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Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass

Tag Archives: Shadowgrass


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Rooster Walk 15 Music & Arts Festival announces full lineup for May 22-25, ticket prices increase Feb. 1

Joining the Lineup: Lettuce, Keller Williams, Ghost-Note, Dangermuffin, Ashes & Arrows, a stellar cast of Artists at Large, plus 15 more bands! Discounted tickets available until Feb. 1!

From the good folks at Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival:

The countdown to the 15th annual Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival is on, and organizers are thrilled to announce the final lineup, featuring funk legends Lettuce, festival icon Keller Williams, and 26 more incredible acts, officially completing the band lineup! The festival will take place May 22-25, 2025, at the scenic Pop’s Farm in Martinsville, Virginia.

Lettuce will return for their third all-time performance at Rooster Walk, following standout shows at RW12 and their headline set at RW8. Meanwhile, Keller Williams, a long-time fan favorite, will bring his unique energy to the festival for the very first time, performing a special 90-minute funk set backed by the all-star Rooster Walk House Band.

“We couldn’t be more excited about the stellar lineup we’ve put together for Rooster Walk 15,” said Johnny Buck, executive director of Rooster Walk Inc. “Lettuce has always been a crowd favorite, and to finally have Keller Williams joining us, an artist that’s been on the wish list since our very first festival. This festival is truly going to be something special.”

Along with Lettuce and Keller Williams, the festival will showcase Ghost-Note (Dallas, TX), a band that features many of Snarky Puppy’s members; they are sure to bring their jazz-funk wizardry to Rooster Walk’s late-night stages. Dangermuffin (Folly Beach, SC) will return for their fifth appearance at the festival, while Ashes & Arrows, the breakout Asheville, NC band recently featured on America’s Got Talent, will make its Rooster Walk debut.

The Artists at Large for this year’s festival are a dream team of musical talent, joining forces to create unforgettable moments throughout the weekend. The all-star cast that will bring an unprecedented level of musicianship to the Rooster Walk House Band performances includes: Ron Holloway (sax, Baltimore, MD), Jeff Sipe (drums, Black Mountain, NC), Josh Shilling (keys & vocals, Nashville, TN), Isaac Hadden (guitar / Asheville, NC) / Keyser George (guitar / Nashville, TN); Wallace Mullinax (guitar/ Charleston, SC); Florencia Rusinol (vocals & guitar / Johnson City, TN); and Jake Dempsey (bass / Roanoke, VA).

Other additions to the lineup include: Dale and the ZDubs (reggae / Maryland); Erin & The Wildfire (R&B / Charlottesville VA); Arts Fishing Club (Americana / Appleton, Wisc.); Underground Springhouse (jamband / Athens, GA); Mighty Joshua (reggae / Richmond, VA); Hustle Souls (soul / Asheville, N.C.); Deau Eyes (indy / Richmond, VA); Future Joy (future-funk / CO & FL); Striking Copper (roots / Wilmington, N.C.); Winyah (rock / Charleston, S.C.); Bella Moulden (indy / Buffalo, N.Y.); Woody Woodworth & The Piners (country / Richmond, VA); Rebecca Porter (country / Harrisonburg, VA); Jules & The Agreeables (rock / Loudon County, VA); and magician Hunter Rhodes (magic / Richmond, VA).

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IBMA announces lineup for free Wide Open Bluegrass Streetfest on Sept. 28-29, 2018, in downtown Raleigh, N.C.

8iuiyBluegrass fans listen up: The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s World of Bluegrass announced today an amazing lineup of more than 100 bands that will perform on seven stages set up throughout downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, and inside the Raleigh Convention Center on Sept. 25-29 as part of Wide Open Bluegrass StreetFest. Best of all for music lovers, all the performances are free!

There will also be a dance tent, local artisans, food trucks, youth performances, and the Master’s Workshop Stage inside Raleigh Convention Center.  And there’s always plenty of free jamming to stumble upon for your listening pleasure.

Among just a few of the acts I am looking forward to hearing are Cane Mill Road, Fireside Collective, Frank Solivan and the Dirty Kitchen, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Alison Brown Band, Hank, Pattie and the Current, the Kruger Brothers, Zoe & Cloyd, Town Mountain, Balsam Range, Front Country, Love Canon, ShadowGrass, Jim Lauderdale, Tim O’Brien, Dori Freeman and Flatt Lonesome.

