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2 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
Year after year for three decades, MerleFest has delivered a four-day experience best sum-marized in two words: uniqueness and excellence.
Fans have every reason to expect this year’s 31st edition of MerleFest to live up to its lofty reputation, along with special onstage surprises.
“The programming this year is incredibly diverse in both musi-cal styling, origin, culture and gender,” said Steve Johnson, Mer-leFest artist relations manager.
“We have artists/bands from Australia, Canada, France, Ger-many, United Kingdom, Sweden, Ireland, Cuba and the United States on our 2018 lineup…. We couldn’t be more excited to show-case that talent on our 13 stages” spread across the campus of Wilkesboro’s Wilkes Community College.
Krugers to KristoffersonThursday kicks off with the
Kruger Brothers and follows with Kris Kristofferson, Robert Earl Keen and the Mavericks and continues through the weekend with Bela Fleck and Abigail Wash-burn, Jamey Johnson, Sam Bush, Mandolin Orange, Jerry Douglas and Tommy Emmanuel, Rhian-non Giddens, Alison Brown and the Steep Canyon Rangers with Steve Martin, just to name a few.
Late night jam sessions, band competitions, special guests onstage, impromptu dance par-ties and one-time-only musical collaborations are all a part of the fabric of MerleFest – and a testa-ment to the enduring vision of Doc Watson and the Watson family.
A key part of this vision is Doc’s love of “traditional plus” music, a term he created to describe a unique mix of music based on the traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian Mountain region, including bluegrass and old-time and expanded to include Americana, country, blues rock and “whatever other styles we were in the mood to play.”
This year, “traditional-plus”
translates to country music star Jamey Johnson rubbing shoulders with bluegrass visionary Rhian-non Giddens and folk legend Kris Kristofferson sharing the stage with the Steep Canyon Rangers and Steve Martin.
As the nation’s largest roots and Americana festival, MerleFest has room for all those who treasure musical tradition.
The complete lineup is at www.MerleFest.org/lineup and is also available on the new and improved MerleFest mobile app, with festi-val updates in real time. Updates are also on Twitter (@MerleFest) and Facebook. Use hashtag #Mer-leFest to connect with other festi-val goers on social media.
Saturday nightThe members of Town Moun-
tain and songwriter Jim Lauder-dale, all from North Carolina, will co-host the popular Midnight Jam
at WCC’s Walker Center starting at 10:30 p.m. Saturday and going well past midnight.
This year’s Midnight Jam fea-tures a special Doc Watson Trib-ute. A separate Midnight Jam ticket is required and available for four-day, three-day and Saturday ticket holders to purchase.
The Midnight Jam will also fea-ture Buddy Miller, Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, John Cowan, Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz of Mandolin Orange, Bryan Sutton and many more artists.
Town Mountain will also host the inaugural Saturday Night Barn Dance starting at 7:45 p.m. on the Dance Stage. Town Mountain’s music is described as “bluegrass spiced with country, old school rock ‘n’ roll and boogie-woogie.”
“For most of us, on either side of the stage, MerleFest kicks off the beginning of the festival season and that couldn’t be more wel-
comed at the end of a long winter,” said Town Mountain banjo picker Jesse Langlais.
“The significance of MerleFest is one that cannot be summed up in a quote or maybe even a text-book. But if you’ve been, then you know how important it is to the whole acoustic music community and beyond. There’s nothing that feels better than to take part in an event that celebrates the lives of Merle, Doc and Rosa Lee Watson, true royalty in American music,” added Langlais.
In addition to the musicMerleFest also offers special
activities and unique shopping options.
The Shoppes at MerleFest is a centrally-located shopping village with demonstrating artisans, ven-dors, convenience foods, official MerleFest memorabilia and ser-vices such as first aid, lost and
found and Internet access.Mayes Pit in Thompson Hall
and the Dance Stage both fea-ture workshops and dance instructions.
The Pickin’ Place provides musicians of all levels and genres opportunities to meet old friends and make new ones while sing-ing and playing favorite tunes together.
Beginners and yogis alike are welcome to start their day with a little Downward Facing Dog; a yoga class is offered on Friday at 9:30 a.m. on the Dance Stage.
Ken Crouse leads nature walks through the gardens and forest on the WCC campus on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Other activities include back-stage tours and a new interactive display in the MerleFest Museum.
For childrenMerleFest’s family atmosphere
and the lack of alcohol and drugs are important aspects of the event’s reputation.
MerleFest is meant to be a fun, educational experience for children. Kids can learn about roots music through listening and are given opportunities to play music through experiences like the Instrument Petting Zoo. Young musicians are provided performance opportunities in the Acoustic Kids Showcases, hosted by musician Andy May on Friday and Saturday.
The Little Pickers Stage offers great performances geared toward entertaining kids and their families.
The Little Pickers Family Area is enhanced with crafts, face-painting, games, storytelling, a large grassy play area, and the opportunity to take pictures with MerleFest’s official mascot, Flat-top the raccoon.
Many children, particularly from Wilkes County, have grown up among the MerleFest stages and return to the festival with their own kids.
Window World is the presenting sponsor of MerleFest 2018.
Expect diversity, surprises, quality at MerleFest
MERLEFEST MAINSTAYS, left to right, Bela Fleck, Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas, are back this year.
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 3
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Late night jam sessions, band competitions, special guests onstage, impromptu dances and one-time-only musical collaborations are part of the fabric of MerleFest – and a testament to the enduring vision of Doc Watson and the Watson family.
A key part of this vision is Doc’s love of “traditional plus” music, a term he created to describe a unique mix of music based on the traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian Mountain region, includ-ing bluegrass and old-time and expanded to include Americana, country, blues rock and “whatever other styles we were in the mood to play.”
This year, this spirit means that country music star Jamey Johnson will rub shoulders with bluegrass visionary Rhiannon Giddens, folk legend Kris Kristof-ferson will play the same stage as the Steep Canyon Rangers and Steve Martin.
Some of the planned collaborations and perfor-mance highlights at this year’s festival include:
Friday• 9:30 a.m. to -1:45 p.m. on the Austin Stage, Doc
and Merle Watson Performing Arts Showcase, hosted by Joe Smothers and Joe Kendrick and featuring Lillian Chase, Hubby Jenkins, Gunner & Smith, Bob Hill, Sarah Jane Scouten, Steve and Ruth Smith, Tennessee Jed Fisher and Mike Aiken Band;
• 10-10:30 a.m. on the Little Pickers Stage, Scyth-ian- “Cake For Breakfast” Kids CD Release Party with special appearance by Flattop;
• 12:30-1:15 p.m. in the Walker Center, MerleFest Memories hosted by Jeff Little with Bob Hill, Tara Nevins, Jack Lawrence, T. Michael Coleman, David Holt, Mitch Greenhill, Wayne Henderson, “B” Townes and Cliff Miller;
• 1:15-2:15 p.m. on the Creekside Stage, Pete Wer-nick’s Flexigrass Jam with David Holt, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, The Lonely Heartstring Band, Rosie & the Riveters, Presley Barker and other special guests;
• 4-4:45 p.m. on the Hillside Stage, Donna the Buf-falo with Peter Rowan and Friends;
• 5:15-6 p.m. in Mayes Pit, Stories About Travel-ing with Doc and Merle. Hosted by Joe Smothers, David Holt, T. Michael Coleman, Bob Hill and Jack Lawrence;
• 6:30-7:45 p.m. on the Hillside Stage, Friday Eve-ning Sunset Sessions: The Devil Makes Three.
Saturday• noon to 1:30 p.m. on the Creekside Stage, Memo-
ries of The Watson Family, hosted by T. Michael Coleman with Watson Family Friends;
• 11 a.m. to noon on the Watson Stage, MerleFest Veterans Jam with Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Jack Lawrence, Peter Rowan and Joe Smothers;
• 1:45-2:30 p.m. in Mayes Pit, History of MerleFest with “B” Townes;
• 2-2:45 p.m. in the Walker Center, Docabilly Blues Blowout with Mitch Greenhill and Friends featuring T. Michael Coleman, David Holt, Jeff Little, Rosie & the Riveters, Donna the Buffalo, Joel Landsberg and Jim Lauderdale;
• 2-2:45 p.m. on Creekside Stage, Mando Mania with Sam Bush, Tony Williamson, Andrew Marlin (Mandolin Orange), Bob Applebaum (String Madness), Stephen Mougin (Sam Bush Band), Tommy Norris (Barefoot Movement) and Andrew Collins (Andrew Collins Trio);
• 3-3:45 p.m. on the Hillside Stage, Reunion Jam with Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, Bryan Sutton, John Cowan and other special guests;
• 4:15-5:45 p.m. on the Hillside Stage, Hillside Album Hour with The Waybacks;
• 6:30-7:45 p.m. on the Hillside Stage, Saturday Evening Sunset Sessions: Elephant Revival.
Sunday• 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on the Traditional Stage,
Women Who Sing and Play Traditional Music with Carol Rifkin, Jeanette Queen, The BattleAxe Band, Sarah McCombie, Kim McWhirter and Sarah Ritter;
• 4-5:30 p.m. on the Watson Stage, Steep Canyon Rangers and Friends with special guest Steve Martin.
Special musical collaborations help define MerleFest
4 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
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MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 5
Diverse artist lineup is presented for 31st annual MerleFest
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Susana and Timmy Abell Friday, Saturday
Timmy is a MerleFest veteran with over 20 years on the Little Pickers Stage. He received the N.C. Arts Council Fel-lowship for Song-writing and has six family albums with multiple Par-ents’ Choice Gold and other national awards. Susana is a singer and former circus artist whose performances have been enjoyed by audiences on three continents. They have touched the lives of countless young people through their original roots-flavored songs, enchanting puppetry and genuine performance style.
Mike Aiken BandFriday
An inner sense of chivalry oozes from every story Grammy nominated Mike Aiken tells and every song he sings. Aiken has drawn tales and hope from “trail riders, aging rodeo champs, sea captains, Rastafarians, and outlaws” to craft a treasure chest of tunes. Aiken’s love for singing, songwriting and sailing took him all over the world. As an artist who comes by his stories and Grammy nomination honestly, Aiken has taken his place among well-respected Americana
and country songwriters and musicians. “Wayward Troubadour,” his seventh album, proves that point.
Alberti Flea CircusFriday, Saturday, Sunday
Part magician, part storyteller and p a r t c o m e -d i a n , J i m Alberti i s a t h i r d -genera-tion flea c i r c u s i mpr e -sario. After a career in theater, Alberti revived the flea circus that was once performed by his great-uncle and later by his grandfather. He envi-sioned bringing it to a new genera-tion that had never experienced a flea circus. Alberti took the revived flea circus on the road in the 1980s, and since then he and his troupe of fleas have captivated audiences at fairs, fes-tivals, and theme parks across the U.S. and Canada. They have been featured on CNN Headline News, CBS Evening Magazine and elsewhere.
Balsam Range and Atlanta Pops Orchestra EnsembleFriday
B a l s a m Range is one of bluegrass music’s big-gest award-w i n n e r s in recent years, with
10 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards and six critically acclaimed albums, winning 2017’s Album of the Year award for “Moun-tain Voodoo.” The band is just at home performing at the Grand Ole Opry as with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra, a combination showcased at this year’s MerleFest The Atlanta Pops Orchestra is the premier provider of live orchestra music programming for Georgia, the southeastern U.S., and beyond. It has a rich history spanning seven decades.
BanknotesThursday, Saturday
Banknotes was formed by a group of Wilkes County musicians who were friends with MerleFest co-founder Bill
Continued on Page 6
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6 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
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Young, who passed away in 1992. It includes R.G. Absher, Randy Gambill, Billy Gee, Tony Joines, Mike Palmer, Jeff Par-due, Donnie Story and Wes Tuttle, representing some of the best musical talent in Wil-kes. They’ve all been involved in MerleFest since it began in 1988 and have all performed almost every job available at MerleFest.
Barefoot MovementFriday
Centered around the vocals and songwriting of fiddler Noah Wall, the Barefoot Movement has been touring since 2009. Heralded by CMT Edge as “one of the most promising bands on the bluegrass scene,” the music remains as down to earth as their intention for members of their audience: sit back, relax, take your shoes off, and stay a while.
BattleAxe BandSaturday, Sunday
The BattleAxe Band is an old-time string band based in Upstate South Carolina. It was formed several years ago out of an “estrojam,” a monthly gather-ing of female old-time players in the Upstate. Members are Amy Buckingham on fiddle and gui-tar, Lucy Allen on guitar, Brooke Lauer on banjo and fiddle, and Nancy Hamilton on upright bass. In addition to old-time music, the band performs original songs, ones written by singer-songwrit-ers, and some gospel songs.
Terry Baucom’s Dukes of DriveSaturday
Terry Baucom, a native of Monroe, has enjoyed a career that started in 1970 with Char-lie Moore and continued over the years as a founding member of ground-breaking bands like Boone Creek, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, IIIrd Tyme Out and more. He was winner of the 2013 IBMA Recorded Event of the Year for “What’ll I Do.” Last
year’s single, “Around the Cor-ner,” finished 2016 as bluegrass radio’s most played song on the Bluegrass Today chart. The band consists of Joey Lemons from King on mandolin and vocals, Will Jones of Cana, Va., on guitar and vocals and Joe Hannabach of Pfafftown on bass.
Blind Boys of AlabamaSunday
The Blind Boys of Alabama are recognized worldwide as living legends of gospel music. The Blind Boys are known for crossing multiple musical boundaries with remarkable interpretations of everything from traditional gospel favorites to contemporary spiritual mate-rial by songwriters such as Eric Clapton, Prince and Tom Waits.
The Blind Boys of Alabama have appeared on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” “The Grammy Awards,” “60 Minutes,” “The Col-bert Report” and many other TV shows.
Roy Book BinderFriday, Saturday & Sunday
Roy has the goods: the origi-nal, the bare-knuckle, the low-down blues. Who can say they were friends with the Rev. Gary Davis and Pink Anderson and toured with Arthur Big Boy Crudup, Hot Tuna, and Bonnie Raitt? Roy can. He has the sto-ries, the licks, and the mystery of timeless music in his fingers. He’s been featured on a PBS spe-cial and interviewed by Terry Gross on “Fresh Air.”
Laura Boosinger & TheMidnight PlowboysFriday, Sunday
The Midnight Plowboys from Asheville features harmony vocals, bluegrass, fiddle tunes and traditional music of the southern mountains. Founder Brian Hunter sings classics of the early southern mountain string bands. Laura Boosinger is one of the finest vocalists in traditional music. She plays and teaches clawhammer banjo and shaped-note singing. Mike Hunter has been playing and recording mountain music for over 40 years and is one of the South’s premiere mandolin styl-ists. Emma McDowell performed
Lineupcontinued from Page 5
Continued on Page 7
Barefoot Movement
Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive
BattleAxeBand
RoyBookbinder
Laura BoosingerMidnight Plowboys
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 7
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her original material at the 2008 and 2014 IBMA Songwriter Showcases and has performed with Claire Lynch, Peter Rowan and Bobby Hicks. Robert Reeves is a superb lead singer and “stand-up” bass player.
Wesley Bright & The HoneytonesSunday
Wesley Bright & The Honeytones are a soul band from Akron, Ohio. As a vocal-ist, Bright is called a honey-voiced front-man who’s got the pipes and moves to keep the crowd going all night. Backed by The Honeytones, Bright is stepping out on his own to create a new soul sound that bridges the gap between classic soul and the modern sound. Being compared to greats like Al Green and Otis Redding, there is something really show-stopping about him.
Alison BrownSaturday, Sunday
Alison Brown has taken an unlikely path in establishing herself as one of the most critically acclaimed banjoists in the world. A former investment banker, she toured with Alison Krauss and Union Sta-tion and Michelle Shocked before form-ing her own group, The Alison Brown Quartet. She has recorded 10 critically-acclaimed solo albums, received four Grammy nominations, a Grammy award and the Banjo Player of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association.
BrynmorSaturday
Brynmor originated in 2010 after Rob-ert Gabb craved to return to his Celtic musical roots. He played in Wales and Ireland prior to moving to the U.S. in
1998. Gabb knew the instruments he needed were fiddle, tin whistle, lead gui-tar, rhythm guitar, bass and drums. Stan-ley Widener, lead guitarist, was already on board, and N.C. School of the Arts alumni Sharon Fogarty joined on whistle and flute. It’s hard to find a good Irish fiddler in this area but Gabb knew one, Rex McGee, who joined and brought his cousin, bass player Tim Hill. Drummer Slinky Cobblestone then joined.
Mark BumgarnerFriday, Saturday
Singer-songwriter Mark Bumgarner has been a fixture on the western North Carolina music scene and beyond for most of three decades. He plays a blend of roots country, bluegrass and rockin’
Lineupcontinued from Page 6
Continued on Page 8
Wesley Bright & The Honeytones
Brynmor
Alison Brown Mark Bumgarner
8 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
Continued on Page 9
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Lineupcontinued from Page 7
hillbilly blues that creates a true Southern Americana sound. His songwriting shows a sensibil-ity in touch with both the past and the present. Lyrically and musically, he draws from classic themes and tones that resonate as much today as ever. He hosts the MerleFest Band Competition and co-hosts MerleFest’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. He is the co-creator of the MerleFest Radio Hour.
Aaron BurdettFriday
Writing and creating songs is rooted somewhere deep in Bur-dett’s psyche. His lyrics are soul-touching, intelligent, witty, and poetic all at once, while his music style is a seamless blend of Amer-icana, country, blues, bluegrass, and folk-rock that cohesively cre-ates a story. Aaron is listed as one of the top 10 most impor-tant musicians of western North
Carolina by WNC Magazine.Sam BushSaturday
That rapt merging of life and art fills Bush’s new album “Storyman,” a freewheeling collection that gleefully picks and chooses from jazz, folk, blues, reggae, country swing, and bluegrass to create a jubi-lant noise only classifiable as the Sam Bush sound. Many of the songs are stories, several of them true, and the legend-ary mandolin player co-wrote every one of them with friends including Guy Clark, Emmylou Harris, Jon Randall Stewart, Jeff Black and others. The father of Newgrass and King of Telluride has long since established him-self as roots royalty, revered for both his solo and sideman work. But instead of kicking back and soaking up honors such as an Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award and a suite of Grammys and International Bluegrass Music Association trophies, Bush still strives relentlessly to create
something new. Cane Mill RoadEach day
Growing up just down the road from Doc Watson, Cane Mill Road rocks the traditional bluegrass standards they grew up on, yet boldly tackles progres-sive interpretations of Dylan, the Beatles, Gordon Lightfoot and more. The band’s traditional and progressive music walks the lines between bluegrass, old-time, Americana and folk. Audiences love Cane Mill Road’s high-energy performances, easy going rapport and mix of origi-nals and standards. Its debut album hit No. 9 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Album chart. Its new album is “Five Speed.” IBMA
selected Cane Mill Road as one of 30 bands for its 2017 confer-ence/festival as the future of bluegrass.
Cardboard Fox Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Cardboard Fox is an English progressive bluegrass four-piece with twins Charlotte and Laura Carrivick (guitar/vocals and fid-dle/vocals), the mandolin talents of Joe Tozer and John Breese on double bass and harmonies. Its original songs have catchy riffs, vocal harmonies and complex instrumental backing. Sparks fly when they let loose on fast paced instrumentals. Their live shows are full of energy and their joy in playing is infectious.
The band won the Spiral Earth best debut award with their 2014 self-titled EP and followed up on the success of that with the critically acclaimed album “Out of Mind.” The second album is set for release this spring.
Jody CarrollFriday, Saturday, Sunday
Jody Carroll is an American roots artist. His sound is an orig-inal statement, wildly blazen and gritted, with high reverence for the folk traditions. His finger-picking, slide guitar and banjo style are influenced by a range of rural players from Robert Pete Williams, King Soloman Hill
Sam Bush Cane Mill Road Cardboard Fox Jody Carroll
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 9
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and Doc Boggs to Bert Jansch, John Fahey and Pete Seeger. His album, “Get Inside This House,” was voted Best Independent Blues Release of the Year by the International Blues Foundation of Memphis.
Lillian ChaseFriday
L i l l i a n Chase, 13, learned how to make the fiddle sing at an early age a nd devel -oped an interest in traditional music. A sixth generation native of Asheville and western N.C., she plays and sings roots music and ballads in the vein of Doc Watson’s style. In 2017, Lillian received the Acadia Traditional School’s Young Artist Award, which enabled her to record her first album. Lillian often plays and sings with her younger sis-
ter, Sara Nell. Cicada RhythmFriday, Saturday
Born and raised in Georgia, this group imitates and mod-ernizes folk music to a reju-venating degree. Their sound exhibits skilled and articulate guitar picking honed in the dive bars of Atlanta over rolling Jul-liard-trained bass lines. Expect chilling harmonies, unbridled enthusiasm and some whole-some tunes.
Brandy ClarkFriday
Washington-born and bred singer/songwriter Brandy Clark released her second album,
Lineupcontinued from Page 8
Lillian Chase
Cicada Rhythm
10 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
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“Big Day in a Small Town,” in June 2016. The album debuted in the Top Ten on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and secured a place on Rolling Stone’s 45 Best Albums of 2016 So Far and 25 Best Country & Americana Albums of 2016 So Far lists. Clark’s successful 2017 included an intimate acoustic tour with Charlie Worsham and the release of “Big Day in a Small Town” outtake “You’re Drunk,” which Rolling Stone praised as a “reggae-tinged,” “hilariously hopped-up” track with a “saucy storyline.”
T. Michael Coleman BandFriday, Saturday
Coleman grew up in Mayo-dan and followed his music path down the road to Deep Gap and began playing and tour-ing with Doc and Merle Wat-son. He toured the world and participated in many Grammy
nominated and awarded record-ings. After 15 years, the path led Coleman to the Seldom Scene in Washington, D.C., then to Chesapeake and other music projects and to producing and recording various music proj-ects for Doc Watson and oth-ers. In 2015, he released his first solo project, “Pocket,” and will be releasing his second during MerleFest 2018.
Andrew Collins Trio Friday, Saturday
The JUNO-nominated and seven times Canadian Folk Music Award winning Andrew Collins is at the epicenter of Canada’s acoustic/roots music scene. He co-founded Creak-ing String Quartet, the Foggy Hogtown Boys and the Andrew Collins Trio. Collins plays man-dolin, fiddle, guitar, mandola, mandocello and vocals and is joined by Mike Mezzatesta on guitar, mandolin, fiddle and mandola and James McEleney on bass, mandocello and vocals. They play bluegrass, folk, jazz,
classical and swing.Ken CrouseFriday, Saturday
A native and resident of Wilkes County, Ken Crouse graduated from the Wilkes Community College Horticulture program in 1979 and has been in the nursery and landscaping busi-ness ever since. Crouse studies plants, fungi and other facets of nature in this region and leads classes and workshops on mush-room identification throughout western North Carolina. Crouse has led nature hikes every year at MerleFest since the festival began.
Rodney CrowellFriday
Rodney Crowell is a multiple Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter who has written or recorded 15 No. 1 songs on the country music charts. He has also won six Americana music awards, including the 2009 Life-time Achievement Award for Songwriting, and he is a mem-ber of the Nashville Songwrit-ers Hall of Fame. His songs have been recorded by country legends (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and George Strait), to current coun-try chart toppers (Tim McGraw and Keith Urban) to blues icons (Etta James) and rock and roll legends (Van Morrison and Bob Seger). Crowell’s latest album, “Close Ties,” was released in
2017 to critical acclaim.Dead HorsesSaturday
Despite the youth of its members, Dead Horses has a timeless sound informed as much by early-American prose as modern Americana music. Dead Horses released “Cartoon Moon” in 2016, which Wisconsin Public Radio called “equally beautiful and effort-less.” It won Best Album, Best Americana/Bluegrass Artist and Best Female Vocalist at the 2017 WAMI Awards. Dead Horses logs countless miles of touring, sharing bills with Trampled by Turtles, Mandolin
Lineupcontinued from Page 9
Brandy ClarkT. Michael Coleman Andrew Collins Rodney Crowell Dead Horses
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 11
Continued on Page 12
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Orange and Elephant Revival. Devil Makes ThreeFriday
The Devil Makes Three plays garage-y ragtime, punkified blues, old n’ new timey without settling upon a particular era, inspired as much by mountain music as by Preservation Hall jazz, blending several genres. The band is continuing the jour-ney that began when the mem-bers found their way to the road that led them out of Vermont.
Donna the BuffaloEach day
Continuously touring America since 1989, Donna the Buffalo cre-ated a community environment at their shows through groove-heavy, danceable music. Donna the Buf-falo is a band for the people and is accessible, positive and memo-rable. With roots in old-time fiddle music that evolved into a soulful electric American mix infused
with elements of Cajun/zydeco, rock, folk, reggae and country, Donna’s music often contains social and moral responsibility as core beliefs, and they are just simply fun to celebrate life with.
Doolin’Saturday
Doolin’ is France’s premiere Celtic band and has perfected a mixture of musical genres. From ballads to fast jigs, from its own compositions to traditional tunes, Doolin’ offers a rich palette of sound. Doolin’ worked with leg-endary Irish guitarist John Doyle in the producer’s chair to achieve a unique sound. This sextet has been a support act to names such as Altan, Kevin Burke, Martin
Hayes and Mairtín O’Connor and toured as a headline and festival act with Celtic Legends and the Tall Ships Festival. Doolin’ com-bines instrumentals, vocals and original compositions to create Irish music with a French touch.
Jerry DouglasSaturday, Sunday
Dobro master and 14-time Grammy winner Jerry Douglas is to the resonator guitar what Jimi Hendrix was to the electric guitar. Douglas also is a free-wheeling, forward-thinking recording artist who incorpo-rates bluegrass, country, rock, jazz, blues and Celtic. He is one of the most innovative record-ing artists in music, both as solo
and in groundbreaking bands like J.D. Crowe & the New South, the Country Gentlemen, Boone Creek, The Earls of Leicester and Strength in Numbers. His distinctive sound graces more than 1,500 albums, including discs released by Garth Brooks, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Elvis Costello, Earl Scruggs, Ray Charles and others.
Ari EisingerSaturday, Sunday
Ari Eisinger is one of the most dazzling country blues and ragtime guitarists playing. The sportin’ right hand, piano rhythms, the notes everybody else leaves out – they’re all there. Able to shift effortlessly from
complex East Coast ragtime to the propulsive rhythm of the gui-tar evangelists to down-home Texas country blues, Eisinger is one of the most authentic musi-cians. His interpretations of the songs of masters like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Memphis Min-nie, and Reverend Gary Davis have been called “downright spooky” for the way the styles of these pioneering guitar heroes are brought vibrantly back to life.
East PointersFriday
The East Pointers – fiddler/singer Tim Chaisson, banjoist Koady Chaisson, and guitarist
Lineupcontinued from Page 10
Doolin’ Jerry Douglas Band Ari Elsinger The East PointersDevil Makes
Three
12 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
Presents the 11th annual
Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony
at the Stone Center for Performing Arts613 Cherry Street • North Wilkesboro, N.C.
Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Tickets $35Doors open 6 p.m. • Dinner 6:30 p.m. • Ceremony 7:15 p.m.
336-667-3171 or www.wilkesheritagemuseum.com2018 Inductees
Jimmie Rodgers • J. E. Mainer • George Shuffl erTh e Easter Brothers • Hazel Dickens
Galax Old Fiddlers Convention • Bill WilliamsSmithsonian Folkways Recordings
Performances by Th e Easter Brothers • Slaty Fork BluegrassTh e Elkville String Band with Wayne Henderson • Virginialina
Sponsors: Town of Wilkesboro, Marilyn Payne, Clyde and Geri Cook, Arnold and Rebecca Lakey, A-1 Self Storage, Brame Huie Pharmacy, Payne Power Equipment, Law Offi ces of Timothy D. Welborn, Jim and Rose Andrews, Kirk Gunton, Tom and Ann Graves, Nancy Watson, Wilkes
Heritage Museum Gift Shop, Austin Shrewsbury, Communities In Schools, Hampton InnTyson Foods, Inc. • Wilkesboro
Proud Supporter
April 26-29, 2018
Jake Charron – spent the last two years touring Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Australia in support of the band’s award-winning album, “Secret Victory.” The band’s highly anticipated sophomore album, “What We Leave Behind,” pro-duced by songwriter/ producer Gordie Sampson, was released Sept. 29, 2017. “What We Leave Behind” reflects on the traditions of Canadian Celtic music.
Elephant RevivalSaturday
Elephant Revival is a unique collection of multi-instrumen-talists blending elements of gypsy, Celtic, Americana and folk. Brought together by a uni-fied sense of purpose, Elephant Revival communicates the impor-tance of harmony among all living things and uses music to unite us in ways that no other medium can.
Tommy EmmanuelSaturday
Given his first guitar at age
four, Tommy Emmanuel started working professionally two years later in a family band, the Emmanuel Quartet. Eventually, the jazz musician ventured out on his own, improvising his way through many of his songs to capture and shape the mood of the room. In addition to the standing ovations from his audi-ences, the recognitions rolled in, including two Grammy nomi-nations, two awards from the Australian Recording Industry Association and other honors.
