What's Happening this week on The Blue Ridge Music Trails

The Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina is your guide to the tradition music of the North Carolina mountains and foothills. The mission and vision of the BRMT is "to create an environment in Western North Carolina where the rich music traditions of the region are sustained and utilized in appropriate ways to improve the lives of residents; where traditional musicians thrive and feel supported in their creative lives; where visitors and residents alike can appreciate and enjoy the richness of the music; and where youth are provided with first hand traditional music experiences that spark interest and the music of the region".

This week along the Blue Ridge Music Trails:

December 12, 2017:
Cecil Sharp Historic Photographs Exhibit
Blowing Rock Art & History Museum - Blowing Rock, NC

David Holt: Photos, Music and Stories Exhibit
The Earl Scruggs Center: Music and Stories from the American South - Shelby, NC

Music N'All at the Barn
The Barn - Eden, NC

Folk School Tuesday Night Contra and Square Dances
John C. Campbell Folk School - Brasstown, NC

Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions
ISIS Music Hall - Asheville, NC

December 13, 2017:
John Hartford Bluegrass Jam
Funkatorium - Asheville, NC

Wednesday Night Bluegrass
The Ugly Dog Pub - Highlands, NC

December 14, 2017:
Fiddle and Guitar Classes at the Historic Earl Theatre
The Earle Theatre - Mount Airy, NC

Zuma Coffee Bluegrass Jam Session
Zuma Coffee - Marshall, NC

Old Helton School Hog Stomp
Old Helton School - Lansing, NC

Thursday Night Jam at The Earle Theatre
The Earle Theatre - Mount Airy, NC

Micaville Music Concert Series 
One of a Kind Art Gallery - Burnsville, NC

Thursday Night Jam at the Silvermont Mansion
Thursday Night Jam at the Silvermont Mansion - Brevard, NC

Weekly Jam Sessions
 at the Jones House

Jones House Community Center - Boone, NC

 December 15, 2017:
Woody's Original Mountain Music
Woody's Original Mountain Music House - Marion, NC

Clay's Corner Friday Night Jam Session
Clay's Corner - Brasstown, NC

Feed &  Seed 
Feed & Seed - Fletcher, NC

December 16, 2017:
Saturday Morning Gospel Jam
Killough’s Music &  Loan - Marion, NC

Micaville Music Jam
One of a Kind Art Gallery - Burnsville, NC

WPAQ Saturday Morning Merry-Go-Round
The Earle Theatre - Mount Airy, NC

SEBA 3rd Saturday Jam
Historic Cowee School - Franklin, NC

Back Porch Old-Time Music Jam
Oconaluftee Visitor Center - Cherokee, NC

Jimmy's Pick N Grin
Jimmy's Pick N Grin - Andrews, NC

December 17, 2017:
Sunday Afternoon Jam at the Mountain Gateway Museum
Mountain Gateway Museum - Old Fort, NC

Folk School Contra &  Square Dances
John C. Campbell Folk School - Brasstown, NC

Get links and details for current 

Blue Ridge Music Trails events HERE 

 

Labor Day Weekend Events: Annual Smoky Mountain Folk Festival in Lake Junaluska NC

September 2 - 3, 2016   Annual Smoky Mountain Folk Festival   This is the 46th Annual Festival. Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center offers two nights of the finest traditional music and dance of the Southern Appalachian Region. 

The main shows begin at 6:00 PM,  both Friday and Saturday, on the grand stage of the Stuart Auditorium overlooking beautiful Lake Junaluska. 

Both nights will include a rich variety of the region's finest fiddlers, banjo players, string bands, ballad singers, buck dancers, and square dance teams as well as the marvelous sounds of dulcimer, harmonica, jew's harp, bagpipes, spoons, saws, and folk ensembles. 


Daily Schedule: 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Free Open Tent Show 6:30 – 11:00 p.m. Auditorium Stage Performance.

Tickets: Advance tickets: $12 At the door: $14 Purchase daily at the Lake Junaluska Bethea Welcome Center from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Call 828-452-2881.


 

Cashiers NC Live Concert Groovin' On The Green

August 26, 2016     Groovin' On The Green   This concert features " Rockell Scott " .  Live summer music concert with great music in a stunning venue in the beautiful weather. The summer concert series is held on Friday at 6:30 pm at the Village Commons. (Frank Allen Road – Next to the Post Office). FREE event, but tips appreciated.

Find links for lodging, restaurants and attractions on our Cashiers NC Visitor Guide 


 

Mountain Music: Live Concerts in the Mountains this Weekend

Date:       August 18, 2016
NC City:  HENDERSONVILLE
Event:     Rhythm & Brews Concert Series   Held in the Azalea Parking Lot along King Street the music starts at 5 PM with headline acts from 7 PM - 9 PM.  FREE event but seating space is limited.  Beer, wine and food will be available.

Date:       August 18 - 20, 2016
NC City:   MARION
Event:      41st Annual NC State Bluegrass Festival   Featuring dozens of bluegrass musicians.. Tickets are available at the gate or in advance by calling 706-864-7203. The event is held  "rain or shine" with performances under covered pavilion. The cafe will be serving breakfast and lunch, with hot food and other concessions also available. Bring your lawn chairs - no alcohol, smoking or pets in the performance area.

Date:      August 19, 2016
NC City:  BREVARD
Event:     Brevard Music Center Presents:  An Evening with Gillian Welch. Gillian Welch, along with partner and collaborator Dave Rawlings, blends bluegrass, Americana, and Appalachian roots music to create a singular and unforgettable sound. Produced in collaboration with Mountain Song Productions.

Date:      August 19, 2016
NC City:  CASHIERS 
Event:     Groovin' On The Green   This concert features " Julie Gribble " .  Live summer music concert with great music in a stunning venue in the beautiful weather. The summer concert series is held on Friday at 6:30 pm at the Village Commons. (Frank Allen Road – Next to the Post Office). FREE event, but tips appreciated. 

Date:      August 19 and 20, 2016
NC City:  CHEROKEE
Event:     Music on the River   Open-air musical performances by the river Friday and Saturday evenings in downtown Cherokee. Performances include rock n’ roll, blues, jazz, gospel and country, and are staged near local eateries, shopping, and downtown water features with room to dance along.

Date:      August 19, 2016
NC City:  ASHEVILLE
Event:     Downtown After Five   Free live music entertainment in downtown Asheville.  The celebration is every third Friday, May through September, with the goal of encouraging locals and visitors to enjoy downtown Asheville and support local businesses and entertainers.  The event is located on North Lexington Avenue (between Hiawassee and the I-240 overpass). Food and beer vendors will be available

Date:      August 19, 2016
NC City:  WEST JEFFERSON  
Event:     Backstreet Park Summer Concert Series in West Jefferson   Free annual summer concert series held every 3rd and 4th Friday at the Ashe County Farmers Market. The best homegrown, homemade and handmade items in the High Country can be found at the Market, open every Saturday from 8:00 AM until 2:00 PM  May through October.  

Date:      August 19, 2016
NC City:  CASHIERS 
Event:     Groovin' On The Green   This concert features " Porch 40 "   Live summer music concert with great music in a stunning venue in the beautiful weather. The summer concert series is held on Friday at 6:30 pm at the Village Commons. (Frank Allen Road – Next to the Post Office). FREE event, but tips appreciated. 

Date:      August 19 - 20, 2016
NC City:  LAKE LURE
Event:    Dirty Dancing Festival  A dance and music festival for all ages celebrating the classic American movie filmed in Lake Lure, NC. Fans can relive their favorite "Dirty Dancing" moments with a film screening, live music, dance performances and lessons, special guests, games and more. Fans from more than 24 states and two foreign countries have attended previous festivals.

Date:      August 20, 2016
NC City:  TODD
Event:     Todd's Free Summer Music Concert Series   6 - 8 PM The Tiller performs. A FREE summer music series in historic Todd, NC. The series has become a tradition in Todd over the last decade and features some of the best known musicians in the region and a range of musical genres from blues to bluegrass to country. Bring a blanket, a chair and your family and friends.

