George And(y) The Sams

Come see this super group featuring George Sluppick, Andy Ware, Sam Frazier, and Sam Fribush! Doors at 7pm and Florence Dore will kick it off at 8pm.$10

Grady Spencer & the Work is a band built from blood, tears, and sweat. A whole lot of sweat. Grady was born and raised in the West Texas plains, where he learned not only the value of a hard day’s work, but also how to play the acoustic guitar. Following his love for the music of Jack Johnson, Grady would quickly realize that the music that he was playing was not only a hobby but a dream that he would be chasing for the rest of his life. In 2013, Grady would meet Blake Sager, the original and long-withstanding drummer of the band. Several roster alterations and changes over the years would eventually lead Grady to also find and convince bassist Johnny Hatcher and lead guitarist Tyler Martin to join the band as well. Since late 2017, this group of close friends and teammates have been working together to craft two full-length albums and countless live shows across the country. Recorded in Fort Worth, Texas over the tumultuous times of post-lockdown 2021, Wait is the brainchild of Grady Spencer brought to life with the help of the band and producer Reese Murphy. Cleanly arranged, tight guitars meld together with deep funk grooves to create a sound that is vaguely familiar yet excitingly new all at the same time. The songs themselves are a collection from all the way back to the days when Grady first met his wife into the madness and confusion of 2020.

The Lubben Brothers w/ Logan Duke

Triplets and high-energy acoustic musicians from the farmlands of Iowa, The Lubben Brothers specialize in tight vocal harmonies and an eclectic blend of folk instruments involving banjo, mandolin, tin whistle, accordion, hammered dulcimer, and fiddle. Diving into classical music at a young age, their modern songwriting style merges their folk roots with complex pop ideas. The Brothers have soloed at venues ranging from South Florida’s Meyer Amphitheater and Broward Center for the Performing Arts, to The Gardens Hockey Arena of Northern Minnesota. Their music has aired on radio stations across the United States, while they have developed a committed, grassroots following in their current state of Florida; as one reviewer put it: “The Lubben Brothers are to Florida as the Lumineers are to Denver, Colorado” (Maritza Cosano, West Palm Beach Magazine). Music by the Lubben Brothers was chosen as an encore for NPR’s “Live from Here” with Chris Thile, and featured in Netflix’s premiere film of the 2021 Christmas season, “Love Hard.” Composers as well as musicians, the Lubben Brothers have written multiple musicals, and actively record, write, and release new music when not performing on the road.

Jeremie Albino w/ Benjamin Dakota Rogers

Jeremie Albino’s grainy ballads are inflected with a joyous tenor that has found him a distinct space in the world of Americana, folk, blues, and country. Reimagining the image of the lonesome wanderer, his music is rooted in the instant when everyone in a room experiences the same moment in a multitude of different ways—embodying solitude and connection all at once. Starting out playing late night gig slots, Jeremie’s rigour has landed him a blossoming touring career. Garnering attention from the community and press alike, he’s heralded as “a true resurgence of the most authentic blues brought to life through the eyes of a modern and young, but old-soul artist ” (American Songwriter) and “the next in line of emotive band leaders that project soul and directness atop a head turning sound” (Glide Magazine).His forthcoming album, Tears You Hide (2023), produced by Jeremie’s long time collaborator and manager Crispin Day, is a memento to family, resilience, and the road ahead. Three years in the making, the rickety footstomping, and lilting stories inherent to Albino’s sound remains, yet the narrative has shifted slightly. Tears You Hide troubles the romanticization of the past by cherishing the present, stringing a narrative where connection, resolve, and vulnerability are distilled in an unfiltered amount of gratitude.Benjamin Dakota Rogers wields one of those distinct, immediate, and truly wild voices. With a studied nod to old-time and bluegrass rhythms, his unvarnished sound effectively smashes the barrier between past and present.Delivering songs from a deep well of passion for storytelling, Rogers’ lyric sensibility is rare among young artists. His most recent single, John Came Home, is a haunting take on the murder ballad. “I’d had the riff for about six months,” he says. “I tend to write short stories and convert them into songs.” John Came Home is full of upbeat boldness and ghostly ire that culminates in a direct hit to the chest.Rogers finds a way to match his instrument to the guttural twang of the voice. “I inherited my great-grandfather’s violin when I was young,” he says. “So I grew up playing that.” After a few years on six-string, Rogers began tuning his tenor guitar like a fiddle. “Tenors are neat because they were only popular for a short time in the 1920s. I’ve played about two-hundred shows on mine. It’s beautiful, and unreliable,” he laughs. The unconventional nature of such a classic piece shines on Charlie Boy, where precise picking builds to a dramatic peak. With sturdy backing by a sparse rhythm section,Rogers offers a fresh and authentic contribution to the traditions of string-band sound.

Colby T. Helms

At the bottom of the Southwest Virginia foothills, in Franklin County, south of Roanoke, about a half-mile from the nearest neighbor, Colby T. Helms resides in an underground house built by his late father. He chops wood daily for the stove, hunts, and takes care of his mom. He also pens raw and real storytelling music that cuts to the bone. Colbysuffered the loss of his dad to cancer when he was only 12 years old. Beset by sadness and loneliness, he turned to music. He taught himself guitar, banjo, and mandolin by watching local performers and videos. He amassed a growing record collection, combing through the stacks at flea markets and browsing online. He began to perform countless gigs around the area with his band, The Virginia Creepers. He also shared a series of performance videos on YouTube. Colby’s honest songwriting, raw vocals and talented guitar licks began turning heads, and with a debut album on the not-too-distant horizon, it won’t be long before the music world takes notice of Colby T. Helms.

Abe Partridge w/ David Childers

American Songwriter Magazine said that, “Abe Partridge has established himself as one of the most respected songwriters and visual folk artists in the southeast.” Partridge released his second full-length release, Cotton Fields and Blood For Days, in January 2018 to rave reviews and substantial airplay on Americana radio. It landed Partridge a lengthy feature in The Bitter Southerner and the album was chosen to be one of their top 30 albums of 2018. Ranging from the earthy to the surreal, from the spiritual light to the depths of depression, Partridge draws listeners in with a combination of southern gothic storytelling, dark humor and gripping intensity. Savannah Morning News said, “The singer/songwriter has emerged in the last two years as a tour-de-force of a live act, with the DNA of folk heroes named Townes, Bob and John, combined with his own unique perspective of rock ‘n’ roll and his Southern homeland.” Partridge made his debut at The Bluebird Café in Nashville, July 2018 and brought the house down with his passionate performance. He toured the UK and Ireland October 2019 in support of David Ford. He also toured the Netherlands and Belgium November of 2018 and 2019. He performed at the prestigious 30A Songwriter Festival in Santa Rosa, Florida, in January of 2019 and 2020 along with performers such as John Prine, Tanya Tucker, Jason Isbell, Steve Earle, Shawn Mullins, and many more.w/ David Childers: Singer-songwriter David Childers is the proverbial study in contradictions. A resident of Mount Holly, North Carolina, he’s a former high-school football player with the aw-shucks demeanor of a good ol’ Southern boy. But he’s also a well-read poet and painter who cites Chaucer and Kerouac as influences, fell in love with folk as a teen, listens to jazz and opera, and fed his family by practicing law before turning in his license to concentrate on his creative passions. The legal profession’s loss is certainly the music world’s gain. Childers’ new album, Run Skeleton Run, releasing May 5, 2017 on Ramseur Records, is filled with the kinds of songs that have made him a favorite of fans and fellow artists including neighbors the Avett Brothers. Scott Avett contributes to four tracks, and Avetts bassist Bob Crawford co-executive-produced the effort with label head Dolph Ramseur. (Crawford and Childers, both history buffs, have recorded and performed together in the Overmountain Men). Crawford has also called Childers “a great friend, a great thinker and a great man … a true North Carolina treasure.” But let’s take out “North Carolina,” because Childers is the kind of treasure who can spread joy wherever people love listening to great songs. In other words, just about anywhere. Or everywhere.

The Pinkerton Raid w/ Sam Foster

The Pinkerton Raid’s songs travel through forest legends and foreign lands, blackjack games and French bistros, photo albums and feminist awakenings, all backdrops for human drama of the genuine kind. 2022’s THE HIGHWAY MOVES THE WORLD begins two decades ago in Jesse James DeConto’s childhood basement, where he learned The Beatles and first turned a songwriter’s eye on his own rich and complicated family life. “Radiant,” says AMERICAN SONGWRITER. “Poignant,” says ROLLING STONE. Since the lockdowns, Jesse is back on the road with a totally new lineup, but, as always, a gang of friends with a full-band sound. The Durham, NC-based band has played at festivals from Georgia to Ohio, sharing stages with Liz Cooper, The Bones of JR Jones and The Nude Party. “A sound for dreamers around a campfire,” says GHETTOBLASTER.w/ Sam Foster: While drawing much inspiration from legends of country music past and present, Foster’s sound can be more broadly described as rock. His roots run deep into the vein of American music, and he’s continually inspired by folk, soul, rock, and rhythm and blues. With three albums under his belt (two solo, and one with alt-country outfit Whiskey Foxtrot) and backed by his new band “The Obsolete,” Foster released his fourth solo offering “Heatwaves” in 2022. “Heatwaves” retains Foster’s roots in country and Americana, but forges ahead into new territory for the leadman.   Sam Foster has shared the stage with national touring acts such as American Aquarium, Joshua Ray Walker, Margo Cilker, Seth Walker, Adam Hood, and Trapper Schoepp.

Wyatt Easterling and the Modern Day Drifters w/ Chris Myers

Finalist for the 2023 Rocky Mountain Songwriter Festival Finalist for the 2022 IAMA Song of the Year for Americana/Folk From Where I Stand: #8 Contemporary Folk Chart for 2022 Roots Music Report What folks are saying about Wyatt’s new release: From Where I Stand “Wyatt’s New Project From Where I Stand is a fine example of his world class singing and songwriting chops. He plays these songs with a lot of heart and soul. It’ s a great album, so check it out”- Paul Thorn “Another collection of thoughtfully crafted, honest songs from the heart of Wyatt Easterling”- Robby Hecht, Nashville” An album of searing honesty and lithe beauty whose songs amplify the emotions and experiences of so many of us—reassessed relationships, self-reflection, and the ultimate search for hope. Its intentions are pure, as are those of Wyatt on this set of ten tunes of loss, resilience and devotion, with determination in the lyrics and buoyancy in the music.” – Alan Cackett , UK “Easterling’s vocal is heartfelt and intimate, the songs are thoughtful and compelling “- Americana UK

Drew Foust’s Wheelhouse with Brady Heck (Of Holy Roller)

A natural soul singer and blues musician, Drew Foust’s music sounds like it’s made between the bleary hours of a rock bar’s last call and a southern preacher’s early morning prayer. Hand made, self-made and arranged in dramatic structure, the music is lyrical and rhythm driven, always pushing a feeling forward. His latest release, “Good Thing,” is inspired by the Memphis soul music from the 60’s and 70’s. Richmond, VA based Holy Roller is hitting the scene with their self titled, debut album. With roots dug deep in rock, americana, soul, and country, Holy Roller brings a sound that’s as much new as it is a welcome home after too long spent away. Beautiful harmonies that seem to cry out like the rivers they were written for are paired with honest songs of love, loss, home, and heartache. Holy Roller is an absolutely compelling live performance and their recordings are both intimate and exciting, from the homesick, “Oh, Virginia”, to the R&B steamroller, “Muscle Up.” By way of the stage or by way of their debut album, this a group that wants to take you back to the front porch they grew up on. Holy Roller is a drinking buddy and an arm around your shoulder. Debut single, Muscle Up, out now! Debut album out February 16th!

Melissa Carper

After the success of her critically-acclaimed 2021 release Daddy’ s Country Gold, Melissa Carper, dubbed “HillBillie Holiday” by friend and collaborator Chris Scruggs, was eager to get back in the studio. With co-producers Andrija Tokic (St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Hurray For The Riff Raff) and Dennis Crouch (The Time Jumpers) behind the boards again at Tokic’s analog paradise The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, Carper assembled that same crew of magical music makers – plus a few more – to embark on her newest effort, Ramblin’ Soul, out on November 18th via Thirty Tigers. “Carper finds power in using decades-old styles as a backdrop for narratives and melodies that feel more contemporary.” – Rolling Stone “ Carper’s relentless creativity spins our grandparents’ music into something immediate and familiar.” – No Depression ” Melissa Carper and her cohorts have crafted an exquisite work of audio goodness that mesmerizes with its wayback sound and style, stealing you to a simpler era in music when everything made more sense, and the very foundations of American music were set.” – Saving Country Music “Not unlike Loretta Lynn, Melissa Carper is giving us scenes and stories and vignettes that kind of play out between home and the honky-tonk.” — NPR “Listeners will break out in grins when pushing play and hearing the swinging sounds of the title track.” – American Songwriter “Melissa Carper writes simple, profound songs with a distinctly vintage sound palette.” – GRAMMY.com

Genre: Americana