Richard Ray FarrellSaturday, Sunday
Ray Farrell from Niagara Falls, N.Y., started busking in Paris, France (1975), and began
playing professionally in 1976. Farrell toured with artists R.L. Burnside, Louisiana Red, Frank Frost, Big Jack Johnson, Lazy Lester, and Big Boy Henry. Far-rell performed with Levon Helm, Jerry Portnoy, The Nighthawks, Bill Heid, Big Joe Maher and Mitch Woods. He formed Far-rell & Black in 1995 with Mothers of Invention drummer, Jimmy Carl Black, recording two CDs and touring for 10 years. He moved to Philadelphia in 2001 and released seven CDs.
Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer Friday, Saturday
Two-time Grammy Award winners Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer have entertained the
Queen of Thailand, been keynote singers for the AFL-CIO, per-formed at hundreds of folk fes-tivals, appeared on the “Today Show” and on National Public Radio. Their harmonies are backed by the guitar, five-string banjo, ukulele, mandolin, cello-banjo and other instruments. They play classic country to western swing, gypsy jazz to old-time stringband and bluegrass, contemporary folk, and original gems. Their 45th recording, “Get Up And Do Right” features stu-dio and live duets.
Fireside Collective Friday
Asheville-based Fireside Col-lective won the 2016 MerleFest
Band Competition, was a finalist in the Telluride Bluegrass Band competition and features the Rockygrass Banjo Champion. Formed in 2014, Fireside blends traditional bluegrass and Ameri-can roots music with modern acoustic arrangements. With mandolin, Dobro, and acoustic guitar layered on top of rock solid stand-up bass, Fireside Collective delights in taste-fully exploring the boundaries of roots music.
Tennessee Jed FisherFriday
Combining soul and funk-rock with bluegrass and country
Lineupcontinued from Page 11
Continued on Page 13
Elephant Revival Tommy Emmanuel Richard Ray FarrellCathy Fink and Marcy Marzer
Fireside Collective
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 13
WatsonStage
We Banjo 3 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
----------------Alison Brown
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM ----------------
“Mission TempleFireworks Revival”featuring Paul Thorn & Band, The Blind Boys of Alabama &
The McCrary Sisters 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
----------------Jerry Douglas Band
with special guestJohn Medeski
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM ----------------
Steep Canyon
Rangers & Friendswith special guest
Steve Martin4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
CabinStage
Happy Traum 10:45 AM - 11:15 AM
----------------Andy May
12:15 PM - 12:45 PM ----------------
Bryan Sutton1:55 PM - 2:30 PM
----------------Jim Lauderdale
3:35 PM - 4:00 PM
CreeksideStage
Sunday Morning
Devotionswith Roy Dobyns and
Jeff Little 9:35 AM - 10:00 AM
----------------Gospel Songs of Doc Watson with
Jeff Little Trio 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
----------------Gospel Hour
with Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
HillsideStage
Rose & the Riveters10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
----------------Jeffrey Foucault
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
----------------Wayland
12:30 PM - 1:15 PM ----------------
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
1:45 PM - 2:30 PM ----------------We Banjo 3
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
DanceStage
The Whitewater Bluegrass Company -
Square Dance with Caller Ted White
10:15 AM - 11:30 AM ----------------Carol Rifkin,
Jeanette Queen,
Mark Queen -Dance Tunes from the Mountains of
Appalachia 12:30 PM - 1:15 PM
----------------Contra Dance with The BattleAxe Bandand Caller Clinton
Ross 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
AmericanaStage
Sunday Blueswith Roy Book
Binder featuring Jody Carroll, Ari Eisinger, Richard Ray Farrell and Charles Welch
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM ----------------
Donna the Buffalo11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
----------------Wesley Bright &The Honeytones
12:45 PM - 1:30 PM ----------------
Joe Mullins & TheRadio Ramblers
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM ----------------
Jeffrey Foucault 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
LittlePickersStage
Steve and Ruth Smith
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM ----------------
Cane Mill Road 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
----------------Meet and Greet with
Flattop 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
----------------Little Pickers Sing-a-Long with Laura Boosinger and Jef 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
----------------Meet and Greet with
Flattop2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
----------------Alberti Flea Circus 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
TraditionalStage
Shape Note Singing
with Laura Boosinger 9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
----------------Women Who Sing
and Play Traditional Music with Carol Rifkin, Jeanette
Queen, The BattleAx Band, Sarah
McCombie, Kim McWhirter and
Sarah Ritter11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
----------------Pete Wernick
Traditional Jam1:15 PM - 2:00 PM
----------------Peter Rowan
Plays and Sings Traditional Songs 3:30 PM - 4:15 PM
Plaza StageOpen Mic hosted by
The Local Boys 12:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Pickin’PlaceStage
Jammin’ at thePickin’ Place
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday, April 29
music, Tennessee Jed Fisher cre-ated what he calls “Pimpgrass.” He travels the U.S. with his por-table solar-powered PA/record-ing rig, ready to play anytime, anywhere. His first MerleFest appearance features two new projects, “Soular Sessions,” and “Pimpgrass,” a definitive full-length produced in Nashville.
Flatland Harmony ExperimentSaturday
Flatland Harmony Experiment is a high octane four-piece vocally driven string band from Indiana. It embraces an old approach to creat-ing new music by gathering around a single microphone. it takes listen-ers on a ride from sweet harmony filled ballads to driving instru-mental virtuosity. With four lead singers who dedicated their lives to their craft, expect this work to shine though material that crosses bluegrass, jazz, Americana, funk, folk and more.
Béla Fleck andAbigail WashburnFriday, Saturday
With one eye on using the banjo to showcase America’s rich heritage and the other pulling the instrument into new and unique realms, Béla Fleck
and Abigail Washburn’s second album “Echo in the Valley” is both familiar and wildly inno-vative. “Echo in the Valley” is the follow up to their acclaimed, self-titled debut that earned the 2016 Grammy for “Best Folk Album.” This time, the mission was to take their double banjo combination of three finger and clawhammer styles “to the next level and find things to do together that we had not done before,” said Fleck.
Jeffery FoucaultSunday
Jeffrey Foucault is one of the finest songwriters of his gen-eration. Hs has caught the ear of everyone from Greil Marcus to Don Henley, who regularly covers Foucault in his live set, to Van Dyke Parks. In 2018, Foucault will release “Blood Brothers,” the much-anticipated follow-up to 2015’s acclaimed album “Salt As Wolves.” He is joined by longtime tour part-
ner Billy Conway on drums, Bo Ramsey on electric guitars, Jer-emy Moses Curtis on bass and Eric Heywood on pedal steel.
Jayme Stone’s FolklifeSaturday
Stemming from the Lomax Project, Jayme Stone’s Folklife treats old field recordings not as time capsules, but as heir-loom seeds passed down from a bygone generation. Planting these sturdy seeds in modern soil, this versatile gathering of musicians has cultivated vibrant Sea Island spirituals, Creole calypsos, and stomp-down Appalachian dance tunes for contemporary listeners. Their concerts and educational pro-grams are moving, inventive, and participatory experiences that prove folk songs are indeed perennials for the people.
Rhiannon GiddensSaturday
Singer-songwriter Rhiannon
Giddens is the co-founder of the Grammy winning string band Carolina Chocolate Drops, play-ing banjo and fiddle. Giddens’ 2014 Grammy nominated solo debut, “Tomorrow Is My Turn,” blends gospel, jazz, blues and country. Giddens’ follow-up album, “Freedom Highway,”
largely original songs, was released to widespread critical acclaim in February. She per-formed at the White House and duets with country star Eric Church on his powerful anti-racism hit “Kill a Word.” In 2018,
Lineupcontinued from Page 12
Continued on Page 14
Watson StageKruger Brothers
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM -------------------
Shinyribs4:15 PM - 5:15 PM
-------------------Kris Kristofferson5:45 PM - 6:45 PM
-------------------Robert Earl Keen 7:15 PM - 8:15 PM
-------------------The Mavericks
9:00 PM - 10:15 PM
Cabin StageAaron Burdett
3:45 PM - 4:15 PM
-------------------Pete Wernick Jam Camp
5:20 PM - 5:45 PM -------------------
Banknotes6:45 PM - 7:10 PM
-------------------The Mastersons
8:15 PM - 9:00 PM
Dance StageDonna the Buffalo 9:45 PM - 11:00 PM
Pickin’ PlaceStage
Jammin’ at thePickin’ Place
2:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Thursday, April 26
TennesseeJed Fisher
Flatland Harmony Experiment
Béla Fleck and Abigaill Washburn
JefferyFoucault Jayme Stone’s Folklife
Susana and Timmy Abell
14 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
Watso
nS
tage
Th
e Barefo
ot
Movem
ent
10:15 AM
- 11:00 AM
----------------
Peter R
ow
an
12:45 PM
- 1:30 PM
----------------
Scyth
ian
2:00 PM
- 2:45 PM
----------------
Bran
dy C
lark 3:15 P
M - 4:15 P
M
----------------B
alsam R
ang
e with
Atlan
ta Po
ps
Orch
estra En
semb
le 5:15 P
M - 6:00 P
M
----------------M
and
olin
Oran
ge
6:30 PM
-7:30 PM
----------------
Bela F
leck and
Ab
igail W
ashbu
rn
8:00 PM
- 9:00 PM
----------------
Jamey Jo
hn
son
9:45 P
M - 11:00 P
M
Cab
in S
tage
Tenn
esseeJed
Fish
er 11:05 A
M - 11:30 A
M
----------------M
ike Aiken
Ban
d
12:15 PM
- 12:45 PM
----------------
Cathy F
ink an
d
Marcy M
arxer with
sp
ecial gu
esrS
am G
leaves 1:30 P
M - 2:00 P
M
----------------
Jeff Little Trio
with
sp
ecial gu
estW
ayne H
end
erson
2:50 P
M - 3:15 P
M
----------------R
osie &
the R
iveters 4:50 P
M - 5:15 P
M
----------------C
hris A
ustin
S
on
gw
riting
Co
ntest
with
Jim L
aud
erdale
6:05 PM
- 6:30 PM
----------------
Mark B
um
garn
er7:30 P
M - 8:00 P
M
----------------R
od
ney C
row
ell 9:00 P
M - 9:45 P
M
Creeksid
eS
tage
Cathy F
ink an
dM
arcy Marxer
9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
----------------
Th
e Lo
neso
me A
ceS
tring
ban
d
10:45 AM
- 11:30 AM
----------------
Jeanette W
illiams
Ban
d
12:00 PM
- 12:45 PM
----------------
Pete W
ernick’s
Flexig
rass Jam w
ith D
avid Holt, R
ob Ickes and Trey H
ensley, The
Lonely Heartstring
Band, R
osie & the
Riveters, P
resley B
arker and otherspecial guests
1:15 PM
- 2:15 PM
----------------
Th
e Po
’ Ram
blin
’
Boys
2:45 PM
- 3:30 PM
----------------
T. Mich
ael Co
leman
and
Imag
ine
Po
ssum
s 4:00 P
M - 4:45 P
M
----------------R
ob
Ickes and
Trey Hen
sley 5:15 P
M - 6:00 P
M
----------------T
he L
on
ely H
eartstring
Ban
d
6:30 PM
- 7:15 PM
Hillsid
e S
tage
Do
olin
’ 9:45 A
M - 10:30 A
M
----------------L
ind
say Lo
u
11:00 AM
- 11:45 AM
----------------P
iper Jo
nes
12:15 PM
- 1:00 PM
----------------
Cicad
a Rhyth
m
1:30 PM
- 2:15 PM
----------------
Kru
ger B
roth
ers 2:45 P
M - 3:30 P
M
----------------D
on
na th
e Bu
ffalo
with P
eter Row
an andFriends
4:00 PM
- 4:45 PM
----------------
Th
e Po
’ Ram
blin
’ B
oys5:15 P
M - 6:00 P
M
----------------F
riday E
venin
g
Su
nset S
ession
s:
Th
e Devil M
akes T
hree
6:30 PM
- 7:45 PM
Dan
ceS
tage
Yog
a - Brin
gYo
ur M
at9:30 P
M - 10:15 P
M
----------------S
mitty an
d th
eJu
mp
Starters
12:15 PM
- 1:30 PM
----------------
Firesid
e Co
llective 2:15 P
M - 3:00 P
M
----------------T
he L
on
ely H
eartstring
Ban
d B
eatles tunes and other danceable
music
3:45 PM
- 4:30 PM
----------------P
iper Jo
nes
Bagpipes and Inter-
Celtic dance
5:15 PM
- 6:00 PM
----------------
Th
e Po
’ Ram
blin
’ B
oys 7:30 P
M - 8:30 P
M
----------------T
he W
ay Do
wn
W
and
erers 9:00 P
M - 10:15 P
M
----------------T
he E
ast Po
inters
10:45 PM
- 11:59 PM
Au
stinS
tage
Do
c and
Merle
Watso
n P
erform
ing
A
rts Sh
ow
case
with H
ost Joe S
mothers and
Joe Kendrick
9:30 AM
- 1:45 PM
----------------
(CA
SC
) Ch
ris Au
stinS
on
gw
riting
Co
ntest
with Judges R
odney C
rowell, A
ndrew
Marlin and Johnny
William
s with host
Jim Lauderdale
2:00 PM
- 3:30 PM
Am
ericana
Stag
eS
avann
ah S
mith
and
So
uth
ern S
ou
l 9:45 A
M - 10:30 A
M
----------------T
he A
nd
rew C
ollin
s Trio
11:00 A
M - 11:45 A
M
----------------K
rug
er Bro
thers
12:15 PM
- 1:00 PM
----------------
Th
e Lo
neso
me A
ce S
tring
Ban
d
1:30 PM
- 2:15 PM
----------------
Strin
g M
adn
essw
ith Mitch G
reenhill 2:45 P
M - 3:30 P
M
----------------T
he W
aybacks
4:00 PM
- 4:45 PM
----------------
Th
e Way D
ow
n
Wan
derers
5:15 PM
- 6:00 PM
----------------
Th
e East P
oin
ters 6:30 P
M - 7:15 P
M
Little
PickersS
tage
Scyth
ian - “C
ake Fo
r B
reakfast” Kid
s CD
R
elease Party w
ith special appearance
by Flattop
10:00 AM
- 10:30 AM
----------------
Su
sana an
d T
imm
y A
bell
11:00 AM
- 11:30 AM
----------------
Lillian
Ch
ase12:00 P
M - 12:30 P
M
----------------A
lberti F
lea Circu
s 1:00 P
M - 1:30 P
M
----------------M
eet and
Greet
with
Flatto
p2:00 P
M - 2:30 P
M
----------------L
ittle Pickers S
ing
-a-L
on
g w
ith Susana
and Tim
my A
belland Jef
3:00 PM
- 3:30 PM
----------------
Can
e Mill R
oad
3:30 P
M - 4:00 P
M
----------------A
lberti F
lea Circu
s 4:00 P
M -4:30 P
M
----------------T
he In
terAC
Tive
Th
eater of Jef
5:00 PM
-5:30 PM
Traditio
nal
Stag
eTrad
ition
al
Claw
ham
mer
Banjo and S
ongs with
Hannah S
hira Naim
an 9:45 A
M - 10:30 A
M
----------------C
arol R
ifkin, Jean
ete Q
ueen
, Mark Q
ueen
10:45 A
M - 11:15 A
M
----------------D
avid H
olt an
dJo
sh G
ofo
rth
11:30 AM
- 12:15 PM
----------------
Lau
ra Bo
osin
ger &
Th
e Mid
nig
ht
Plo
wb
oys 1:30 P
M - 2:15 P
M
----------------H
ub
by Jenkin
s 3:00 P
M - 3:45 P
M
----------------W
ayne H
end
erson
and
Frien
ds w
ithspecial guest
Presley B
arker 4:30 P
M - 5:15 P
M
----------------R
oy Bo
ok B
ind
er:S
ing
er-So
ng
writer
Sto
rytelling
B
luesm
an
6:00 PM
- 6:30 PM
----------------Ted
Olso
n
6:45 PM
- 7:15 PM
Mayes P
it (C
oh
nA
ud
itoriu
m)
Th
um
bp
icking
W
orksh
op
with
Happy Traum
, Larry N
ixon and Mike
Palm
er 10:05 A
M - 10:45 A
M
----------------E
xplo
ring
the P
artialC
apo
with M
itch G
reenhill11:00 A
M - 12:00 P
M
----------------R
osie &
the
Riveters:
So
ng
writin
g 101
12:15 PM
- 1:00 PM
----------------
Ted O
lson
: Th
e B
allad Trad
ition
1:15 PM
- 2:00 PM
----------------
Roy B
oo
k Bin
der
and
Frien
ds
Blues W
orkshop with
Happy Traum
, Richard
Ray Farrell andJody C
arroll 3:15 P
M - 4:00 P
M
----------------Ted
Olso
n:
Interp
reting
A
merican
Ro
ots
Mu
sic for th
e G
eneral P
ub
lic4:15 P
M - 5:00 P
M
----------------S
tories A
bo
ut
Traveling
with
Do
c an
d M
erle hosted by Joe
Sm
others, with D
avid H
olt, T. Michael
Colem
an, Bob H
ill and Jack Law
rence 5:15 P
M - 6:00 P
M
Plaza S
tage
Op
en M
ic hosted byT
he Local Boys
11:00 AM
- 3:00 PM
Walker
Cen
terS
tage
Th
e Lo
cal Boys
10:00 AM
- 10:45 AM
----------------
Ro
bin
and
Lin
da
William
s11:15 A
M - 12:00 P
M
----------------M
erleFest M
emo
rieshosted by Jeff Littlew
ith Bob H
ill, Tara N
evins, Jack Law
rence, T. Michael
Colem
an, David H
olt, M
itch Greenhill,
Wayne H
enderson,“B
” Townes and
Cliff M
iller 12:30 P
M - 1:15 P
M
----------------S
arah Jan
e Sco
uten
1:45 P
M - 2:30 P
M
----------------S
idelin
e3:00 P
M - 3:45 P
M
----------------N
u-B
lu
4:15 PM
- 5:00 PM
----------------
Aco
ustic K
ids
Sh
ow
casesw
ith Andy M
ay5:30 P
M - 7:00 P
M
Pickin
’ P
laceS
tage
Jamm
in’ at th
eP
ickin’ P
lace 10:00 A
M - 10:00 P
M
Friday, A
pril 27
Giddens will be the guest curator for the Cambridge Folk Festival. Giddens has a recurring role on the revived TV drama “Nashville.”