Date:      August 20, 2016
NC City:  Just north of Boone in Galax VA
Event:     Blue Ridge Music Center Concert - The Church Sisters & Larry Sigmon & Martha Spencer    The Blue Ridge Music Center Summer Concert Series is performed rain or shine. You are welcome to bring your own picnic basket (NO ALCOHOL please) and encouraged to bring a lawn chair. Phone ticket sales through BRPF Office end at Noon on Friday and are available online up to 12 hours before the concert. The Galax Smokehouse serves BBQ, sides and drinks at each concert. Check the website for details about the performers and concerts

The Church Sisters & Larry Sigmon & Martha Spencer

 Date:      August 20, 2016
NC City:  ROBBINSVILLE
Event:     An Appalachian Evening - Jeff Little Trio    This annual summer concert series offers an ever-changing schedule of bluegrass, folk and old-time mountain music by award-winning artists — quality entertainment for the entire family. Rich in cultural heritage, An Appalachian Evening continues to be a favorite with locals and visitors alike. All concerts at 7:30 pm in the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium.  

Date:      August 20, 2016
NC City:  ASHEVILLE
Event:    Shindig on the Green   Held outdoors at Pack Square Park in the heart of downtown Asheville, this FREE event  was voted the #1 Local Outdoor Concert in the Mountain Xpress "Best of WNC" survey for four years. Bring your instruments, your lawn chair or blanket, family and friends and join the fun eight summer Saturdays. Performances include Long-standing house band The Stoney Creek Boys Bluegrass and Old-Time String Bands, Big Circle Mountain Dancers, Clog Dancers, Smooth Dancers, Ballad Singers and Storytellers. If you love old time Mountain music and Bluegrass this is the place to be

  

Blue Ridge Music Center Concert - Carlene Carter & the Reed Island Rounders Tonight

July 16, 2016   Blue Ridge Music Center Concert - Carlene Carter & the Reed Island Rounders    The Blue Ridge Music Center Summer Concert Series is performed rain or shine. You are welcome to bring your own picnic basket (NO ALCOHOL please) and encouraged to bring a lawn chair. Phone ticket sales through BRPF Office end at Noon on Friday and are available online up to 12 hours before the concert. The Galax Smokehouse serves BBQ, sides and drinks at each concert. Check the website for details about the performers and concerts

Carlene Carter is the daughter of country music legends June Carter and Carl Smith. Carlene’s own career started in the late 1970s when she went to England to record her acclaimed self-titled debut album (with Graham Parker and the Rumour). She has co-written songs for Emmylou Harris (“Easy From Now On”) and The Doobie Brothers (“One Step Closer”). She came home to country in the 1990s with hits like “I Fell in Love,” “Come On Back,” “Every Little Thing,” and her own shows on VH1 and TNN. In 2014, Carlene returned even closer to home with a tribute to the timeless music of her historic family titled Carter Girl.

photos courtesy of Blue Ridge Music Center

The Reed Island Rounders are not your typical string band. Drawing from the lonesome hollers of West Virginia, the lively traditions of Kentucky’s fiddlers, Blue Ridge Mountain styles, and now the North Carolina sounds from Round Peak to the Piedmont, the Rounders weave archaic with sophisticated, soulful with foot-stomping, and romantic with down-to-earth. Since 1993, when Billy Cornette (guitar and vocals) and Betty Vornbrock (fiddle and vocals) teamed up to compete at fiddler’s conventions, the band has been sharing foot-stomping dance tunes, romantic waltzes, chilling ballads and more with audiences. Kirk Sutphin (banjo and fiddle) rounds out the band.

The Blue Ridge Music Center is located at 700 Foothills Road in Galax, VA at Milepost 213 on The Blue Ridge Parkway, Just north of Boone NC

De Temps Antan Lead a Workshop and Perform this Saturday at the Blue RIdge Music Center

September 19 at The Blue Ridge Music Center - De Temps Antan plus Paul Brown, Terri McMurray, Alice Gerrard and Kay Justice. Workshop at 3 PM, Concert begins at 4 PM.

