sale now, and discounted prices last until Sunday night.
“Headliners Trampled by Turtles, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, and Billy Strings kick off the main stage Thursday night, followed by The Del McCoury Band, The Wood Brothers, and The Jeff Austin Band and The Travelin’ McCourys perform the Grateful Ball on Friday.  The party rolls into Saturday with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder with special guest Patty Loveless, Sam Bush, and Steve Earle & The Dukes and many more.
“The Jagoe Homes After Party Stage gets started Wednesday night with the Glade City Rounders and Relic.  The Rumpke Mountain Boys and Wood & Wire follow up on Thursday night, with Horseshoes & Hand Grenades and Songs from the Road Band rocking the After Party stage on Friday, and Dustbowl Revival closes out ROMP Festival on Saturday night.
“Make your plans and snag single day tickets at a discounted rate through Sunday night, when prices increase.  Tickets available at:  rompfest.com!”