Mitch GreenhillAppearing Friday, Saturday
A product of the Cambridge folk music scene, Mitch Green-hill recorded two albums. He performed along the East Coast and joined his father Manny Greenhill at Folklore Productions. He worked as agent and/or manager for Doc and Merle Watson and others and produced albums, includ-ing a Grammy-winner for the Watsons. He and Mayne Smith released three CDs and toured in North America, Brit-ain and Italy. On Broadway, Greenhill composed original music for “An Almost Holy Picture,” a dramatic play star-ring Kevin Bacon, directed by Michael Mayer. He also composed and/or designed sound at the Kennedy Center, the Mark Taper Forum, and other regional theaters. Film credits include “The Long Rid-ers” and “Safe.”
Gunner & SmithThursday, Friday
The music of Gunner & Smith, with searing guitars, brawny rhythms and distinct folk-family vocals, produces tightly-knit rock anthems. After releasing the debut album, “He Once Was a Good Man,” in 2014, Gunner & Smith toured across North America numerous times. Smith, with a master’s degree in religious history focused on the radi-cal reformation, embraces a number of sly classic rock influences.
HackwellsSaturday
Enjoy songs about prison, graveyards, f lea markets, beauty queens, and other people’s faults? The Hack-
w e l l s a r e exactly what you need. The H a c k w e l l s c o n s i d e r Hank Sr., Hag-gard, Kristof-ferson and John Prime their musical Mt. Rushmore. The band con-sists of Jeff Schott on bass/vocals, Brian McCarty on gui-tar/vocals, Larry Everhart on harmonica/vocals and John Dobat on guitar/banjo/vocals.
Erin HarpeSaturday
Boston-based Erin Harpe learned acoustic finger-style blues guitar from her dad, Neil Harpe, and from watch-ing Piedmont blues greats like John Cephas & Phil Wiggins, John Jackson, Eleanor Ellis and Warner Williams. Harpe developed her own style, influenced by Piedmont and country blues. She performs originals, her arrangements of songs by blues artists like Memphis Minnie, Ma Rainey and Lucille Bogan and songs by Mississippi John Hurt, Tommy Johnson and Blind Blake. She released two albums, “Blues Roots” and “Delta Blues Duets,” and two albums with her band,
Lineupcontinued from Page 13
Continued on Page 15
Mitch Greenhill
The Hackwells
Gunner &Smith
Erin Harpe
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 15
Wat
son
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10:0
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Mer
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9:00
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9:30
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Mem
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----
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----
----
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----
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----
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----
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----
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----
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----
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:30
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----
----
----
----
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----
----
----
----
Lo
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4:00
PM
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:45
PM
Wal
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Kru
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AM
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1:00
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----
----
----
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Th
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12:
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----
----
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----
----
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2:00
PM
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:45
PM
----
----
----
----
Do
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3:15
PM
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:00
PM
----
----
----
----
Alis
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5:45
PM
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:30
PM
Pic
kin
' P
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Jam
min
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ce
10:0
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M -
10:
00 P
M
Sat
urda
y, Ap
ril 2
8
Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers. She released an instructional guitar DVD in 2016.
Ashley Heath andHer HeathensSaturday
With a blend of original soul Americana music, Ash-ley Heath is rising as one of Asheville’s finest musicians with “velvety” vocals and a bluesy guitar style. “Ashley Heath and Her Heathens” was formed in May 2016 as a backing band for Heath’s first album “A Different Stream,” a seven-song col-lection of original music and one Crystal Gayle cover, “Ready for the Times to Get Better,” that Heath first heard from Doc Watson. A second album, “Where Hope Never Dies,” is in the works.
Wayne Henderson, Helen White and Herb KeyThursday and Friday
Wayne Henderson is a National Heritage Award recipient honored for his craftsmanship as a luthier and his renowned finger-style Appalachian guitar playing. His lightning-fast articulate playing style was influenced by close
friends Doc Watson and E.C. Ball. Singer, fiddler, guitarist and tunesmith Helen White has toured extensively with Wayne in the U.S. and Europe. Compositions include works for theater and video projects as well as Booklist honored record-ing of original songs for children. Helen is the founder and served as executive director of the Junior Appalachian Musi-cians (JAM) program for 15 years, introducing stu-dents in four states to tra-ditional mountain musical heritage. The subject of the documentary “Herb Key: Nurturing Ameri-can Heritage,” guitarist and bassist Herb grew up in Wilkes County and has lived close to the land and learned traditional music beginning in the 1950s. Known as one of the best guitar repairmen in the region, he is also a keeper of stories and rel-ishes singing songs about Wilkes legends.
Bob HillFriday, Saturday
Bob Hill sold his first published song to Ray Charles in 1972. He joined Doc and Merle Watson as an original member of Frosty Morn. Hill has writ-ten songs, recorded and performed with Leon Rus-sell, JJ Cale, Jack “Cow-boy” Clement, Don Everly, Ray Stevens, Lacy J. Dal-ton and Rufus and Carla Thomas. He has released a CD entitled “Keepin’ the Wolves Away” on Love
Lineupcontinued from Page 14
Continued on Page 16
Ashley Heath andHer Heathens
Wayne Henderson, Helen Smith and Herb Key
Bob Hill
16 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
Toad’s Wrecker ServiceOver 40 Years Experience • William C. Dimmette • Owner/Operator
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24-Hour Emergency Service antiques
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Servicing the heating and air conditioning needs of MerleFest fans for over 40 years
Don’t wait or it might be too lateCall today for a checkup
Associated Heatingand Air Conditioning324 Reynolds AvenueNorth Wilkesboro, N.C.Phone 336-667-7012www.associatedheatandair.com
Breeze Records and is working on a new project.
David HoltFriday, Saturday
David Holt is taping season three of his TV show “David Holt’s State of Music,” shown nationally on PBS. With guests like Rhiannon Giddens, Steep Canyon Rangers, the Kruger Brothers and Doyle Lawson, it gives an in-depth look at the music and personalities of America’s great roots music artists. Holt is a four-time Grammy Award winning musician, storyteller and radio and TV host. For over 45 years, the multi-instrumentalist has collected and performed songs and stories of the Blue Ridge, learning this music directly from greats like Doc Wat-son, Roy Acuff and Etta Baker. From 1998-2012, Holt toured and performed with Watson. Holt now tours performing solo, with Josh Goforth, and with his band, the Lightning Bolts. He is in the N.C. Music Hall of Fame.
David Holt and Josh GoforthFriday
The rich musical heritage of the moun-
tains comes to life in the hands of Josh Goforth, descended from western N.C. mountaineers, and David Holt. Their CD, “Cutting Loose,” was nominated for a Grammy. Their newest CD, “Good Medi-cine,” met with rave reviews.
Horsemen Let’s RideSaturday
Horsemen Let’s Ride is composed of diverse individuals, who are well versed in their own right but come together to form this dynamic group. Mark Church, founder and lead singer/songwriter, met drummer, Adina Watkins, while doing studio session work. Bass players Phil Goins and Freddy Banner both hold down the bottom end. HLR’s sound is like Southern rock & country meeting rhythm & blues to form a unique and enjoyable sound.
Hummingbird CrossingSaturday
From the Canadian prairies, Hum-mingbird Crossing is a family band play-ing traditional and modern bluegrass, gospel and folk music. Vance Petriew plays bass; Jennifer Petriew plays guitar, cello and bass; Helen Chang plays man-dolin, fiddle and guitar; and Tim Mrazek
plays banjo, guitar, mandolin and Dobro. With diverse influences, the original work of Hummingbird Crossing resonates with clear soulful melodies that rest upon a warm, open sound, reflecting their prairie roots. A first album is set this year.
Rob Ickes & Trey HensleyFriday
There are many things you know are just meant to be - but even when you do, it’s nice to get some outside affirmation. So, while Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley were sure that their musical partnership was the right move at the right time, it was still welcome news when their debut Compass Records Project, “Before The Sun Goes Down,” earned a nomination for the Best Bluegrass Album Grammy just about the time that Ickes took leave of the band he’d been in for over 20 years
to make the joint venture the centerpiece of his career. And with the release of their new project, “The Country Blues” on July 8, 2018 the pair build on the first one’s strengths to take their unique musi-cal conversation to an even higher level.
Hubby JenkinsFriday
Hubby Jenkins is a talented multi-instrumentalist who shares his love and
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Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley
David Holt and Josh Goforth
Hummingbird Crossing
HorsemenLet’s Ride
Hubby Jenkins
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 17
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knowledge of old-time American music. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he delved into his Southern roots, following African American history through country blues, ragtime, fiddle and banjo and traditional jazz. Jenkins developed his guitar and vocal craft on sidewalks and subway plat-forms of New York City and then played the streets, coffee shops, bars, and house parties around the world. From 2010 to 2014, he was part of the Carolina Choco-late Drops. Since 2015, he has toured and recorded with the Rhiannon Giddens band while still doing solo shows.
InterACTive Theater of JefFriday, Saturday and Sunday
Jef juggles and balances things but gets confused at times. He involves his audi-ence members to help him when he’s con-fused and to play along with his mime, mask and variety arts shenanigans. He even leads sing-a-longs by himself and with other artists. He enjoys performing at MerleFest on the Little Pickers’ stage as well as roving the entire festival foot-print - from the front gates through the merchandise village to the Little Pick-ers Area. Bring the family because Jef’s work is for children and adults to enjoy together.
Jamey JohnsonFriday
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson’s album, “That Lonesome Song,” was platinum for 1 million in sales, and his double album, “The Guitar Song,” debuted at No. 1 on the country album charts and received a gold certifica-tion. In 2012, he released a Grammy-nominated project, “Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran.” Johnson is one of the few to win two Song of the Year Awards, for “Give It Away” and “In Color,” from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Associa-tion. He has written singles for George Strait, Trace Adkins, James Otto, Joe Nichols and others.
Piper JonesFriday
Highland bagpiper EJ Jones and the poetic chordal narrative of bouzoukist Frances Cunningham are joined by the pounding rhythms of the percussion in tunes and songs collected from the inter-Celtic world and across the centuries.
EJ Jones has excelled as a performer of traditional Highland bagpipe music and as a folk musician since co-founding the renowned group Clandestine in 1991. Frances Cunningham, on bouzouki, lives in Nashville and is a frequent member of the Mike Snider String Band, playing weekly on the Grand Ole Opry. Her first love is traditional Irish music.
Junior AppalachianMusicians BandSaturday
The Junior Appalachian Musicians Band is an old-time string band from the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia. These musicians are all under age 15. They were selected in 2017 to rep-resent the 40 Junior Appalachian Musi-cians (JAM) programs in a four-state region. JAM is an after-school program for youth to learn the traditional old-time and bluegrass music and dance styles of the Appalachians, and it collectively reaches more than 1,500 kids each school year.
Robert Earl KeenThursday
Robert Earl Keen has recorded 19 albums and has thousands of shows under his belt and still no end in sight. From his humble beginnings on the folk scene, he has blazed a trail that’s earned him living legend status in the Ameri-cana music world. Although he has never been known to wear his Texas heart on his sleeve, he has long been regarded as one of the state’s finest true singer/songwriters. Keen and his band have sold out venerable performance halls includ-ing New York’s Irving Plaza, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Fort Worth’s Bass Hall, Austin’s Moody’s Fillmore West. It isn’t always easy being Robert Earl Keen, but somebody’s got to do it. And now more than ever he is up to the task and loving every minute of it.
Lori King and Junction 63Friday, Saturday
Lori King and Junction 63 performs traditional bluegrass and gospel with
Lineupcontinued from Page 16
Continued on Page 18
JameyJohnson
PiperJones
18 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2017
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contemporary style tunes mixed in. Band members are husband and wife team Lori King on upright bass, singing lead and harmony vocals, and Joe King on guitar and lead vocals. On mandolin and vocals is Kevin Amburgey, Mark Hargrove on banjo and vocals and Kyle Mur-phy on fiddle. They have released two award-winning albums, “Grandpa’s Old Guitar,” and “Family Tree.”
Kris KristoffersonThursday
Kris Kristofferson has been making things happen his entire life. Born in Texas and raised in a military family, he was a Golden Gloves boxer who studied creative writing at Pomona College in California. The Phi Beta Kappa graduate earned a Rhodes Scholarship to study literature at Oxford, where he boxed, played rugby and continued to write songs. After graduating from Oxford, Kristofferson served in the Army as an Airborne Ranger helicopter pilot and achieved the rank of captain. In 1965, Kristofferson turned down an assignment to teach at West Point and, inspired by songwriters like Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, moved to Nashville to pursue his music. Kristofferson achieved success as a country songwriter in the early 1970s. His songs, “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” “Sunday
Morning Coming Down” and “For the Good Times,” helped redefine country songwrit-ing. He spent three decades performing concerts all over the world, in most recent years in a solo acoustic setting, which puts the focus on the songs.
Kruger BrothersEach day
Originally from Switzerland, brothers Uwe and Jens Kruger began playing North American folk music at an early age and were particularly inspired by recordings of Doc Watson.
After gaining a recording con-tract and a radio show on the Swiss Broadcasting Corp., they teamed up with bass player Joel Landsberg from New York City, inaugurating a trio that has been playing together professionally since 1995. The Kruger Broth-ers moved to the U.S. in 2002 and now is based in Wilkesboro. Watson once said, “The Kruger Brothers is just about as fine a band as I’ve ever played with. I love to play music with them.”
Lang SistersSaturday
Inspired by their love of tradi-tional music, the Raleigh-based Lang Sisters include many folk, bluegrass, and gospel favorites, as well as their own original songs, to create a unique pal-ette of acoustic music. Lead gui-tarist Jessica, 15, is a talented singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Chloe, 19, is a strong rhythm player and vocal-ist. Joining the Lang Sisters are fiddler Kitty Amaral and Greg Penny on bass.
Jim LauderdaleFriday, Saturday, Sunday
Multi Grammy winner Jim Lauderdale is a “songwriter’s songwriter,” who’s written/co-written many modern classics for iconic artists. As a solo artist, since 1986 he has 29 albums of imaginative roots music encom-passing country, bluegrass, soul, R&B and rock. Lauderdale has written songs and worked with some of the finest musical art-ists, including Robert Hunter, Ralph Stanley, Elvis Costello, George Strait, Buddy Miller, Lucinda Williams, John Oates, Solomon Burke, Lee Ann Wom-ack, Old Crow Medicine Show, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Blake Shelton, the Dixie Chicks, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, and Gary Allan and others. He co-hosts a weekly radio show on Siri-usXM with Buddy Miller, “The Buddy & Jim Show,” and is the co-host of “Music City Roots,” the weekly live radio, podcast and PBS series.
Lauren and LaneSaturday
Hailing from the Piedmont of N.C., Lauren and Lane is an alternative folk duo with blue-grass influence. Sisters Kacie Lauren Hatley and Kellie Lane Sides play a variety of instru-ments and styles with sweet and melodious harmonies. They’re joined by bassist Brandon Sides on upright bass. Their original songs run the gamut, tackling topics like body image, life, mys-tery and revenge.
Jack LawrenceFriday, Saturday
Jack Lawrence is best
known as Doc Watson’s musi-cal partner for over 25 years. He grew up backstage at a music hall, where his father worked as a sound engineer, and was exposed to great blue-grass and country music pio-neers. The early 1970s found Lawrence in two progressive bluegrass bands, The New Deal Stringband and Bluegrass Alliance. Merle Watson hired him in 1983 and he continued with Doc Watson after Merle’s death. Lawrence has recorded and performed with Doc, Sam Bush, Joan Baez, David Gris-
man, Peter Rowan, The Del McCoury Band and others. He has been with MerleFest since the planning stages of the first festival and has performed at every one.
Lindsay LouFriday
Lindsay Lou has been tour-ing internationally behind 2015’s “Ionia,” playing some of the most prestigious festivals across the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Europe and garnering rave reviews.
Lineupcontinued from Page 17
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Lori King and Junction 63 Kris Kristofferson
Kruger Brothers Lang Sisters Jim Lauderdale
Lauren and Lane Jack Lawrence Lindsay Lou
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 19
Named one of NPR Music’s best live performance sessions of 2015, Lindsay is often referenced in the same breath as Lake Street Dive and The Punch Brothers. Lindsay’s brand new 2018 full-length “Southland” (out now) is a collection of songs examining the range of emotions and com-plex themes.
Jeff Little TrioEach day
With few exceptions, the piano doesn’t play a prominent part in Appalachian or Ameri-cana music and is rarely the lead. Jeff Little is an exception and a remarkable one. His dis-tinctive two-handed style, much influenced by the mountain flat-picked guitar tradition, is breath-taking in its speed, precision and clarity. Little’s involvement with fiddle tunes, old-time country and traditional blues dates to growing up in Boone, where his family owned a music shop. That’s where he was exposed to Doc Watson.
Local BoysEach day
The Wilkes County-based Local Boys had been waiting for the appellation “Americana,” as “bluegrass” just didn’t cover their material. While all members of The Local Boys have deep roots in traditional music, they also have a love for the musical styles that influenced and evolved from old-time, country, and bluegrass. The Local Boys are fairly standard in their acous-tic instrumental arrangement: guitar, bass, banjo, Dobro and mandolin and have performed at MerleFest the last 17 years running.
Lonely Heartstring BandFriday
Since its beginning in 2012, The Lonely Heartstring Band has been on the rise and shows no sign of slowing down. With their 2015 IBMA Momentum Award and their 2016 release of
their debut full-length album on the legendary Rounder Records label, there is every reason to hope that they are at the front edge of a significant career. Already they have gen-erated a devoted following of music-lovers across North Amer-ica by performing and headlin-ing at major music festivals and historic venues from Western Canada to California and from Kentucky to New Hampshire.
Lonesome Ace StringbandFriday, Saturday
Since 2008, the Lonesome Ace Stringband has been cultivating and performing a big repertoire of tunes and songs that draw from the huge well of traditional American and Canadian music, as well as creating original mate-rial that reflects their powerful dynamics and common vision as a group. The trio has just launched a third record in Janu-ary 2018. This is their first record of original material and marks a strong new direction for the band’s creative process.
Mandolin OrangeFriday
Mandolin Orange’s most recent album “Blindfaller,” debuted No. 3 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Album Chart. The band’s 2013 release, “This Side of Jordan,” garnered critical acclaim, with NPR calling it “effortless and beautiful.” The 2015 follow-up, “Such Jubilee,” made Rolling Stone’s “30 Great Country Albums of 2015 You Probably Didn’t Hear” and NPR Folk Alley’s “Best of 2015 Lis-tener’s Poll.” Since the first self-released album in 2010, the duo has built a following by touring nationally and internationally. Recent appearances include Red Rocks Amphitheater, Telluride Bluegrass, Newport Folk Fes-tival and Bonnaroo, with 2018 performances in support of The Avett Brothers at PNC Arena and Josh Ritter at the Ryman Auditorium.
MastersonsThursday
Mastersons have kept up a
supremely inexorable touring schedule, performing as both the openers for Steve Earle and as members of his band, The Dukes, in addition to play-ing their own relentless slate of headline shows and festivals. Written in a slew of different cit-ies around the world, the band’s new album, “Transient Lullaby,” is a late-night collection of sub-tle, evocative performances that showcase the itinerant couple at their absolute finest.
Bill MathisSunday
Mathis has been involved with MerleFest since 1989, when a staff member asked if he could help with a sign. After Merle Watson’s death, Mathis’ pick-ing partner and best friend, Wayne Hayes, wrote the tribute to Merle and mailed a cassette copy to Doc and RosaLee Wat-son, Merle’s parents, and they loved it. They invited Wayne to perform the song at MerleFest and became great friends. Upon Hayes’ death in 1999, Doc asked Mathis to assume the tribute. He performed that song with Doc many times. Now, Bill is accom-panied by Jack Lawrence and T. Michael Coleman on the Cabin Stage to close MerleFest on Sun-day every year
MavericksThursday
The genre-defying Mavericks declared their independence and stepped out on their own with “Brand New Day.” Flashing the same exhilarating, beyond-cat-egory style that has defined the Mavericks, the new album intro-duces a collection of taut, ener-getic, economical songs sure to be embraced by both original fans of their top-10 albums and hit singles of the ‘90s and a new generation of listeners who have joined the party since the 2012 reunion. It is the mature and timely work of an exciting and underestimated American band that embraced its own destiny.
Andy MayFriday, Saturday, Sunday
Veteran singer/songwriter,
mandolinist and champion gui-tar picker, Andy May, infuses his songwriting and shows with creativity, humor and musician-ship. He draws from a deep well of traditional American music, and his writing taps into styles from blues to bluegrass, old-time country to contemporary folk, traditional reels to roots-rock. His latest album is “Room for Roots” made Roots Music Report’s 2016 Top Americana Country Album Chart. Andy has provided performance oppor-tunities for hundreds of young musicians at music festivals for nearly three decades through his Acoustic Kids Showcases. This is his 18th MerleFest.
John MedeskiSaturday
The celebrated musician is preparing a new solo piano album that he says will kick off a series of recordings and a suite of solo performances. His work with the trailblazing instrumen-tal trio, Medeski Martin & Wood, and countless other collabora-tors set a standard for soulful
improvisation.
McCrary SistersSunday
For the McCrary Sisters (Ann, Deborah, Regina, and Alfreda), daughters of the late Rev. Samuel McCrary – an original member of the gospel quartet, The Fairfield Four - music is a birthright, a lifelong love affair, a sometimes career, an indescribable joy and sometimes a cross to bear. The McCrarys have been part of numerous all-star house bands on broadcast shows, including “Americana Music Honors & Awards,” “PBS Salute to Troops at the White House,” “Grammy Legends,” “CMTFestival” and “CMA Awards.”
MidatlanticSaturday
The Midatlantic is a crew of eclectic musicians from the Cape Fear coast of N.C. With a unique blend of progressive folk, Americana, bluegrass, and a hint of rock and jazz, The Midatlan-tic produces its unique brand
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Mastersons
Mandolin OrangeLonely Heartstrings Band
Midatlantic
Mavericks
Andy May
20 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
of modern folk rock. The band always delivers a wide range of dynamics, energy, and melodic harmonies through songs that are sincere to love, emotions, and life experiences.
Buddy MillerSaturday
Buddy Miller has been at the fulcrum of much of the best music to emerge from Nash-ville and beyond since he and his wife, Julie, moved there in 1993, and played key roles with Shawn Colvin, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Patty Griffin and Robert Plant. They produced or co-produced albums with Jimmie Dale Gilm-ore, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Solomon Burke, Patty Griffin, Allison Moore and Rob-ert Plant’s Band of Joy. He wrote and co-wrote songs covered by artists like the Dixie Chicks, Hank III and Shemekia Cope-land. Not to mention his own recording career. The new show he and Jim Lauderdale launched on SiriusXM Radio evolved into an album.
Joe Mullins andThe Radio RamblersSunday
Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers will find themselves on over 100 stages in 2018. They have consistently delivered authentic and crowd-pleasing bluegrass music as evidenced by multiple International Bluegrass Music Association awards and Grand Ole Opry appearances. Joe Mullins was IBMA’s 2016 Broadcaster of the Year.
“Mission Temple Fireworks Revival” featuring PaulThorn & Band, The BlindBoys of Alabama and The McCrary SistersSunday
“Mission Temple Fireworks Revival” show will feature Southern raconteur Paul Thorn and his crack band plus five-time Grammy Award and Grammy
Lifetime Award winner, The Blind Boys of Alabama, and gos-pel singing quartet, the McCrary Sisters. Paul Thorn’s versatile, veteran band will provide back-ing during the lively and enter-taining set. The charismatic headliners will each have their moments in the spotlight and also collaborate together in a show that will have the audience up and stamping their feet
My bubbaSaturday
Folk duo My bubba make soft, soulful music that is as playful as it is powerful. My Larsdot-ter and Bubba Tomasdottir have toured with Damien Rice, co-written music with Mat-thew E. White, recorded with Noah Georgeson and stepped on Bryan Adams’ toes - literally. My bubba’s latest releases are “Gone” and “My bubba & Elsa Sjunger Visor // Sing Swedish Songs” - a personal and intimate collection of the duo’s favorite Swedish folk songs.
Hannah Shira NaimanThursday, Friday, Saturday
Hannah Shira Naiman’s banjo-grounded songs dance the lis-tener into the Appalachian Mountains and back in time, drawing on her roots in Toron-to’s old-time folk music commu-nity. With a sound described as a cross between Gillian Welch and Sarah Harmer, she crafts original songs that ring with influences of Ola Belle Reed, The Carter Family, American old-time and old English bal-lads. Her album, “Know the Mountain,” earned her a 2017 Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for Traditional Singer of the Year. Hannah per-forms with her father, clawham-mer banjo player, Arnie Naiman.
New River DriftersSaturday
The New River Drifters, from northwestern North Carolina, performs Americana and tra-ditional roots music. The band started in 2014 when twins Dustin and Drew Petrey decided to explore a different direction
with longtime friend and lead guitarist, Kevin Eller. Having grown up in the bluegrass heri-tage, these three desired to veer slightly from tradition and ply the tributaries of the greater bluegrass stream.