Concertgoers are invited to arrive at 3 PM for a workshop on the fascinating history of music and dance in Quebec led by De Temps Antan. Afterward, renowned regional musicians Paul Brown, Terri McMurray, Alice Gerrard, and Kay Justice will kick off the afternoon performance with a healthy mix of old-time, folk, bluegrass, and more.

De Temps Antan, photo courtesy Blue Ridge Music Center

With fiddle, accordion, harmonica, guitar, and bouzouki, the Québécois folk music trio DeTemps Antan (Éric Beaudry, André Brunet, and Pierre-Luc Dupuis) blends boundless energy with the unmistakable joie de vivre found in traditional French-Canadian music. Their sound, anchored by the "tac-tic-a-tac" of les pieds (a form of seated clogging found only in French Canada), explores time-honored melodies from Quebec's musical past.

The group's workshop will focus on the music of Quebec, including instrumentation (fiddle, accordion, harmonica, guitar, foot percussion) and dance. Longtime members of the folk, bluegrass, and Americana music scenes, Brown, McMurray, Gerrard, and Justice will take turns performing together and in duets. Paul Brown spent years collecting and documenting traditional music in Southwest Virginia and the Round Peak region near Mount Airy, North Carolina. As a performer, record producer, and former NPR host, Brown has introduced millions to Appalachian music, and helped ensure its preservation and vitality for future generations.

Terri McMurray started playing banjo uke and banjo when she was pint-size. She cofounded the Old Hollow String Band with Riley Baugus and Kirk Sutphin, and dug into clawhammer banjo with Tommy Jarrell in North Carolina. Spanning some 50 years, Alice Gerrard's superb recordings showcase the artist's many talents: compelling, eclectic songwriting; powerful, hard-edged vocals; and instrumental mastery on rhythm guitar, banjo, and old-time fiddle. Her most recent album, Follow the Music, was nominated for a 2015 Grammy Award. West Virginia's Kay Justice is a noted singer and guitarist known for her work with Ginny Hawker in the 1990s and Gerrard and Gail Gillespie in the Southern traditional music trio, The Herald Angels.

The Blue Ridge Music Center features the award-winning, interactive Roots of American Music exhibit, open daily from 10 AM. to 5 PM, and Midday Mountain Music performances by local and regional musicians, daily from noon to 4 PM. Both activities are FREE.

While you're there, be sure to trek the trails on the grounds. The Fisher Peak Loop Trail is a moderate 2.25-mile hike and the High Meadow Trail is an easy, family-friendly 1.35-mile jaunt (one way) in and along the edge of the woods. High Meadow is also a Kids in Parks TRACK Trail which features brochures with fun activities for children and families.

The Blue Ridge Music Center is located just north of Boone NC at Milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway,  700 Foothills Road in Galax, VA. For tickets and concert information, visit blueridgemusiccenter.org or call (866) 308-2773, ext. 245.

Friday Night Live Concerts in the Mountains

Date:      July 31, 2015
NC City:  CASHIERS 
Event:     Groovin' On The Green  This concert features Dane Michael Group (Pop/Rock). Live summer music concert with great music in a stunning venue in the beautiful weather. The summer concert series is held every Friday at 6:30 pm at the Village Commons. (Frank Allen Road – Next to the Post Office). FREE event, but tips appreciated.

Date:      July 31, 2015
NC City:  SYLVA 
Events:   Concerts on the Creek -   Robertson Boys Live concerts held every Friday night between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day. The free outdoor performances take place at the Bridge Park Pavilion beside Scott Creek in downtown Sylva on Fridays from 7:30-9:30 PM. All shows are family-friendly, drawing diverse audiences comprised of locals and visitors alike.

Date:      July 31, 2015
NC City:  BREVARD
Event:     Brevard Music Center Performance:  A London Symphony  6:30 PM - Special pre-concert performances one hour before curtain, featuring BMC's students and artist faculty.  7:30 - The Brevard Concert Orchestra—led by conductor Keith Lockhart with violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley—performs Higdon’s blue cathedral, Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy, and Vaughan Williams' A London Symphony. Tickets $15 - $45.

Date:      July 31, 2015
NC City:  HENDERSONVILLE
Event:     Music on Main Street   Blind Lemon Philips / Blues, Funk & Soul The annual Music On Main Street concert series will be held every Friday evening from June through August. Music On Main Street showcases a diverse lineup of musical talents, from jazz, pop, oldies, rock, to contemporary music with room to dance. There will also be a classic car show sponsored by the Hendersonville Antique Car Club.  Bring a chair and enjoy the music from 7 PM - 9 PM. Admission is FREE.

Date:      July 31, 2015
NC City:  CHIMNEY ROCK
Event:     Beats, Burgers & Brews at the Old Rock Café at Chimney Rock State Park   Relax outdoors to the beat of bluegrass, Americana, folk, blues or other genres while enjoying a regional craft brew or glass of wine on our riverside deck. Talented local musicians and singer-songwriters liven the scene on Friday and Saturday evenings in July at this popular burger joint in Chimney Rock Village. The Old Rock Café features one of the 2014 Zagat-rated “Must-try Burgers across the Country” with Hickory Nut Gap Meats' 100% grass-fed beef burger. The full menu includes grilled sandwiches, salads and fresh-baked fruit cobbler.

Date:      July 31, 2015
NC City:  CHEROKEE
Event:    Music on the River   Enjoy open-air musical performances by the river Friday and Saturday evenings in downtown Cherokee. Performances include rock n’ roll, blues, jazz, gospel and country, and are staged near local eateries, shopping, and downtown water features with room to dance along.   Friday night:

A36 Band

A36 Band

A36 Band

A36 Band

A36 Band, Saturday night: Eastern Blue Band.  

  

Mountain Music: Firday Night Concerts in WNC CIties

July 17, 2015
NC City:  HENDERSONVILLE
Event:     Music on Main Street   Deano and the Dreamers / Oldies  The annual Music On Main Street concert series will be held every Friday evening from June through August. Music On Main Street showcases a diverse lineup of musical talents, from jazz, pop, oldies, rock, to contemporary music with room to dance. There will also be a classic car show sponsored by the Hendersonville Antique Car Club.  Bring a chair and enjoy the music from 7 PM - 9 PM. Admission is FREE.

July 17, 2015
NC City:  BREVARD
Event:     Brevard Music Center Performance: Mozart and Bruckner.  6:30 Pre-performance Talk - An informal talk one hour before curtain, conducted by a member of the artist faculty. 7:30 - The Brevard Music Center Orchestra—led by guest conductor Matthias Bamert with violinist Stefan Jackiw—performs Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4. Tickets $15 -  $45.

July 17, 2015
NC City:  WILKESBORO
Event:     Wilkesboro Open Air Market   Historic Downtown Wilkesboro's popular Open Air Market starting in April and concluding in August.  Events will feature downtown merchants, food vendors, local wineries, musicians, regional farms and produce, arts and crafts, demonstrators, as well as non-profit and civic organizations. Each Third Friday Open Air Market will be themed with live music, children's activities, contests, and more. The Regular Friday markets will happen every Friday and will feature the freshest produce and handmade crafts of the surrounding area

July 17, 2015
NC City:  ASHEVILLE
Event:     Downtown After Five   Free live music entertainment in downtown Asheville.  The celebration is every third Friday, May through September, with the goal of encouraging locals and visitors to enjoy downtown Asheville and support local businesses and entertainers.  The event is located on North Lexington Avenue (between Hiawassee and the I-240 overpass). Food and beer vendors will be available.

July 17, 2015
NC City:  SYLVA 
Events:   Concerts on the Creek -  Lisa Price Band Live concerts held every Friday night between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day. The free outdoor performances take place at the Bridge Park Pavilion beside Scott Creek in downtown Sylva on Fridays from 7:30-9:30 PM. All shows are family-friendly, drawing diverse audiences comprised of locals and visitors alike.

Date:      July 17,  18, 2015
NC City:  CHEROKEE
Event:    Music on the River   Enjoy open-air musical performances by the river Friday and Saturday evenings in downtown Cherokee. Performances include rock n’ roll, blues, jazz, gospel and country, and are staged near local eateries, shopping, and downtown water features with room to dance along. 