Who are you looking most forward to seeing?

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Take advantage of IBMA’s free 2017 Streetfest music

If you don’t have a coveted ticket to the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) World of Bluegrass’s incredible lineup on the Wide Open Main Stage this year, don’t despair. There is more than enough free music to take in on Friday and Saturday as more than 100 bands perform on seven stages along Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. A number of the free acts are also playing on the main stage including Molly Tuttle, Tim O’Brien and The Kruger Brothers, just to name a few.

Performers include a broad mix of local, national and international talent. The dance tent will feature clogging performances, participatory square dances, and late-night open dancing Friday and Saturday nights. And don’t miss the Youth Music Stage – situated on the outdoor plaza at the Convention Center. Artist lineup is subject to change without notice. Continue reading →


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Nine reasons not to miss Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival over Memorial Day Weekend

Rooster Walk 9 Music and Arts Festival, set for May 25-28 near Martinsville, Virginia, is a week away, the weather forecast is offering blue skies and temps in the 70s and I’d like to suggest you forego that annual Memorial Day trip to the beach with the masses. Instead head to the verdant foothills of southwest Virginia to relax and take advantage of some amazing musical and outdoor offerings. Continue reading →


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This is no April Fool’s: Billy Strings to bring his unique talents to the Rives Theatre on Saturday, April 1

If you haven’t heard Billy Strings perform, you haven’t been to a recent Americana music festival. This uber talented 24-year-old tore up stages last year at Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival, Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion and Appaloosa Roots Music Festival, just to name a few.

Strings became a sensation in his home state while still in his teens. “He has an almost supernatural ability on guitar, banjo and mandolin that has set the region’s bluegrass and folk scene on fire,” according to a profile published in 2012 in Northern Express, a Michigan arts weekly.

He eventually moved to Nashville to further his career. Strings released a self-titled, six-song EP in 2016, which contains an eclectic and foot-stomping mix of originals and traditional songs such as “Black Mountain Rag,” also covered by Doc Watson.

Strings, né William Apostol, will demonstrate his unique brand of bluegrass at The Rives Theatre on Saturday, April 1, in uptown Martinsville, Virginia, at a Rooster Walk 9 preview show. ShadowGrass, a group of young musicians from Western North Carolina and Southwestern Virginia , will open.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 day of show. Season passes are accepted. Tickets available online HERE and available locally at Daily Grind and Rising Sun Breads in Martinsville. Music starts 8:30 p.m. with Strings taking the stage around 9:15 p.m. NCAA basketball fans take note: The Rives will also be showing the UNC/Oregon Final Four game on the upper theatre’s movie screen beginning around 8:50.

You can also catch Strings at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 31, at the Duke Energy Center in Raleigh, North Carolina,

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Must-see fresh faces at MerleFest 2017, band competition returns

From the good folks at MerleFest:

WILKESBORO, N.C. (March 14, 2017) – For 30 years, MerleFest, presented by Window World, has been known for discovering new talent in American roots music. From Old Crow Medicine Show to Gillian Welch, the Avett Brothers to Tift Merritt, many artists’ careers blossom after their breakout performances at MerleFest, where outstanding talent enthralls the festival’s many music enthusiasts. This year’s celebration, slated for April 27-30, will introduce what Steve Johnson, MerleFest artist relations manager, calls “must-see talent discoveries” made during his travels around the globe this past year. Johnson has identified 10 of these artists who will perform at MerleFest 2017.

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HoustonFest 2017 set for June 9-10 in Galax, Virginia

HoustonFest celebrates the life of young banjo picker, Houston Caldwell (more info here) with two days of stellar bluegrass, oldtime and country music artists. Held annually the second weekend in June, the 2017 festival is set for June 9-10 at Felts Park, 601 South Main St., in Galax, Virginia. The gates open at 10 a.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday.

This year’s impressive lineup includes the Earls of Leicester with Jerry Douglas, John Berry, Flatt Lonesome, the Church Sisters, Emi Sunshine, Shadowgrass and the Snyder Family Band, among many others

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Mt. Airy’s historic Earle Theatre concert series ‘Blue Ridge and Beyond’ to feature Mark O’Connor, Del McCoury, Jerry Douglas, Balsam Range

Mark O’Connor and the O’Connor Band will start off the “Blue Ridge and Beyond” series on Nov. 19 at the Historic Earle Theatre in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

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