Note RopersSaturday
Hailing from Greenville, S.C., The Note Ropers pay a brand of classic honkytonk country and rockabilly they call “honkabilly.” The Note Ropers are Chris Craft (croonin’ & strummin’), Mike Bagwell (steelin’ & croonin’), Don Hunt Jr. (pickin’ & hollerin’), Chris Harrison (slappin’ & hol-lerin’), and John Ervin (beatin’ & croonin’).
North Mississippi AllstarsSaturday
North Mississippi Allstars formed in 1996, the product of a special time for modern Mis-sissippi country blues. Broth-ers Luther and Cody Dickinson soaked up the music of their father, Memphis legend Jim Dickinson, while playing and shaking it down in the juke joints. Eventually, Luther (gui-tar, vocals) and Cody (drums, vocals) formed the North Missis-sippi Allstars. North Mississippi Allstars are at times joined by Lightnin’ Malcolm, Alvin Young-blood Hart, previous member Chris Chew, and other musi-cians. North Mississippi Allstars released the Grammy nominated
“Shake Hands with Shorty,” in the spring of 2000.
Nu-BluFriday
Hailing from Siler City, the classic small Southern town, Nu-Blu’s heart and soul is husband-and-wife duo Daniel and Carolyn Routh. Carolyn’s soprano is one of the band’s defining traits. Daniel is the group’s backbone, a multi-instrumentalist and back-ing vocalist who also runs the band’s business. T.J. Honaker on vocals and banjo, and Boyd Hulin on mandolin round out the quartet’s Appalachian sound. Together they deliver upbeat, blazing-fingers pick work and heartwarming ballads, and they do it all with a natural together-ness that can’t be faked.
Ted OlsonFriday
Ted Olson sings traditional ballads and other songs from Appalachia. On stage, he gives cultural contexts through spo-ken introductions to songs. Off stage, he produces and authors
liner notes for documentary albums of Appalachian music. Olson wrote or edited numerous books, including “The Bristol Sessions: Writings About the Big Bang of Country Music,” “Blue Ridge Folklife,” “Breathing in Darkness: Poems, and Revela-tions.” He teaches Appalachian studies and bluegrass, old-time and country music studies at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tenn.
Po’ Ramblin’ BoysThursday, Friday
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys plays traditional bluegrass. Recent accolades include a nomination for the 2017 IBMA Momentum Band of The Year Award. The band teamed up with WBCM Radio I Bristol to resurrect the “Farm & Fun Time Noon Show.” The newest album is “Back to The Mountains”.
Richie and RosieSaturday
The music of banjo player Richie Stearns and fiddler Rosie
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Continued on Page 21
Buddy Miller Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers Mission Temple Fireworks Revival
My bubba Note RopersHanna Naiman New River Drifters
North Mississippi Allstars Nu-Blu Ted Olson
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 21
Newton finds itself at a junction of Ameri-cana, old-time, and folk. It brings a new sound to traditional music with their signature trance-like, boundary pushing instrumental arrangements and angelic harmonies. As two musicians in two very different parts of life, Richie and Rosie are proof of two things: the power and magic of two people making music and that the universal messages that lie within their songs remain timeless.
Clinton RossFriday, Saturday, Sunday
Clinton Ross is a contra dance caller from East Tennessee. His dances are lively, fun, original and all about con-necting the dancers with the music. He has facilitated the joy of contra dance from New England to the Deep South.
Rosie & the RivetersEach day
Rosie & the Riveters’ vintage-inspired folk anthems paint a portrait of a wom-an’s voice in a man’s world. The Canadian trio’s unmistakable red lipstick, pin curls, and overtly feminine costuming may be deceiving, but don’t be fooled - this is not a throwback band. Listen closely to hear playfully defiant lyrics and confident talk-back harmonies. Named after the cultural icon Rosie the Riveter, the band believes women are the world’s greatest untapped resource which is why they invest 20 percent of merchandise prof-its in micro-finance initiatives through KIVA.org. They’ve helped a woman in Ecuador buy a sewing machine for her tailoring business. To date, they’ve con-tributed more than $7,000 to over 145 projects around the world.
Peter RowanFriday, Saturday, Sunday
Grammy winner Peter Rowan is a singer-songwriter with a career span-ning over five decades. From his early years playing with bluegrass veteran Bill Monroe, to his time in Old & In the Way and his breakout as a solo musi-cian and bandleader, Rowan has built a devoted, international fan base. The late ‘60s and early ’70s saw Rowan involved in a number of rock, folk, and bluegrass projects and with the Rowans, where he played alongside brothers Chris and Lorin Rowan. After the Rowan Brothers disbanded, Rowan, David Grisman, Jerry
Garcia, Vassar Clements, and John Kahn formed Old & In the Way. That is when Rowan penned the song “Panama Red,” hit for New Riders of the Purple Sage and a classic ever since.
Carol Rifkin, Jeanette Queen, Mark QueenSaturday, Sunday
Carol Rifkin’s soaring voice is recog-nizable on stage or radio (WNCW). An award-winning singer, dancer and multi-instrumentalist, more than 1,000 of her stories about Appalachian culture are published. An early member of the Green Grass Cloggers, she later worked with Tommy Jarrell, Doc Watson and others. She received Asheville’s 2013 Lunsford Award and Mars Hill University’s 2016 Award for “Significant Contribution to the Art of Appalachian Culture.” Jea-nette Queen learned to play and sing in the Queen family band in Jackson County. She is the daughter of the late 2007 National Heritage Award winner Mary Jane Queen and Claude Queen. Mark Queen is the grandson of Mary Jane and Claude Queen. The eighth-generation musician plays driving clawhammer banjo and sings with the trio.
Sarah Jane ScoutenAppearing Friday
With flavors of Lucinda Williams, Nanci Griffith, and Iris Dement and a wealth of early country music, the two-time Canadian Folk Music Award nomi-nee and recent Western Canadian Music Award nominee’s songs are faithful to a long-standing folk music tradition. Sarah Jane Scouten shows her signature flair for the roots of roots music. With respect for these roots, she writes from her own perspective, playing with style to create her own distinct voice. This songwriter is known for hitting hard and close to home, and then laughing it off.
ScythianFriday and Saturday
Named after Ukrainian nomads, Scyth-ian (sith-ee-yin) plays roots music from Celtic, Eastern European and Appala-
chian traditions with thunderous energy, technical prowess, and storytelling song-writing, beckoning crowds into a barn-dance, rock concert experience. Scythian has performed at MerleFest over 10 years and they consider it their second home. Scythian is Alexander Fedoryka (fiddle, mandolin), Danylo Fedoryka (guitar/accordion), Larissa Fedoryka (bass/
cello), Nolan Ladewski (flute/whistles), and Fritz McGirr (drums).
ShinyribsThursday
Following his family’s oil boom and bust migratory path, Kevin Russell landed in Shreveport, La., where he formed his
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Richie and Rosie Clinton RossRosie & the
Riveters Peter RowanCarol Rifkin, Jeanette Queen and
Mark Queen
Sarah Jane Scouten Scythian Shinyribs
Lineupcontinued from Page 20
22 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
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first band, Picket Line Coyotes in which a Husker Du met Elvis Costello that lived and died between the “Arklatexabamas-sippi” borders, much like their unfortu-nate animal namesake. That’s what took him to Austin where The Gourds were born from those Coyote ashes. That sto-ried band of pumpkins came to an end after 18 years of good times and hard travelin’. From that point on, Russell has been riding high on the Shinyribs river of country-soul, swamp-funk, and tickle.
SidelineFriday
Sideline is a six-piece powerhouse whose style has set the pace in blue-grass for over two decades. Founders Steve Dilling, Skip Cherryholmes, and Jason Moore can all claim their own historical significance to the genre as members of highly awarded groups, multiple Grand Ole Opry appearances and years of national and international touring. Along with Nathan Aldridge, fiddle; Brad Hudson, resophonic guitar; and Troy Boone, mandolin, Sideline
has released three national projects and records for Mountain Home Music Com-pany near Asheville.
Si Kahn & Joe JencksSaturday
Si Kahn has appeared at MerleFest nearly every year since 1990 either as a performer, emcee, or contest judge. This year he’s appearing with Joe Jencks, an 18-year veteran of the international folk circuit. Jencks has a new recording com-prised entirely of previously-unreleased songs by Kahn titled, “The Forgotten: Recovered Treasures from The Pen of Si Kahn,” and will be featured at MerleFest. This disc continues the trend in Jencks’ catalogue of recording (and writing) songs that honor authentic, hardworking American heroes. Kahn’s work includes 16 albums of original songs, and a collec-
tion of traditional labor and civil rights songs recorded with Pete Seeger and Jane Sapp. Kahn & Jencks will speak on “How Folk Music Influences Activism” on Sat-urday afternoon at the Mayes Pit/Cohn Auditorium, followed by a performance that night on the Traditional Stage.
Frank Solivan & Dirty KitchenSunday
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen has twice been named IBMA’s Instrumental Group of the Year.
Its album, “Cold Spell,” earned a 2015 Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album of the Year. Solivan, with banjoist Mike Munford, 2013 IBMA Banjo Player of the Year, award-winning guitarist Chris Luquette and bassist Jeremy Middleton, simmers a progressive bluegrass stew of instrumental, vocal and songwriting
skills to be featured again on a new album this year. Solivan is known as a monster mandolinist.
Joe SmothersThursday, Friday, Saturday
Smothers was born in Reidsville and for years toured and recorded with Doc Watson. He took 26 years away from music to be with his wife and help raise their kids. After his children married, Smothers retired from the business world in 2012 and went back to music. He has studied with Richard Thompson and Mar-tin Simpson for five years at Frets and Refrains in N.Y. He is one of five musi-cians who has played every MerleFest. He has recorded two CDs, “These Things I Know” and “Terpretations.” This year,
Lineupcontinued from Page 21
Continued on Page 23
SidelineSi Kahn & Joe
Jencks Frank Solivan & Dirty KitchenSusana and Timmy Abell
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 23
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he was a featured songwriter showcasing as part of the Geor-gia Songwriter Series.
Savannah Smithand Southern SoulFriday
Savannah Smith and South-ern Soul are based out of Ashe-ville and bring their soulful southern energy to whatever stage they grace. A North Mis-sissippi Soul singer-songwriter and guitarist, Savannah has been making waves in the Country/Americana scene since her debut in 2015. She was a finalist in the 2015 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at MerleFest for her song, “Mis-sissippi,” where she seamlessly bridges Mississippi’s hill coun-try blues with a contemporary perspective. The band’s first EP release, “Long Time Com-ing,” has received unrivaled reviews.
Smitty and the JumpStartersFriday
The JumpStarters feature upbeat songs that pull styles from West Coast swing, Chicago Blues, Memphis Rockabilly, and a dose of Chuck Berry. The band features Bryan Smith on vocals and guitar, Steve Blake on saxophone, Doug Dennis on bass, and Roy Brown on drums. Based in Greensboro, the JumpStarters have played swing dances, clubs and festival events across the Carolinas.
Steep Canyon RangersSunday
Steep Canyon Rangers effort-lessly walk the line between fes-tival favorite and sophisticated string orchestra. That mix of serious chops and good-natured fun earned the band a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album in 2013 (“Nobody Knows You”), and drew celebrated comedian/banjoist Steve Martin to them when he needed a backing band. It has been over 15 years and nine studio albums since the Steep Canyon Rangers formed
in Chapel Hill.
Steve and Ruth SmithFriday, Saturday and Sunday
MerleFest regulars Steve and Ruth Smith from Watauga County play a creative mix of Acoustic Americana music with Celtic and Appalachian roots, featuring hammered and Appalachian mountain dulcimers, old-time banjo, and guitar. Their six CDs feature tra-ditional Appalachian and Celtic music plus original songs and instrumentals. Their music is heard daily on SiriusXM satellite radio and acoustic music radio nationwide.
String MadnessSaturday
Mandolinist Bob Applebaum and guitarists Mitch Green-hill and Peter Spelman joined to create String Madness. All instrumental and all acoustic, String Madness takes side-trips from Bach to Bebop and beyond.
Wide-ranging improvised solos interweave with arranged har-monies and unison lines to pro-pel a joyful musical exploration.
Bryan SuttonSaturday, Sunday
Guitarist Bryan Sutton’s rise
Lineupcontinued from Page 22
Continued on Page 24
Savannah Smith andSouthern Soul Steep Canyon RangersSmitty and the JumpStarters
Steve and Ruth Smith String Madness Bryan Sutton
24 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
from buzzed-about young sideman to first-call Nashville session musician to membership in one of history’s greatest bluegrass bands has been grounded in quiet professionalism and ever-expand-ing musicianship. Sutton is a Grammy Award winner and a nine-time Inter-national Bluegrass Music Association Guitar Player of the Year. He’s now also a band leader, record producer, mentor, educator and leader in online music instruction.
Paul ThornSunday
Paul Thorn has created an innovative and impressive career with his muscular brand of roots music – bluesy, rocking and thoroughly Southern American. Raised in Tupelo, Miss., among the same spirits and actual people who nurtured the young Elvis, Paul Thorn has rambled down back roads and jumped out of airplanes, worked for years in a furniture factory, battled four-time world champion boxer Roberto Duran on national television and performed with Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler, Sting, John Prine and others.
“B” TownesSaturday
Frederick “B” William Townes, IV, a native of Danville, Va., was instrumental in developing the WCC Horticulture pro-gram and master plan for the Wilkes Com-munity College Gardens construction and endowments. To support the gardens, Townes conceived the idea of what now is MerleFest in memory of Merle Watson. As WCC’s vice president of development, Townes led the WCC Endowment Corp. and the Walker Center for more than 20 years and helped raise over $25 million in assets for the college. He was responsible for doubling the size of the WCC campus, developing performing arts endowments and establishing scholarships. He retired after 36 years of service.
Town MountainSaturday
Town Mountain has earned raves for its hard-driving sound, in-house song-writing and the honky-tonk edge of its exhilarating live performances, whether in a packed club or sold-out festival. Town Mountain features guitarist and vocalist Robert Greer, banjoist Jesse Langlais, mandolinist Phil Barker, fid-dler Jack Devereux and bass player Zach Smith. Since the release of the band’s fifth
studio album, “Southern Crescent,” Town Mountain has debuted on the Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium.
Happy TraumFriday, Saturday, Sunday
Happy Traum’s long involvement in tra-ditional and contemporary music brought him recognition as a performer, writer, teacher, recording artist and fingerstyle guitarist. Traum made his recording debut in 1963 with Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger and others and later recorded three duets with Dylan on his Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 album. He has played in con-certs, clubs and festivals throughout the U.S. and abroad, both solo and with his late brother, Artie Traum. He has taught at guitar camps, clinics, and workshops throughout the country. He and his wife, Jane, founded the instructional Home-spun Tapes in 1967.
Unspoken TraditionSaturday
Unspoken Tradition is about new, original bluegrass. It brings a sound that is both impassioned and nostalgic, hard-driving but sincere. The material is mostly original and reflects the ever-changing culture of western and central North Carolina. In 2015, Unspoken Tradi-tion played the main stage at MerleFest and has quickly grown a fervent following in North Carolina and beyond.
Virginia HollowSaturday
Virginia Hollow is a band and a sound born from the hills, valleys and moun-tains of Appalachia., The haunting melo-dies of Carrie Hinkley’s soulful voice are hard to shake off and instead keep returning and replaying in one’s mind like an untamed mantra of beauty and tragedy. This is a band whose time has come and needs to be reckoned with.
WaybacksFriday, Saturday
The Waybacks is a four-piece band with acoustic and electric instruments, config-ured around the hot guitar of James Nash and the fiddle virtuosity of Warren Hood and driven by the rhythm section of bassist Joe Kyle Jr. and drummer Chuck Hamilton, add in those spirited flights of improvisa-tion and a healthy dose of jaw-dropping chops and what emerges in the end is decid-edly Waybacks - a trip well worth taking.
Way Down WanderersFriday
The band’s debut, self-titled album, produced by Mike Marsh of The Avett Brothers, is now available. Front-men
and founders, Austin and Collin, met in their hometown of Peoria, Ill., when they joined the same folk band and embarked on their first tour at the ages of 14 and 18 years old. The two became fast friends and soon began writing music together, ultimately forming The Way Down Wan-derers when Collin was 16 and Austin was 20 years old.
WaylandSunday
Over the last few years, rock music has been pulled in so many different directions, many times leaving timeless vocal melodies and songwriting behind. Wayland possesses these qualities and more. Wayland released its first single, “Welcome To My Head,” which experi-enced high ranking on Mainstream and Active Rock charts. Wayland’s acoustic shows have grown more and more popu-lar because it showcases a special side of the band by focusing on the four-part vocal harmony and songwriting.
We Banjo 3Sunday
The award winning We Banjo 3 com-bines super-group credentials with a command of the emotive power of fiddle,
guitar, mandolin and banjo. Any single member of this group could electrify a venue with a solo performance, but together the result is truly unforgettable. On both sides of the Atlantic, the word is out about this group. We Banjo 3 is the new gold-standard of traditional Irish and American roots music.
Charles WelchSaturday, Sunday
Charles Welch is a longtime friend, neighbor and picking pal of the Watson family. He has been a frequent guest at the homes of Richard, and Doc and RosaLee, and often went on the road with either or both, sharing their love of blues and mountain music. Welch is
Lineupcontinued from Page 23
Continued on Page 25
Paul Thorn Town Mountain
Unspoken Tradition
Happy Traum
Virginia Hollow Waybacks
Way Down Wanders Wayland
We Banjo 3 Charles Welch
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 25
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Pete WernickEach day
Originally from New York City, Pete Wernick is often associated with the Hot Rize bluegrass band, which he organized in 1978, and with whom he still tours. This is Wernick’s 30th MerleFest, having performed here with his genre-defying Flexigrass band, with Hot Rize and in a duet with his wife, Joan. He’s known as a mentor to thousands with his music camps, best-selling books and videos, and from 1986 to 2001, serving as presi-dent of the International Bluegrass Music Association. He has hosted the bluegrass jam camps prior to MerleFest since 1991.
Whitewater Bluegrass CompanySunday
The Whitewater Bluegrass Company and Doc Watson are the only musical performers to host Folkmoot more than one time. The band has been featured in the Center for the Study of the American South and the Museum of Southern Cul-ture for their work on the UNC Public
Television documentary “The Spirit of the Mountains: The Stories of Uncle Albert Burnette.” With their blend of bluegrass, old-time, mountain swing, country, and rock-a-billy, they have performed in ven-ues as diverse as the Grove Park Inn and the Biltmore Estate.
WildmansSaturday
The Wildmans, an acoustic string band from Floyd, Va., features the award-winning talents of siblings Eli, 17, on mandolin and Aila, 15, on fiddle and vocals, joined by young banjo phenom-enon Victor Furtado and backed up by bandmom Deb Wildman on bass. Highly skilled instrumentals and soulful vocals applied to traditional bluegrass tunes with a smattering of old-time, blues, and jazz combine to create a fresh new sound - old tunes fueled by young spirit.
Jeanette Williams BandFriday
Since her debut solo release in 1994, Jeanette Williams has quietly become one of the most successful and celebrated women in bluegrass music. Williams has more than 12 SPBGMA nominations, three wins for Female Vocalist of the Year, two IBMA awards, two songwriting
awards and over 20 years of performance experience in bluegrass and bluegrass gospel. She is expanding her repertoire to include her early influences of classic country, blues, roots and rock n’roll.
Robin and Linda WilliamsFriday
Robin and Linda Williams started as a duo in 1973, had a 25-year career as bandleaders and now are a duo again. Their first recording led to their first appearance on “A Prairie Home Compan-ion,” a radio show conceived and hosted by Garrison Keillor. A rich relationship with Keillor continued throughout their 44-year career. Live performances earned them a huge body of fans and a large body of original songs has earned the respect of their musical peers. Their songs have been covered by Emmylou Harris, Tom T. Hall, George Hamilton IV, Tim & Mollie O’Brien, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kathy Mattea, Mary Black, Tom Wopat, and The Seldom Scene.
Tony Williamson BandSaturday
Mandolin virtuoso Tony William-son was born and raised in rural Piedmont N.C. in a family of wood-workers and musicians. With his
brother Gary on banjo, the two became chi ld sensations and by 1969 had won first places in Union Grove. In 1976, Tony went on t he roa d with the Blue-grass Alliance. Afterwards, he performed on stage and/or in the recording studio with Alison Krauss, Chris Thile, Earl Scruggs, Bill Mon-roe, Bobby Hicks, Tony Rice, Vassar Clements, David Grisman, Sam Bush, and Jerry Douglas. He has received many awards for his music, includ-ing the IBMA recorded event of the year in 1994.
Lineupcontinued from Page 24
Pete and Joan Wernick
Jeanette Williams Band
Robin and Linda Williams
26 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
NORTH WILKESBORO400 8th St.N. Wilkesboro, N.C. 28659336-838-9530
MOORESVILLE114 Morlake Dr., Ste. 101AMooresville, N.C. 28117704-664-7277
STATESVILLE703 Bryant St.Statesville, N.C. 28677704-872-1670
MerleFestHEAR ALL YOU NEED TO HEAR
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Services provided for MerleFest attendees include:
• free parking and shuttle services from the Blue Lot, located off N.C. 268 West, to the main festival entrance. The Blue Lot is also an easy half-mile walk to the festival grounds;
• first aid tent, located on Pond Road near The Shoppes at MerleFest. It is managed by Wilkes County Emergency Medical Services;
• safe overnight storage of instru-ments, chairs and other personal prop-erty of festival-goers at no charge. It’s located in The Shoppes at MerleFest;
• lost and found area, located in The Shoppes at MerleFest. Chairs and other items left overnight on the grounds will be taken to this area where they may be reclaimed;
• recycling bins for plastic and aluminum.
• the R&R Tent, located within the Little Pickers Family Area. It provides a shaded place for guests to sit down and relax. It also provides children, accom-panied by a parent, a place to nap.
ADA accommodationsSeating in accordance with the Ameri-
cans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is pro-vided on the Watson Stage field behind row 39 for wheelchair attendees and one guest on a first-come, first-served basis.
Guests of ADA fans must provide their own chair or blanket to sit on. Wheel-chairs can be accommodated at all stages on a first-come, first-served basis.
ADA-accessible restroom facilities are available in all open buildings on the fes-tival grounds. There are ADA-accessible portable toilets located at various loca-tions across the festival grounds and at the ADA Parking Lot H.
Many services enhanceMerleFest experience
The 13 stages at MerleFest are:• Watson Stage, named for the Watson
family, features some of the most recog-nized acts and musical collaborations;
• Cabin Stage, located adjacent to the WatsonStage. Offers some of the fin-est acoustic music available between Watson Stage shows;
• Mayes Pit (Cohn Auditorium), venue for presentations like the history of MerleFest and instructional sessions on everything from playing an instrument to jamming, singing, yodeling, storytelling, songwriting and more;
• Traditional Stage, featuring tradi-tional music at its best, including many artists from western North Carolina;
• Dance Stage, with everything from clogging to Cajun dances on Friday, Sat-urday and Sunday;
• Austin Stage, which is the place for some of the bestsongwriting and blues to be heard anywhere;
• Creekside Stage, is nestled along Moravian Creek in the woods behind the Watson Stage. It’s pleasant and a favorite
spot for performances and Sunday morn-ing worship services and gospel music;
• Little Pickers Family Area, with fun and games for all ages, as well as fine music on the Little Pickers Stage;
• Hillside Stage, scene of many of the most well known performances, par-ticularly during the Saturday afternoon “Album Hour;”
• Walker Center, one of the finest music venues in the Southeast. It pro-vides a climate-controlled relaxing place where guests can enjoy special perfor-mances. It’s the venue for the Midnight Jam;
• Americana Stage, featuring Ameri-cana favorites in a relaxed lawn setting across from the Wilkes Community Col-lege Visitors Center.
• Pickin’ Place, offers music fans and musicians the opportunity to pick and sing together.
• The Plaza Stage, with some of the best local, regional, and national talent. This year, it hosts the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina Showcase.
Music of MerleFest is presented on13 stages, each with its own role
Twelve finalists from over 1,021 entries will compete in the Chris Austin Songwrit-ing Contest on Friday on the Austin Stage.
First place winners in each category receive $600 cash and a Friday night per-formance slot on the Cabin Stage.
This year’s finalists and their songs are:
Bluegrass• Frank D. Ray (Hillsboro, Mo.) – “False
Hearted Love;”• James Woolsey (Petersburg, Ind.) –
“Lights of Home;”•Vickie Austin (Fall Branch, Tenn.) –
“Can’t Hold On To Much.”
Gospel/Inspirational• Andy Owens (Boone) – “The Truth
of Love;”• Beth Lee (Black Mountain) – “Sacred
Song;”• Bob Hight (Greensboro) – “Heaven
Will Be Mine.”
Country• Amanda Fields, Tom Buller (Nash-
ville, Tenn.) – “Whiskey Ain’t Got Nothing on You;”
• Cliff Westfall (Highland Park, N.J.) – “More and More;”
• Marie Bradshaw (Centerville, Utah), Daniel Young and Kiki Jane Sieger (North Salt Lake, Utah) – “These Walls (May Never Come Down).”
General• Bryan Smith (Dayton, Va.) – “Noth-
ing Left;”• Zander Melidis (Clawson, Mich.) –
“Born Again;”• Cliff Ritchey (Markleville, Ind.) –
“Honey Baby.”Performing artists Rodney Crowell,
Andrew Marlin of Mandolin Orange and Johnny Williams will choose winners for each category.
The 12 finalists were selected by Nash-ville music industry professionals, under direction of volunteer contest chairman and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale.
Net proceeds from the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest help support the WCC Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship.
Over $34,000 has been awarded to 84 students at Wilkes Community College since its inception.
12 songwriter finalists compete
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 27
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For those wanting an affordable weekend getaway, MerleFest provides a true value, said Festival Director Ted Hagaman.
“Admission prices are extremely reasonable – especially considering that we feature over 120 acts on 13 stages. Also, there are no hidden charges. We provide free parking, a free shuttle that will deliver you to the entrance, a free program guide, and all children 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult,” said Hagaman.
“In addition, our Little Pickers Family Area offers each child the opportunity to make crafts and participate in several interactive exhibits – all free of charge.”
One-day general admission ticket prices at the gate are Thursday, $55; Friday, $70; Saturday, $75; and Sunday, $65.
Four-day general admission tickets at the gate are $195.Three-day (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) general admission tickets at the gate
are $170.Four-day tickets with reserved seating at the Watson Stage are $275 for rows
1-35 and $250 for rows 36-53, both at the gate.Midnight Jam tickets are $40 with a Saturday wristband.Backstage tour tickets $50. The guided tour of the festival grounds at Wilkes
Community College includes the Merle Watson Garden of the Senses, MerleFest Museum, Doc Watson Dressing Room, Backstage Green Room, Artist Getaway and an official MerleFest post. All proceeds go to the Doc Watson Student Emer-gency Fund.
Cost of camping at River’s Edge Campground is $85 for a tent, $120 for a popup camper and $150 for an RV.
Wide range of MerleFestticket options available
28 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
Doc Watson died on May 29, 2012, at 89, but his influence on MerleFest remains strong.
The festival helps ensure that the legacies of Doc Watson and his wife, the late RosaLee Watson; their son, the late Merle Watson, and their grandson, the late Rich-ard Watson, remain strong.
Watson’s high standards for the festival - in the quality of its music and its family atmosphere – are still followed.
Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson was born in Watauga County’s Deep Gap. His father, General Dixon Watson, was a farmer who led singing at his church. His mother, Annie, sang old ballads while doing household chores and at night sang the children to sleep.
Left blind by an eye infection as an infant, Doc had a few years of formal schooling at the Raleigh School for the Blind. He was 5 or 6 when he received a harmonica and 11 when his father made him a fret-less banjo. After Doc taught him-
self the Carter Family’s “When the Roses Bloom in Dixieland,” Doc’s father bought him a $12 Stella guitar, and soon he was learning the rhythm chords. He learned to flat pick and then Jimmie Rodgers’ picking style.
After his marriage in 1947 to RosaLee Carlton, a neighbor and daughter of fiddler Gaither Carlton, when he was 24 and she was 16, Watson tuned pianos to support his family. Eddy Merle was born in 1949, and his sister, Nancy Ellen in 1951.
In 1953, Doc got a job playing electric guitar in a local country band. The group often lacked a fiddler and Watson taught himself fiddle tunes on the electric guitar he had by then, in addition to popu-lar finger-style songs of Merle Tra-vis and Chet Atkins.
Smithsonian Institute folklorist Ralph Rinzler “discovered” Watson in 1960 at Iredell County’s Union Grove fiddler’s convention. Merle joined Doc in 1964 as rhythm gui-
tarist and eased most of the bur-dens of the road from his father’s shoulders.