July 17 - 18, 2015
NC City:  CHIMNEY ROCK
Event:     Beats, Burgers & Brews at the Old Rock Café    Relax outdoors to the beat of bluegrass, Americana, folk, blues or other genres while enjoying a regional craft brew or glass of wine on our riverside deck. Talented local musicians and singer-songwriters liven the scene on Friday and Saturday evenings in July at this popular burger joint in Chimney Rock Village. The Old Rock Café features one of the 2014 Zagat-rated “Must-try Burgers across the Country” with Hickory Nut Gap Meats' 100% grass-fed beef burger. The full menu includes grilled sandwiches, salads and fresh-baked fruit cobbler.

July 17 - 18, 2015
NC City:  SPARTA
Event:    Alleghany Fiddler's Convention   Traditional mountain music that is sure to get your toes tappin’. 40 to 60 bands and over 200 individual compete each year,  The convention is located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains at the Alleghany County Fairgrounds with sites available for camping. The convention is held every year on the weekend of the third Saturday in July. Friday night: AM Superstars, Saturday night: An Evening with Elvis.

July 17 - 18, 2015
NC City:  SPRUCE PINE
Event:     Spruce Pine BBQ Championship and Bluegrass Festival  The event features a sanctioned professional BBQ competition, a wings contest, public tastings, live bluegrass music, a cornhole tournament, championship clogging teams, craft vendors, BBQ equipment and supplies vendors, local food vendors, the Spruce Pine Skedaddle 5K and Fun Run, a kids play-area. 


      

Weekend Live Concerts in the Mountains

Date:      June 25, 2015
NC City:  ASHEVILLE
Event:     Homegrown in Pritchard Park  This performance features Pierce Edens.  Free performances by local singer/songwriters each Thursday between Memorial Day and Labor Day at Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville. Held from 6 PM - 8 PM and sponsored by 98.1 The River radio station.  Get a link for details on the NC Events Calendar

Date:      June 26, 2015
NC City:  SYLVA 
Events:   Concerts on the Creek - The 96.5 House Band  Live concerts held every Friday night between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day. The free outdoor performances take place at the Bridge Park Pavilion beside Scott Creek in downtown Sylva on Fridays from 7:30-9:30 PM. All shows are family-friendly, drawing diverse audiences comprised of locals and visitors alike.  Get a link for details on the NC Events Calendar

Date:      June 26, 2015
NC City:  HENDERSONVILLE
Event:     Music on Main Street Featuring Emporium Band  The annual Music On Main Street concert series will be held every Friday evening from June through August. Music On Main Street showcases a diverse lineup of musical talents, from jazz, pop, oldies, rock, to contemporary music with room to dance. There will also be a corvette car show sponsored by the Hendersonville Antique Car Club.  Bring a chair and enjoy the music from 7 PM - 9 PM. Admission is FREE.  Get a link for details on the NC Events Calendar

Date:      June 26, 2015 
NC City:  WEST JEFFERSON  
Event:     Backstreet Park Summer Concert Series   Free summer concert series held every 3rd and 4th Friday nights from May-August, 5:30pm - 7:00pm. Bring your chair, blanket or picnic and enjoy the sounds of traditional, old time, and bluegrass music for ages.  Rain locations: the Farmer's Market or the Ashe Arts Center.   Get a link for details on the NC Events Calendar

Date:      June 26, 2015
NC City:  CASHIERS 
Event:     Groovin' On The Green  This concert features " Mangas Colorado"  (folk-rock).  Live summer music concert with great music in a stunning venue in the beautiful weather. The summer concert series is held on Friday at 6:30 pm at the Village Commons. (Frank Allen Road – Next to the Post Office). FREE event, but tips appreciated.  Get a link for details on the NC Events Calendar

Date:      June 27, 2015 
NC City:  Just north of Boone in Galax VA
Event:     Blue Ridge Music Center Concert - Còig and The Whitop Mountain Band    The Blue Ridge Music Center Summer Concert Series is performed rain or shine. You are welcome to bring your own picnic basket (NO ALCOHOL please) and encouraged to bring a lawn chair. Phone ticket sales through BRPF Office end at Noon on Friday and are available online up to 12 hours before the concert. The Galax Smokehouse serves BBQ, sides and drinks at each concert. Check the website for details about the performers and concerts.   Get a link for details on the NC Events Calendar

