Roots

Springtime pricing expires for the Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival on Monday, May 24. A full festival pass with camping included costs $160 until then and then goes up by $10 until June 24. Tickets at the gate are $190. Similar discounts apply for single-day and youth passes. For complete information.

The International Bluegrass Music Museum's annual River of Music Party (ROMP) in Owensboro KY will honor members of two legendary bluegrass bands, The Pioneers of Bluegrass and The Bluegrass Boys. Doc Watson leads a roster of more than 75 musicians who performed in the bands through the years who will be recognized.

The recognition ceremony takes place on the first night of a three-day festival, with Doc Watson with David Holt and Richard Watson closing out the show at RiverPark Center. For Friday and Saturday, the party moves to nearby Yellow Creek Park for a full lineup of top-caliber bluegrass bands. Among the attractions are Dailey & Vincent, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Clair Lynch Band, Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass and lots more.

FP ROMP page | Festival website

When you think musical entertainment at theme parks, you may imagine characters in costume or a troupe of no-name entertainers. Not so at Silver Dollar City's Bluegrass & BBQ, running currently until May 31 at the Branson MO resort. The annual bluegrass event brings in top-name talent like Rhonda Vincent, The Grascals, Dailey & Vincent and more.

The festival hosts two national bluegrass competitions, one for youth bluegrass bands and another for single mic band choreography. Besides the bluegrass, the festival is about smoked meats. Attendees can sample a range of BBQ styles and flavors from Texas, St. Louis, Kansas City, North Carolina and more. For complete information.

Northwest String Summit announced the stage schedule (see below) for its 2010 festival, running July 15-18 at Hornings Hideout in North Plains OR. Yonder Mountain String Band plays three three-hour shows, while .moe has the late slot on Saturday night. Danny Barnes, Crooked Still, Darol Anger's Republic of Strings and Great American Taxi are among the other highlights.

Early bird ticketing for NSS ends May 15. Go here to get your passes before or after prices go up.

Thursday, July 15th
8:00pm    Pete Kartsounes & Friends (Beer Garden Stage)

Friday, July 16th
4:45 - 5:45pm    Band Competition
6:00 - 7:15pm    Great American Taxi
featuring Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon
7:45 - 9:15pm    Darol Anger's Republic of Strings
10:00pm - 1:00am    Yonder Mountain String Band w/ Danny Barnes

Steve Martin and Doc Watson backstage at MerleFest 2010 - Photo by Sherry Dancy

Thumbnail for home page: 

Festival: 22nd annual Falcon Ridge Folk Festival
Announced: May 1
Festival Dates: July 23-26
Status: Complete lineup

Headliners: The Kennedys, Eliza Gilkyson, The Ebony Hillbillies
Notables: Annie Wenz, Cheryl Wheeler, Dala, Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Jimmy LaFave, John Gorka, Nerissa & Katryna Nields, Red Molly, The Clayfoot Strutters, Tracy Grammer, Vance Gilbert

Comment: After admittedly starting late with booking, Falcon Ridge delivers with a solid set for its loyal audience. The Kennedys, Pete and Maura, are back for the first time in four years, performing as a duo though they are pursuing solo projects currently. Eliza Gilkyson, The Ebony Hillbillies, John Gorka, Jimmy LaFave and Cheryl Wheeler are A-list folkies. Gandalf Murphy, The Nields, Tracy Grammer and others are festival favorites. The festival is cut back from four to  three days this year, designed to preserve quality over quantity according to festival management.

We missed an earlier round where FloydFest added the bulk of its outstanding lineup, but now it has topped off the list with a pair of headliners that add further luster to one of the best roots lineups of the summer. Breakout Americana band Old Crow Medicine Show, whose "Wagon Wheel" anthem scored highly on various music charts, joins previously announced Levon Helm Band and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals as headline performers, while New Orleans world-funk outfit Galactic joins a tasty list of notable attractions.

All told, upwards of 100 acts will appear on the festival's eight stages, including a raft of "under the radar" acts that will gain exposure playing for the 12,000 patrons of what has emerged in its ninth season as one of the mid-South region's premiere roots festivals. The musical attractions span a wide range of genres—folk, world, jam, bluegrass, blues and more. But the festival is not only about music, having a significant focus in sustainability, healing arts and superb camping and lodging in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia.