musicreporterblog

Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass

Tag Archives: Rolling Stone


by Leave a comment

FloydFest 18 to feature Foster The People, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Old Crow Medicine Show, among many others on July 25-29 off the Blue Ridge Parkway

FloydFest 18~Wild is celebrating its 18th anniversary July 25-29, 2018, near Floyd, Virginia, and it’s offering one of the best music roots festival lineups and experiences in the South. But don’t just take my word for it. Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine readers voted FloydFest “Best Festival” and “Best Kid-Friendly Outdoor Destination” in the 2018 Best of the Blue Ridge Competition.

“We are beyond honored, and it fuels our fervor to create the best FloydFest EVER,” festival organizers said in an email.

This year’s amazing lineup includes Foster The People, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Old Crow Medicine Show, Hiss Golden Messenger, ZZ Ward, Greta Van Fleet, The Infamous Stringdusters, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Antibalas, Langhorne Slim, Nikki Lane, The Steel Wheels, Son Little, The Lil Smokies, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, No BS! Brass Band, Devon Gilfillian, Lindsay Lou,Fireside Collective, Govt Mule, Tyler Childers, Leftover Salmon and 2017 FloydFest On-the-Rise Competition winner, South Hill Banks, and runner-up, Dharma Bombs. Learn more here: http://floydfest.com/lineup/

Tickets are available now at www.floydfest.com for five days of music, magic and mountains, featuring outdoor adventure, vibrant and varied vendors, quality brews and chews, healing arts, workshops and whimsy, children’s activities and a lineup featuring more than 100 artists on eight-plus stages. Continue reading →


by 1 Comment

Caleb Caudle partners with Crossroads at SECCA for ‘Crushed Coins’ official album release party on Feb. 23, 2018

This just in from the good folks over at The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA):

The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) is proud to announce Winston-Salem, North Carolina, native Caleb Caudle will headline Crossroads @ SECCA #020 on Friday, Feb. 23, 2018. The show that is set to begin at 7 p.m. will be the official album release party for his new album, “Crushed Coins,“ on Cornelius Chapel Records.

Opening for Caudle will be Jake Xerxes Fussell. 

Tickets for the show go on sale at 3 p.m. on Dec. 13, 2017. You can read my review of Caudle’s last album release, “Carolina Ghost,” on my Huffington Post blog.

Stay tuned for an exclusive release of one of his upcoming singles from his latest album. Continue reading →


by Leave a comment

What ever happened to Jo Dee Messina? Turns out she’s doing ‘alright’

UPDATE: Why don’t you see for yourself? Jo Dee Messina is scheduled to perform July 8 at the Carolina Theatre in Durham.
I was listening to Prime Country on Sirius XM the other day and Jo Dee Messina’s “I’m Alright” came on. Hearing the familiar strains of one of the singer-songwriter’s biggest hits made me realize I hadn’t heard anything new from her in a while. I had the opportunity to interview her in 2000 when she was on top of the country charts and her career. Las Vegas-philes may recall that she was the first country star to perform in the Aladdin Theatre on the Strip after the popular concert venue reopened in 2000.  Turns out, according to a recent interview with Rolling Stone Country, Messina is back to doing alright after a few bumps in the road. After breaking off the engagement mentioned in my following interview and her relationship with Curb Records, she married businessman Chris Deffenbaugh, with whom she has two young children. She also released a new album last year, “Me,” which was primarily fan-funded through Kickstarter. You’ll find her current tour schedule here. Give a listen to “A Woman’s Rant” and you’ll see that she’s still writing clever lyrics, she’s still sassy and she’s still doing “alright.”

Continue reading →