Date:      June 27, 2015
NC City:  ROBBINSVILLE
Event:     An Appalachian Evening - The Special Consensus    This annual summer concert series offers an ever-changing schedule of bluegrass, folk and old-time mountain music by award-winning artists — quality entertainment for the entire family. Rich in cultural heritage, An Appalachian Evening continues to be a favorite with locals and visitors alike. All concerts at 7:30 pm in the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium.   Get a link for details on the NC Events Calendar

Date:      June 28, 2015
NC City:  ASHEVILLE
Event:    Sunday Music in the Park    This week presenting Busker Performance ft. Abby the Spoon Lady and Josh Newton.  Free performances by local musicians at Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville. Held from 4  PM - 6 PM and sponsored by the Asheville Downtown Association. Get a link for details on the NC Events Calendar


 

Blue Ridge Music Center Final Concerts for 2014

October 4, 2014 at 4 PM - The Harris Brothers   and  Kitty Amaral and The Stray Cats.  The Harris Brothers are what you might call songsters. They can draw from a vast repertoire of American traditional music - "Americana" is often used to describe their style, but the Harris Brothers just call it music. Their sound is heavily influenced by traditional blues and Appalachian mountain music, jazz, country, and rock n' roll. No matter what the Harris Brothers play, be it originals or old favorites, they have a special way of making the music their own; it's stripped down, intense, and real, with no gimmicks.

Reggie and Ryan Harris were born into a musical family in the foothills of western North Carolina and have been playing and singing since they were children. For the last 17 or so odd years they have honed their skills as a duo, performing everywhere from honkytonks to popular festival stages. They most often perform with just an acoustic guitar, a bass, vocals and an old suitcase used for a kickdrum, with Reggie sometimes switching to fiddle, banjo, or electric guitar.

Kitty Amaral began fiddling at age five in Southwestern Virginia. She formed the band "Kitty & the Stray Cats" with her mentors in Old-Time Music in recent years. She has a unique collection of songs and tunes ranging from Southwestern Virginia and the Carolina Appalachians to Oklahoma, Ozarks, and beyond. The band includes; Donna Correll on bass, Kyle Dean Smith on banjo and Harrol Blevins on guitar with occasional guest artists on the mandolin. The band shares unique songs and tunes which may otherwise be lost from recent repertoire lists, as well as many favorites still popular today.

October 11 at 4 PM - The Steep Canyon Rangers  and  The New Spring Valley Boys.  You won't want to miss The Blue Ridge Music Center's 2014 Concert Season Finale with Grammy Award Winning Bluegrass Group The Steep Canyon Rangers and guests, The New Spring Valley Boys. 

Come early for a special Pre-Show Music and Mingle Artist Reception sponsored by Creek Bottom Brews of Galax. The Pre-Show Reception will be held in the breezeway of the Music Center beginning at 2 PM. Only 100 tickets will be sold for the Pre-Show Reception, so be sure to get yours early.

• Pre-Show Music Mingle Artist Reception will feature beer (provided by Galax VA's own Creek Bottom Brews), wine, and heavy hors d'oeuvres. All included with ticket purchase price. 

• Tickets for the Pre-Show Music-Mingle Artist Reception are $50 (includes a reserve seat at the concert) and are on sale now. For tickets call the offices of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation at # 866-308-2773 x 245. 

• Individual concert tickets are $20. 

• Ticket Package (Concert Ticket + Pre-Show Reception Ticket ) is $50.

• Concert tickets can be purchased through the online website box office www.BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org/10-11.htm or by calling the offices of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation at # 866-308-2773 x 245.

The Steep Canyon Rangers are an American bluegrass band from Brevard, North Carolina. In 2013 their album Nobody Knows You won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. The previous year, their 2012 collaboration with Steve Martin, Rare Bird Alert, was nominated for the same award.

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awarded Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers Entertainer of the Year in 2011. In 2008, the band received nominations from the IBMA for Album of the Year and Gospel Performance of the Year. The Steep Canyon Rangers have been nominated for the 2014 IBMA Awards, this time in the Instrumental Record Performance of the Year category, for the song "Graveyard Fields," written by mandolin player Mike Guggino, from the bands most recent album release Tell The Ones I Love. The Steep Canyon Rangers recently partnered with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and Bonesteel Films to protect Graveyard Fields, one of the Blue Ridge Parkway's most treasured spots.  

The Asheville-based bluegrass band and the film company have created a public service video to help the foundation with its fundraising efforts to complete an improvement project at Graveyard Fields, located at Parkway Milepost 418 near Asheville and Brevard, as well as other projects along the Parkway. The PSA appears online at www.brpfoundation.org/GraveyardFields.

The band's instrumental, "Graveyard Fields," accompanies scenes of the spot along the parkway. The band's mandolin player, Mike Guggino, wrote the song for the groups' latest album, Tell The Ones I Love.

The Blue Ridge Music Center is operated by The National Park Service, and the Music Center's programming is coordinated through a partnership with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.  The Music Center is located north of Boone NC at Milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, 700 Foothills Road in Galax VA.

Mountain Song Festival this weekend in Brevard

September 12-13, 2014  9th Annual Mountain Song Festival   held in the beautiful covered, open-air auditorium by the lake at Brevard Music Center. This foot-stomping, banjo-picking celebration of bluegrass and newgrass music will feature Steep Canyon Rangers, O'Brian 3 and Carolina Chocolate drops.

The event supports the Boys and Girls Club of Transylvania County and has become a premier southeastern festival drawing 5000 music lovers annually.

Get links for local information on the Brevard NC Visitor Guide. 

Mountain Spirits: Live Music at The Classic WIneSeller

February 28, 7 PM - Jay Brown, a one-man-band, performs American Roots, Blues and his own original music. Enjoy small plate fare from 5 PM to 9 PM.  $10 minimum food, drink or retail purchase per person for non-ticket evenings.

March 1, 7 PM - a concert by Jacob Johnson with acoustic guitar and vocals.

The Classic WineSeller is located at 20 Church Street in downtwon Waynesville NC. Get a link for the WineSeller and other local restaurants and entertainment on the Waynesville NC Visitor Guide. 

Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina Guide now available from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area

The Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina, a new guidebook to musical adventure in the North Carolina mountains and foothills, is now available for purchase online.  Profits from these sales will help support the work of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership.

 

CLICK HERE to Buy it Now

 

In the guidebook, noted folklorist Fred C. Fussell puts readers on the trail to discover the many sites in Western North Carolina where a unique musical legacy thrives. Organized by region and county, Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina, welcomes readers into the rich worlds of bluegrass, old-time, gospel, and string band music, as well as clogging, flatfooting, and other forms of traditional dance.

 

As a bonus, in addition to the book, you will receive a 20-track CD that is nestled inside the back cover, a sampler of the amazing music that was born and bred in our region.  Get yours today!

Last 2013 Music on the Mountain Concert in Chimney Rock

September 14   Music on the Mountain: Johnson's Crossroad, Flat Creek Stringband   Chimney Rock's 2013 concert series finale features Johnson’s Crossroad and Joe Hallock & the Flat Creek Stringband. Johnson's Crossroad  blends blues, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass and Appalachian Old Time. Enjoy a family-friendly outdoor concert in the Park from noon-3 PM The concert will be powered by the sun by Solar Powered Sound.

Mountain Song Festival at the Brevard Music Center

September 13-14   8th Annual Mountain Song Festival   held in the beautiful covered, open-air auditorium by the lake at Brevard Music Center. This foot-stomping, banjo-picking celebration of bluegrass and newgrass music will feature Steep Canyon Rangers, O'Brian 3 and Carolina Chocolate drops.

Additional performers include:

Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn
The O'Brien 3 featuring TIm & Mollie O'Brien with Rich Moore
Shawn Camp
Shannon Whitworth
Balsam Range

The event supports the Boys and Girls Club of Transylvania County and has become a premier southeastern festival drawing 5000 music lovers annually.

Get links for local visitor information and learn more about the Brevard Music Center on the Brevard NC Guide.