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Olde Dominion Bluegrass Festival
November 18th, 2023
TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!
Tickets can be purchased online or in the ODAC office building.
FOOD & DRINK VENDORS WILL BE ON-SITE.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE
Performers
Headliner
Appalachian Road Show
The Appalachian Roadshow is a visionary ensemble, bringing new-generation interpretations of traditional Americana, bluegrass and folk songs, as well as offering innovative original music all presented with a common thread tied directly to the heart of the Appalachian regions of the United States. Their mission is to bring to light the culture and lifestyle of Appalachian music that each member of the group grew up in. The band is comprised of GRAMMY-nominated banjoist Barry Abernathy who has joined forces with GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING fiddler Jim VanCleve, fresh off his recent stint in touring with the multi-platinum country music artist Josh Turner, as well as esteemed vocalist and mandolinist Darrell Webb, who has recorded and toured with big names such as Dolly Parton and Rhonda Vincent. The group also includes Zeb Snyder, an “old soul” guitarist whose fierce and versatile playing recalls Doc Watson and Norman Blake as it does Duane Allman and Stevie Ray Vaughn.
The band was most recently nominated for the 2023 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Entertainer of the Year Award putting them up against artists such as Billy Strings, the Del McCoury Band, the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, and Molly Tuttle and the Golden Highway. The Appalachian Roadshow has also been recognized and supported by Pigeon Forge-native, Dolly Parton. Dolly released a novel and a soundtrack titled “Run, Rose, Run” in the Spring of 2022. The Appalachian Roadshow was featured on this album and both musical groups have expressed the desire to continue to work together in the future. The group was also nominated at the 2019 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards (IBMA) for the New Artist of the Year nomination and Song of the Year nomination thanks to their debut album, Appalachian Road Show, that they recorded in 2018.
Other Featured Bands:
The band's material is a variety of styles including original, classic country, gospel, blues, traditional and progressive bluegrass and Americana. All members are songwriters and seasoned vocalists. Their first project as Shelton & Williams, "So Much Time, So Much Love" released in July 2022.
Members Include:
Jeanette Williams (Danville, VA) - Jeanette has become one of the most successful and celebrated women in bluegrass music. Her list of awards, accolades, and career highlights continues to grow, as does her adoring fan base from coast to coast, and internationally, with her powerful songs, angelic voice and warm, sincere personality. Touring, recording and industry awards have become a mainstay for Jeanette. She also plays bass with the band. With more than eighteen SPBGMA nominations through 2021, and three wins for Female Vocalist of the Year (2009, 2012, and 2013), two IBMA awards (2006 and 2009 Recorded Event of the Year, with the Daughters of Bluegrass), two songwriting awards (2007 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at Merlefest, 2008 IAMA Songwriting Contest) and over thirty-two years of performance experience in Bluegrass and Bluegrass Gospel.
Jay Shelton (Danville, VA) - Jay was on the bluegrass scene in the 70's and 80's as a lead singer and lead guitarist. He changed direction and became the front man for a rock band for many years. Afterwards, he became a singer/singwriter performing solo concerts. In 2019, he returned to bluegrass and as an accomplished lead guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist he recorded his first project "Home" (including Jeanette and Johnny Williams this past year.
Johnny Williams (Danville, VA) - Johnny plays guitar, shares vocals and writes most of the band's original material. An award winning singer and songwriter, he has been named Virginia State Champion Male Artist, PICABO Male Artist (twice), and PICABO Songwriter Contest at Merlefest in 1998 & 1999. He has also been a finalist for the SPBGMA Male Vocalist and Songwriter for the past few years in Nashville, Tennessee.
Formed in early 2014, the group received its first achievement with a first-place win in the International Band Championship at the 40th Annual Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) Awards in February of 2014. In 2019, they were nominated for International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) New Artist of the Year. The band consists of five outstanding musicians and singers who are steeped in the sounds of tradition. Jeremy Stephens, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the group, has worked for the world famous gospel group The Chuck Wagon Gang, on the television show Ray Stevens' Nashville, most notably Jesse McReynolds & the Virginia Boys and Jim Lauderdale. Corrina Rose Logston, fiddler and harmony vocalist, has worked with a a who's who of today's traditional-based bluegrass performers, most notably Jesse McReynolds & the Virginia Boys and Jim Lauderdale. Kurt Stephenson handles banjo duties and harmony vocals. He is the 2010 National Bluegrass Banjo Champion at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, and is a staple performer of the greater west Tennessee area. Vickie Vaughn, who plays upright bass and contributes to vocals, has worked in recent year with Patty Loveless and Ricky Skaggs. Multi-instrumentalist and harmony vocalist Daniel Amick has won numerous instrumental contests across the southeast and is a recipient of IBMA's 2019 Instrumentalist of the Year Momentum Award.
High Fidelity draws much of their inspiration from bands like Don Reno & Red Smiley, The Stanley Brothers, The Louvin Brothers, Jim & Jesse, and a host of lesser-known regional artists from the same era. Many have described them as the new Johnson Mountain Boys, interpreting classic era bluegrass through the fresh, young perspecctive of today's generation. Maybe it is this quality that makes High Fidelity so warmly recieved and widely loved by every audience they preform for.
The New North Carolina Ramblers
The New North Carolina Ramblers old-time string band music in the tradition of such legendary artists as Charlie Poole, The Carter Family, and The Floyd County Ramblers. The band features Kirk Sutphin on fiddle and banjo, Jerry Stephens on fiddle and guitar, Darren Moore on guitar and autoharp, and Kinney Rorrer on banjo. They are inspired by the rural traditional recording artists and the back porch musicians who have entertained throughout the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Mountains for generations. The band has since performed at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, MerleFest, the National Folk Festival, The Ferrum Folklife Festival, the Wayne Henderson Festival, and the Barter Theatre. Kirk Sutphin has participated in the National Banjo Tour with Ralph Stanley. Jerry Stephens has won numerous first prizes for his banjo playing including Merlefest and Clifftop. Darren Moore is an expert on the music of the Carter Family and has played at the Carter Family Fold with family members. Kinney Rorrer, great nephew of Charlie Poole and Posey Rorer, has written numerous liner notes and magazine articles on old time music, in addition to his biography of Charlie Poole. He also co-hosts a radio program of traditional rural music called Back to the Blue Ridge on WFVT-FM (NPR). The band’s first CD Cotton Mills Blues was released in 2007. Their second CD Four and a Half was released in the Spring of 2009.
The Jus' Cauz Bluegrass Band is one of the most popular bands in south- central and south-western Virginia. Formed in 2010 from the highly popular Shallow Creek Band, Jus' Cauz has played throughout the eastern United States and is an award-winning band. Jus' Cauz was named the South Carolina State Band Champion as part of RenoFest 2014, and the 2012 and 2018 Best Bluegrass Band in Virginia. Jus' Cauz is a multi-talented group featuring Mark Hudson on guitar and vocals, David Lewis on mandolin and vocals, Darren Moore on bass and vocals, Dylan Burgess on banjo, and Bailey Moore on guitar and vocals. A blend of tight harmonies and skillful musicianship, the band showcases their musical and songwriting abilities while acknowledging their traditional folk, bluegrass and gospel roots. They have appeared on Song of the Mountains and countless other festivals, private venues, and churches since 2010. The band continues to preform on a very regular basis and is always seeking new opportunities to perform and entertain audiences with hopes of releasing an album for their fans to enjoy.
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