Doc and Merle made about 20 albums and won two Grammys. Merle was killed in a tractor acci-dent in 1985. Although broken-
hearted, Doc said Merle told him in a dream to press on with the music. He did this and helped start MerleFest in Merle’s memory.
Doc is revered for his flatpicking and fingerpicking styles and his voice. He received seven Grammys,
including the Lifetime Achieve-ment Award, and was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
RosaLee Watson died six months after Doc died. She was 81. Richard Watson died in 2015.
Influence of Doc Watson and family still strong
DOC WATSON, above, and with his family, at left. Also in the photo are his son, Merle; his wife, RosaLee, and his daughter, Nancy Watson. MerleFest was started in memory of Merle Watson. The family was from nearby Deep Gap.
MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 29
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The Little Pickers Family Area offers fun and games for children (and young at heart), as well as sto-rytelling, songwriting and music.
The Little Pickers Family Area helps achieve one of the goals of MerleFest, which is to preserve and promote the heritage of western North Carolina.
One way this is accomplished is to expose young people to music and instill appreciation for “tradi-tional plus” music.
Popularity of this area has led to expanded programming, including with the Acoustic Kids Showcases with Andy May on Friday and Satur-day on the Austin, Dance and Cabin stages and in Mayes Pit.
The youth showcases provide young people up to age 16 of any tal-ent level the opportunity to display their skills on stage at the festival.
The Little Pickers Stage offers acts selected with children in mind, including Alberti Flea Circus, Alex and Dan Fedoryka, JAM (Junior Appalachian Musician) Band, InterACTive Theater of Jef, meet and greet sessions with Flattop the raccoon (MerleFest mascot), Steve and Ruth Smith and nature and wild-flower walk with Ken Crouse.
Band competitionMerleFest is holding its third
annual band competition on the Plaza Stage.
Bands from across the country were invited to perform for 15 min-utes each in the band competition. Volunteer judges are musicians Mark Bumgarner (also emcee), Si Kahn and members of the Local
Boys band.The band contest winner,
announced following the last per-formance, will perform on the Wat-son Stage on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The ompetition starts at 9:45 a.m. Saturday.
Showcase talentThe Pickin’ Place is where for
musicians of all levels and genres can meet old friends and make new ones while singing and play-ing favorite tunes together. Located between the Traditional and Dance stages are three tents and a stage dedicated to performing, learn-ing, and jamming in a supportive atmosphere.
The Open Stage features work-shops and open mic sessions. The three tents include Traditional Jam-min’ Tent, Bluegrass Jammin’ Tent, and Anything Goes Jammin’ Tent. Check the schedules and don’t forget your instrument.
The Doc and Merle Watson Per-forming Arts Showcase will be held on the Austin Stage in Alumni Hall on Friday from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Joe Smothers and Bob Hill, both former band members with Doc and Merle Watson, will host the event.
“We had a period of time on Friday that we felt would be an opportunity to showcase artists that would make Doc happy.
The Friday morning showcase will present some of the musicians who worked directly with Doc over the years and also up-and-coming regional talent,” said Ted Hagaman, the festival director and personal friend of Doc Watson.
Acoustic Kids ShowcasesThe MerleFest Acoustic Kids
Showcases, hosted by Andy May, provides chances for young pick-ers, singers and other traditional performers of any skill level through age 16 to perform on the Austin, Dance and Cabin stages and Mayes Pit in a supportive environment. Accompanists may be any age, and bands are eligible as long as at least one featured performer is 16 or younger.
ShoppingThe MerleFest Gift Shop is the
destination for official MerleFest T-shirts, caps, children’s items, memorabilia, and more.
MerleFest strives to invite unique vendors to the festival who offer wares you don’t see every day in local stores.
Shoppers will be delighted by the surprises they discover while browsing The Shoppes at MerleFest.
The MerleFest Mall is the source for recordings, T-shirts, posters, and more from favorite MerleFest performers.
The Expo Center presents the very best in acoustic musical instru-ments, accessories, and media by the world’s leading companies that sponsor MerleFest.
At the Expo Center, go straight to the makers to try out the lat-est in acoustic instruments and accessories or purchase new or vintage stringed instruments. It provides one of the most significant trade shows in the acoustic music industry.
The Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina showcase, sponsored by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, is a new feature at this year’s MerleFest.
Drop by the Plaza Stage for special sets, including several with young North Carolina musicians paired with veterans. Some of the young artists are participants in the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program.
The Blue Ridge Music Trails performances include:• Friday, 3:30-4 p.m. David Holt and Josh Goforth of Madison
County; 4:15-4:45 p.m., Mark Bumgarner and Lillian Chase, a teenage fiddler from Buncombe County; and 5-5:15 p.m., Cane Mill Road, a group of teen musicians from the Boone area;
• Saturday, 5-5:30 p.m., Brandon Lee Adams of Kentucky, Tim Carter and champion fiddler Meade Richter; 5:45-6:15 p.m., Tony Williamson Band; and 6:30-7 p.m., father and son pickers Jeff and Luke Little of Boone with Presley Barker, a 13-year-old guitar picker from Traphill. Williamson is a 2018 North Carolina Heritage Award recipient.
• Sunday, 10:30-11 a.m., with Strictly Strings; and 11:15-11:45 a.m., veteran Laura Boosinger, Emma McDowell of Haywood County and Lillian Chase.
The Blue Ridge Music Trails is a project of the N.C. Arts Council in collaboration with the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. It was established to bring attention to the musical heritage of western North Carolina. It includes a list of 160 sites, such as festivals, country stores and performance halls, with live music and dancing. More details are at www.blueridgemusicnc.com.
Prohibited at MerleFest are:• all tobacco products and
electronic oral devices (e-ciga-rettes, e-cigars, e-pipes;
• alcoholic beverages and ille-gal drugs;
• weapons;• unauthorized video and audio
recording or flash photography;• unauthorized drones;• unauthorized ATVs, golf
carts, Segways and drones;• glass containers;
• tents, canopies, chairs and hammocks that block views.
Pets are prohibited unless medically necessary. Certifica-tion papers must be presented at front gate. Service animals must be on a leash and must wear an approved service animal vest.
All attendees must have proper credentials to enter the festival. No one is permitted in any of the backstage areas with-out the proper wristband.
Blue Ridge Music Trails showcasepresents artists from western N.C.
What’s not allowed at MerleFest
A few of MerleFest’s special features
30 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
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MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018 • 31
Food Tent 1(Watson Stage Area)
• Boy Scout Troop #333/Mountain View Ruritan Club: barbecue chicken and side items;
• BROC: tacos, burritos, quesadillas, taquitos, tortillas, loaded nachos, salsa and chips;
• Central Wilkes Middle School, smoked turkey legs, roasted corn on the cob, crab cake sandwich and cheesecake on a stick;
• Communities In Schools: pinto beans, cornbread, baked potatoes, chicken wrap, buffalo chicken wrap, veggie wrap, corn-bread and strawberry shortcake;
• Fishing Creek Arbor Bap-tist Church, fried fish plate, fried chicken plate, fried cod fish sandwich, fried chicken sand-wich, chicken nuggets, hushpup-pies, French fries, cheese fries, onion petals, banana pudding, peach cobbler and side items;
• North Wilkesboro Kiwanis Club: Philly Steak & Cheese Sub, curly fries, apple fritters, apple dumplings, apple chips and cara-mel peeled apples;
• Vandalia Cheerleaders: Pol-ish sausage with peppers, and onions, corn dog, chicken chees-esteak sub, gyro, Saratoga swirls, ice cream, chocolate dipped banana, smoothies and choco-late dipped marshmallows;
• Vikings Athletic Club: Thai-style grilled chicken chunks, Thai-style grilled beef chunks, tofu, Thai-flavored rice and veg-gie plate, Thai-flavored noodle and veggie plate, egg roll and combo plates;
• Wilkes Civitan Club: Ital-ian sausage plate with pasta and breadstick, Italian sausage sub, chicken parmesan plate with pasta and breadstick, chicken parmesan sub, Italian meatball plate with pasta and breadstick, Italian meatball sub, spaghetti plate with breadstick, mozza-rella cheese sticks; onion rings, Jalapeño popper;
• WCC Culinary Booth: jamba-laya with cornbread, red beans
and rice and cornbread, Cae-sar salad, chicken Caesar salad, shrimp and grits, cornbread or roll, gyro wrap, assorted salad plate (tuna, chicken, shrimp), vegetable salad, Brunswick stew in a bread bowl and desserts;
• WCC Culinary Hamburger Booth: hamburger, cheese-burger, salmon burger, turkey burger, veggie burger and double cheeseburger;
• WCC Culinary BBQ Booth: chopped BBQ sandwich, BBQ platter and BBQ rib plate;
• Alamance Community Col-lege Culinary Booth: vegetable samosa with chutney choices, vegan curried lentils, vegan vegetable madras, chicken “65” hyderbadi style, pork vindaloo, buttered chicken, rice pudding, mango lassi and basmati rice;
• Hospitality House: all beef hot dog, veggie hot dog, chili cheese dog, footlong hot dog, black angus pretzel dog, smoked sausage cheddar dog, chips, chocolate moon pie, Elvis dog with banana, bacon, peanut butter and deluxe Elvis dog with hot dog, banana, bacon, peanut butter. Gluten-free buns available.
Food Tent 2(MerleFest Mall Area)
• North Wilkesboro Lions Club: fresh popped popcorn, peanuts in shell, soft pretzels, trail mix and nacho chips and cheese;
• WCC Clubs Drink Booth: a ssor ted dr inks / tea /cof-fee;
• Brushy Mountain Smoke-house & Creamery: hand-dipped ice cream (cones or cups).
Food Tent 3(Shoppes Area)
• Boomer-Ferguson PTO, pizza by the slice, whole pizza, cheesecake slice, pickled eggs, pickled sausage and dill pickle;
• North Wilkesboro Elemen-tary School PTO: snow cones and funnel cakes;
• West Wilkes Athletic
Booster Club Inc.: breakfast plate (eggs, gravy or grits and ham, sausage, or bacon, biscuit, Belgium waffle, sausage biscuit, ham biscuit, bacon biscuit, hash rounds, grits, chili, deep fried pickles, deep fried Oreos, deep fried apple fritters, banana, apple. Breakfast served all day;
• Blue Moose Coffee Lodge: assorted specialty coffees, and assorted smoothies.
Food Tent 4(Thompson Hall Area)
• Blue Moose Coffee Lodge: assorted specialty coffees and assorted smoothies;
• Brushy Mountain Smoke-house & Creamery: hand-dipped ice cream (cones or cups).
Food Tent 5(Hayes Hall Area)
• The Farmer’s Wife: pre-packaged homemade fried apple pies;
• Jason’s Mini Donuts : Li l’ Orbits min i donuts Hawaiian shaved ice (over 30 flavors;
• Lowes Foods: sausage works sandwiches, Texas Pete hoppyummy, smokey Joe, chees-apeño, sausage works sand-wiches with pimento cheese, Uncle Chris’ pimento Cheese Boar & Castle sauce, fruits, vegetables, celery and carrots yogurt and granola, hummus, roots hummus, parfait, nuts, Kalo Foods, gluten-free mini banana loaf, gluten-free mini carrot loaf and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
• WCC Clubs Drink Booth: assorted drinks/tea/coffee.
Food Tent 6(Little Pickers Area)
• WCC Clubs Drink & Snack Booth: assorted juice boxes, bot-tled water, assorted pre-pack-aged fruit, assorted yogurt to-go packs, assorted Lance cracker packs, pre-packaged goldfish/pretzel goldfish and pre-pack-aged teddy grahams.
Food as diverse as musicMerleFest began as a way to raise funds for the Wikes Com-
munity College gardens and to honor Merle Watson, son and musical partner of the late Doc Watson. It has grown to an internationally renowned music festival and fundraiser that has an annual economic impact of over $10 million to the region.
Before becoming the first executive director of MerleFest, “B” Townes began his career at WCC teaching horticulture. Driven by the goal of raising capital to improve the campus gardens, Townes decided to hold a concert in the fall of 1987 as a fund-raiser. It was going to be a “one-time, one-night, one-man show.”
Townes recruited Ala Sue Wyke, a WCC Gardens board mem-ber; Bill Young, retired from Northwestern Bank and a first-class guitar picker who happened to have a friend named Doc Watson. In October 1987, the three met with Doc, who generously agreed to do the concert in WCC’s Walker Center and had a November date available for the event.
“That was less than a month away,” remembers Townes. “I naively said, ‘Great,’ and then learned the next morning from Bud Mayes, the manager of the Walker Center, that you do not simply decide to have a concert today and fill up all of those 1,100 seats tomorrow!”
Doc’s wife, RosaLee, and daughter, Nancy, suggested a festival at the end of April. At that suggestion, the group began plan-ning a two-day, multiple artist event for Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1, 1988 with all proceeds going to the Eddy Merle Watson Memorial Garden for the Senses.
Townes focused on the logistics of organizing a festival while more and more of Doc and Merle’s musician friends committed to play. Soon the group had a sold-out event.
“We began to feel frustration because we had all these people wanting to attend the concert,” said Townes. “I spoke to Cliff Miller [owner of SE Systems], and he suggested another site and having multiple venues.”
The first festival was held over two days on two stages with a schedule that was written literally hours before the artists per-formed. Also, a workshop was held in the Mayes Pit Auditorium. It featured Doc, Earl Scruggs and fiddler Jim Shumate, Tony Rice, Chet Atkins, Grandpa Jones and daughter Alisa, Marty Stuart, Mike Cross, New Grass Revival, David Holt, Jack Law-rence, The Smith Sisters, John Hartford, Mark O’Connor, Jerry Douglas, George Hamilton IV, and others. “That first year was a truly special one,” said Sam Bush to MerleFest’s hometown newspaper, the Wilkes Journal-Patriot, in January 2001. “Since it hadn’t been long since Merle had passed away, our thoughts that first year were centered on wanting to be with the Watson family to celebrate Merle’s life.”
The second event in 1989 featured the most bluegrass-heavy lineup in the festival’s short history. That year the college debuted the Doc & Merle Watson Theatre, its backstage dressing rooms and the innovative use of the adjacent Cabin Stage as a “tweener” to cover its larger neighbor’s set changes.
Shortly after that first year, Townes attended the Interna-tional Bluegrass Music Association’s conference in Owensboro, Kentucky, and saw what that organization was doing with an outreach program with area schools. “I was impressed with that program, and it fit the mission of the college, so we applied the idea to MerleFest.” The MerleFest Outreach Program has since grown and introduced tens of thousands of children to the rich musical heritage of their region.
Start of MerleFest in’87 and ’88 recounted
32 • MerleFest • Wilkes Journal-Patriot • April, 2018
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