The Crooked Road Sets Stage for 2nd Mountains of Music Homecoming this June

25 Crooked Road Concerts, Over 100 Cultural Experiences, One Unforgettable Experience "Abingdon, VA:  Last year, 64 communities in Southwest Virginia participated in The Crooked Road’s first-ever Mountains of Music Homecoming with over 30 Crooked Road concerts and hundreds of cultural experiences enjoyed by visitors from across the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and Australia.  The second annual Homecoming will take place this June 10-18, 2016, with another stellar set of regional concerts highlighting the area’s rich traditional music.  Performers include the region’s many artists who keep alive the musical traditions that The Crooked Road is known for worldwide and many well-known groups like Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys, Lonesome River Band, and the Seldom Scene.  “This is an opportunity for visitors to The Crooked Road to connect with Southwest Virginia’s unique culture in a very personal and memorable way,” said Crooked Road executive director Jack Hinshelwood. “The Homecoming is about a sense of discovery, whether it's discovering what's around the next bend of The Crooked Road, or discovering a local fiddler you’ve never heard of before that can ‘fiddle all the bugs off a sweet-potato vine’.  We really want visitors to feel they have become a part of this special place and want to return as often as possible.  And no matter when they come during the Homecoming, the music will be here waiting for them at nine major venues and over 60 affiliated venues and local festivals.” "The music that is indigenous to Southwest Virginia provides a rich and authentic Virginia experience," said Rita McClenny, president and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation. "It can be heard at general stores, small town theaters, events, and sporadically throughout the region and visitors can often interact with the musicians, some of whom are direct descendants of some of the most famous names in the genre. The Mountains of Music Homecoming provides the opportunity for the region to collaborate and share the music heritage experience with travelers to the area and our great state of Virginia.” “For those of us who live here, the Homecoming is also a great chance to get to know the place we call home on a deeper level,” said John Kilgore, Crooked Road president. “It’s an opportunity for locals to discover parts of Southwest Virginia they have never taken the time to visit or explore but have always wanted to. And of course it is a great time for folks who have left the region to come back home and enjoy the Homecoming with their friends and family.” Experiencing The Crooked Road in Southwest Virginia In addition to heritage music concerts, the many cultural experiences provide an opportunity for communities to showcase those things they are most proud of, whether it is their outdoor environment, cultural amenities, historical sites, or other assets. “Last year, the communities hosted music and flatfoot dance workshops, farm to table cooking demonstrations and local wine tastings, instrument and quilt making demonstrations, historic homeplace and church tours, music documentary film showings, canoe and kayak trips, community storytelling, community meals, an Appalachian writers symposium, and lots of jam sessions where locals and visitors shared songs and played tunes together,” said Hinshelwood. “The cultural experiences presented in the communities are where the Homecoming spirit really shines the brightest.” 2016 Homecoming Highlights The Crooked Road has added some new elements to this year’s event. Just for the 2016 Homecoming, five of the finest bluegrass artists from Southwest Virginia are coming together to play three concerts as The Crooked Road All Star Bluegrass Band – banjoist Sammy Shelor of the Lonesome River Band, guitarist and singer Junior Sisk of Ramblers Choice, former Bill Monroe fiddler Billy Baker, and Blue Highway members Wayne Taylor on bass and Shawn Lane on mandolin.  The Crooked Road All Star Bluegrass Band will perform Sunday, June 12 at 2:00 p.m. at the Country Cabin in Norton; on Monday, June 13 at 7:00 p.m. at the Reynolds Homestead Center in Critz; and on Tuesday, June 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Theatre in Marion, Virginia.  “This will be a historic gathering of these artists, who have all reached the top of the bluegrass field with their separate careers,” said Kilgore. “It’s an honor to have them perform together at the Homecoming.” HoustonFest, one of the region’s premiere bluegrass and old time music festivals, is part of the 2016 Homecoming and has a superb lineup including Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Wayne Henderson and Virginia Luthiers, Blue Highway, New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters and many more on June 10 and 11.  “HoustonFest is delighted to be part of The Crooked Road’s Mountains of Music Homecoming,” says Debbie Robinson, HoustonFest director.  “This year we’re paying tribute to over 80 years of the Galax Old Fiddlers Convention and performances by legendary Galax artists each day of the festival.”  “The Montgomery Museum in Christiansburg is also a new partner we are delighted to have this year,” says Hinshelwood. Museum Director Sue Farrar says “We are thrilled to be presenting a daylong Homecoming celebration on our Main Street downtown on June 18 with great heritage music artists including a closing performance by the legendary Seldom Scene. This will be a true Homecoming for brothers Ronnie and Rickie Simpkins, who are Christiansburg High School graduates and now both members of the Scene.” Every year, The Crooked Road also presents authentic artists at the Homecoming that come from some other music tradition like last year’s music of Cape Breton.  For 2016, the Homecoming will feature the music of Ireland when the John Doyle Trio performs June 14 at the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount and June 15 at the McGlothlin Center for the Arts at Emory and Henry College.  “Dublin, Ireland-born John Doyle would be on most anyone’s list of the foremost Irish guitarists on the planet,” says Hinshelwood.  “Of course, Irish music is one of the key ingredients in Appalachian music, and it would be hard to find a better group than the John Doyle Trio to demonstrate those connections.” The Crooked Road is also providing 2016 Homecoming attendees a unique taste of the region with a new signature Appalachian local food event in Abingdon. The event, designed and coordinated by Jean Haskell of Appalachian Highlands Consulting and Katie Hoffman of Appalworks, includes a reception at the William King Museum, followed by a special dinner and concert at Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway.  “This special event will incorporate local food, music, culture, and arts in a way that highlights the innovative, creative spirit so characteristic of Appalachia,” says Haskell. According to Hoffman, “There’s a reason why food magazines are paying attention to Appalachia. The menu is designed to demonstrate the kinds of fresh and imaginative thinking that is drawing culinary tourists and notice. Of course, Southwest-Virginia-grown and Southwest-Virginia-made food will be at the heart of the meal.” Speakers for the event include some of the region’s most inventive artists, artisans, and writers as well as a performance featuring the distinctive harmonies of the Church Sisters.    “Blue Ridge Beverage Company is a proud sponsor of The Crooked Road and pleased to partner with others in presenting the second annual Mountains of Music Homecoming,” says Jim Archer, company president. “We hope everyone comes and enjoys the best of our region’s rich and unique heritage.” The full schedule of outstanding concerts and cultural experiences will be finalized in March.  “To say we’re excited about the 2016 Homecoming would be quite an understatement,” says Hinshelwood.  “It’s the one time of the year when every community in Southwest Virginia is in the spotlight and has a chance to share what makes them special.” “As a local Southwest Virginia company, Food City is proud to call this region our home,” says Steve Smith, President.  “We’re also proud to once again be a part of the Homecoming, an event that showcases many of the tremendous talents and skills our region is so well known for.” “We hope everyone who attends the 2016 Homecoming has the kind of experiences described by visitors in 2015,” says Kilgore.  One wrote, “Your country is so beautiful and people so friendly. Thank you for your warm welcome.” Another said, “We rode motorcycles from Kansas to partake in The Crooked Road – it was a great experience.” Homecoming Sponsors The Crooked Road’s Mountains of Music Homecoming is made possible by the support of the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, Virginia Tourism Corporation, Food City, Blue Ridge Beverage, Montgomery County Regional Tourism Office, Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway, Virginia State Parks, Virginia Commission for the Arts, Town of Rocky Mount, Bank of Marion, CGI, the Inn at Wise, Lays Hardware Center for the Arts, FocusOne Integrated Financial Planning, and the Town of Marion.  About The Crooked Road Known internationally as a mecca of old-time, bluegrass, gospel, and other heritage music forms, the 333 mile long Crooked Road connects the home places of some of the most cherished figures in American music – the Carter Family, the Stoneman Family, the Stanley Brothers, and bluegrass pioneers, Jim and Jesse McReynolds, among others – and spans a region celebrated for its beautiful landscape and seminal contributions to the nation’s art and music. For more information about The Crooked Road’s Mountains of Music Homecoming, call (276) 492-2409 or search “mtnsofmusic” on Facebook or Twitter. Tickets for some of The Crooked Road concerts are already available at www.mtnsofmusic.com." - A Press Release

Blue Ridge Music Center Announces 2016 Summer Concert Season

STEEP CANYON RANGERS

Performers for Roots of American Music series include Carlene Carter, Bryan Sutton, Lonesome River Band, Mipso, Steep Canyon Rangers & more

"(GALAX, VA) – Beginning May 28, the Blue Ridge Music Center will welcome a stellar lineup of musicians to the venue at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway for the 2016 Roots of American Music Concert Series. The season continues most Saturdays through September, and includes two fall heritage performances in October.

Each year, the Music Center selects performers that carry on and interpret the traditions of bluegrass, old time, folk, gospel, Americana, and country blues music. This season includes concerts by beloved veterans of the music scene such as Carlene Carter, Bryan Sutton and his Bluegrass Band, Steep Canyon Rangers (Friday performance), Lonesome River Band, and The Virginia Luthiers, as well as rising talents Mipso, Bill and the Belles, The Church Sisters, Dori Freeman, Zoe & Cloyd, Shadowgrass, and Mason Via.

Some of the best old-time mountain music bands from across the Blue Ridge, including the Reed Island Rounders, Crooked Road Ramblers, Larry Sigmon & Martha Spencer, South Carolina Broadcasters, and Five Mile Mountain Road will also take the stage.

The Music Center will honor the late Joe Wilson with A Show for Joe: The Joe Wilson Memorial Festival on September 3, featuring Wayne Henderson, Helen White and Herb Key, plus Elizabeth LaPrelle, Phil Wiggins and Linda and David Lay. Wilson was instrumental in creating the Blue Ridge Music Center and The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail.

In addition to the Saturday performances, the Blue Ridge Music Center will host:

·         Midday Mountain Music performances daily from noon to 4 p.m. (free)

·         JAM & Family Day on Saturday, May 21, with activities and workshops for young musicians, plus hiking, an instrument petting zoo, and more

·         “Banjos: From Africa to the New World” exhibit featuring Bob Thornburg’s collection of restored and reproduction banjos, July 26 through September 5 in the Luthier Shop

2016 Concert Dates

JAM & Family Day
Saturday, May 21, 1 to 7 p.m. / FREE
Presented in partnership with Junior Appalachian Musicians Inc.

Mipso + Shadowgrass
Saturday, May 28, 7 p.m. / $15

Big Ron Hunter + Martha Bassett Band
Saturday, June 4, 7 p.m. / $10

Steep Canyon Rangers + Dori Freeman
Friday, June 17, 7 p.m. / $25
A concert of the Mountains of Music Homecoming Festival
+ Ticketed preshow reception, $30

Crooked Road Ramblers + Mountain Park Old-Time Band
Saturday, June 25, 7 p.m. / $10

Bryan Sutton and his Bluegrass Band + The New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters
Saturday, July 2, 7 p.m. / $20

Jeanette Williams Band + Zoe & Cloyd
Saturday, July 9, 7 p.m. / $10

Carlene Carter + Reed Island Rounders
Saturday, July 16, 7 p.m. / $20

Five Mile Mountain Road + Hard Cider
Saturday, July 23, 7 p.m. / $10

Bill and the Belles + South Carolina Broadcasters
Saturday, July 30, 7 p.m. / $10

Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba + Mason Via
Saturday, August 6, 7 p.m. / $10

The Church Sisters + Larry Sigmon & Martha Spencer
Saturday, August 20, 7 p.m. / $15
+ Ticketed preshow reception, $30

Lonesome River Band + Iron Mountain
Saturday, August 27, 7 p.m. / $20

A Show for Joe: The Joe Wilson Memorial Festival
Wayne Henderson, Helen White & Herb Key + Elizabeth LaPrelle + Linda and David Lay + The Barr Family & more
Saturday, September 3, 1-9 p.m. / $20

The Virginia Luthiers 

Saturday, October 15, 5 p.m. / $15
(indoor concert)

Performers to be announced
Saturday, October 29, 5 p.m.
(indoor concert)

Tickets & Hours

Concert tickets can be purchased at www.blueridgemusiccenter.org, by calling (866) 308-2773, ext. 245, or in person at the Music Center. Full (15 concerts), half (any 7 concerts), and Pick 3 season ticket packages and Music Center memberships are available by phone or online.

Beginning Saturday, May 7, the Visitor Center and Roots of American Music exhibit will be open Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Music Center will be open daily starting Thursday, May 26, through October.

About the Blue Ridge Music Center

The Blue Ridge Music Center, milepost 213, celebrates the music and musicians of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The site includes an outdoor amphitheater and indoor interpretive center used to highlight an important strand of American musical culture, which is still alive and thriving in the region. The site is operated through a partnership between the National Park Service and Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. In the summer, its beautiful outdoor amphitheater comes alive through a vibrant and diverse concert series. Many of these concerts include activities for the whole family such as flatfoot dance lessons. The Music Center also offers scenic trails for the novice and seasoned hiker, educational programs and the interactive Roots of American Music museum. The center and museum are open May through October. Admission to Visitor Center and the Roots of American Music Museum is free. Midday Mountain Music performances are offered free from noon to 4 p.m. daily. For more information, visit www.BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org.

About the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, under a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service and U.S. Department of the Interior, is the primary fundraiser and trusted steward of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Foundation is forever committed to preserving the past, enhancing the present, and safeguarding the future of America’s Favorite Journey®. We are a strong defender of the Parkway, funding critical projects that enhance and protect the natural, cultural, historic, and recreational qualities that make the Blue Ridge Parkway an American treasure. For more information, visit www.brpfoundation.org. "

- A Press Release