Ranford Almond Band ALBUM RELEASE PARTY With HedCase (Casey Cranford + Chris Hedrick)
Bringing the soul from Greensboro, North Carolina, Ranford Almond is a young singer/songwriter and troubadour that has begun to make his mark across the Southeast. Raspy fresh vocals meet the Appalachian strings of Ranford’s acoustic guitar, reminiscent of John Prine, and Towns Van Zandt with his own unique stamp. Furthermore, his talent extends far beyond composition and strumming, as he is a warrior on the electric as well. Ranford plays as a solo artist and leads a full band. Ranford Almond’s debut EP entitled Back Burner, which is available on all streaming platforms and highlights his songwriting and arranging abilities. His forthcoming full length debut ‘Old Soul’ is due to arrive in 2023, and demonstrates the evolution of Almond’s ability as he grows as both a writer, arranger, and player. The album, recorded at Ovation Sound, will feature a litany of nationally recognized guests, as well as the tutelage of its producer, Bill Stevens. To find Back Burner and additional high quality digital content your preferred platform click here follow this link- https://linktr.ee/ranfordalmond In addition to Almond’s studio explorations, his live history is evident of his growth on stage. Spreading beyond its home of the Piedmont Triad, it has begun to meet new stages and audiences. Festival appearances include Mountain Music Festival, Shakori Hills, The New River Gorge Festival, The Big What?, Trail Days, The Casual Campout, and more. Other notable stand alone plays include headlining the grand opening of The Flat Iron, appearing under the lights on the big screen of Winston Salem’s Drive In, a feature and headlining appearance of the North Carolina’s “Writer’s In The Round” series and its live counterpart Singers & Songbirds. As of Winter 2023, Almond made his Colorado debut as a solo artist in Steamboat Springs, following his prior guest appearances with Big Something in the region. Ranford’s live collaborative projects link him to significant established talent as well. Red Panda is a six piece unit that sees him join forces with the likes of Nick MacDaniels with whom he also shares a duo, and Jesse Hensley, both of Big Something. He can be found fronting another all star style band with Casey Cranford (Big Something), Daniel Yount (Super Yamba Band), and Seth Barden, the latter two staples of the New York City scene. “Mature. These days, it is not a term commonly used to describe someone of Ranford Almond’s age. However, with his debut EP, Back Burner, young Ranford displays a maturity in his songwriting that belies his young 21 years of age. Throughout this short journey of folksy tunes, abundant with lyrical depth and emotional songwriting, it can be easy for the listener to mistake these songs as those of a much more rugged and traveled character, grizzled by years of burden and heartbreak.” -Ryan McBrayer, The Jamwich
Colin Cutler & Hot Pepper Jam, Wendy And Dashawn Hickman, and Rebekah Todd
The Vegabonds w/ Evan Blackerby & Friends
The Nashville-based alternative southern rock band—THE VEGABONDS are ready to get back to what they know – releasing kick ass new music and touring around the country, having logged more 400,000 miles over their ten-year history. Their new full-length studio album, Sinners and Saints, is set for release on September 24, 2021 through Blue Élan Records. While several of the songs were written pre-COVID, the tenor of Sinners and Saints is about not just survival but thriving in the midst of an unforeseen event. “Can’t Deal” is the perfect example, inspired by keyboardist Beau Cooper’s fascination with Yacht Rock, with his whirring Wurlitzer carrying the song into Atlantic Rhythm Section “Spooky” territory. Said Cooper, “The song is basically the nicest way to tell someone you care about to back off for a second. It falls under the ‘Sinners and Saints’ mindset. You can give bad news and tell the hard truth, but still be kind while you do it.” THE VEGABONDS are Daniel Allen (Lead vocals/songwriter), Richard Forehand (Lead guitars/vocals), Paul Bruen (bass), Beau Cooper (keyboards/vocals/songwriter) and Bryan Harris (drums)
Willy Tea Taylor And The Turkey Buzzards
There is no question that Willy Tea Taylor’s life as a singer/songwriter was predetermined – his role realized the moment he wrote his first song. In it for the song, the hang, and the sounds he draws from his little, tenor guitar, Willy drew his inspiration from grainy videos he watched of the true visionaries of his genre: Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, Steve Young and Guy Clark, sitting around Clark’s little kitchen table loaded down with ash trays full of butts and half-smoked cigarettes, food, and booze on one Christmas Eve in 1975. Those guys, swapping songs without pretense, was what lit Willy Tea’s fire. Ever since, that’s been his passion – finding that hang and curating relationships through musical friendships that get him to his version of that night.Willy Tea Taylor, the son of a cattleman, was born and raised in the “Cowboy Capital of the World”, Oakdale, California. In the past year or so, after thousands of miles driven and countless songs written and played, he has suddenly and rightfully found himself standing shoulder to shoulder in the ranks of today’s great Alt-Country musicians. From his early days co-fronting The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit, to singing solo in countless cowboy bars, Willy Tea has never lost the vision of what he knew could be. And now with The Fellership or solo, Willy Tea Taylor, he has taken his version of that hero hang on the road.
Kenny Roby with Sam Frazier
Will Easter And The Nomads With Chris McGinnis And Mawmaw’s Angels
Coming of age in a hardworking, musical family, living in harmony with the land and the river, Will Easter’s passion for music may have been a given, but his talent and lyricism is what has him sharing the stage with acts like Jim Avett, David Childers, Time Sawyer, Brooks Forsyth, and Danger Muffin. Will’s album, Carolina Home, will take you on a journey from growing up to love lost and found, working hard while finding peace in the everyday, always culminating on the winding road leading home.
Drew Foust’s Wheelhouse with Joel Henry And Friends
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.
Sam Burchfield And The Scoundrels
Sam Burchfield’s latest record ‘Scoundrel’ begins a new saga. The record dives into 11 tales of greed, betrayal, desire, heartache, despair- and redemption. “We recorded these songs on my friend’s farm in South Georgia, tracking live in the same room. It felt right,” Sam recalls of the pre-pandemic recording sessions. “It’s nice to finally have this record out. It’s sort of a marker of a new chapter for me. A new sound, a new direction, and a return to my roots really.” Ironically, the album artwork is an early 1900s photo of ‘Sam Burchfield, a veteran moonshiner of the Appalachians.’ A very distant Great-uncle, Burchfield claims. Sam grew up in Seneca, South Carolina, with roots in eastern Tennessee and western Carolina. Burchfield was raised on the mountains, and it’s an evident theme throughout his two EPs and two full length records. Reconnecting to the earth, and reconnecting to each other is the underlying passion that pushes the young songwriter to carry on. Sam is now settled in Jasper, GA with his lovely wife (artist Pip the Pansy) and newborn son. Catch Sam Burchfield & The Scoundrels (aptly named) on tour in a city near you.
John Howie JR. And The Rosewood Bluff with The Waymores
In 1995, John Howie Jr.’s honky-tonk band, the Two Dollar Pistols, emerged out of the North Carolina alt-country explosion that gave the world Whiskeytown and the Backsliders, among others. The Pistols spent twelve years traveling around the United States and Europe, making records for the esteemed Yep Roc label with an updated, soulful take on old-school country and honky-tonk sounds. Over the course of seven albums – including a series of duets with Grammy nominee Tift Merritt – Howie and the band developed a sizable following, packing clubs on the East Coast and being flown to festivals in Europe, while the band’s albums regularly appeared on the Americana chart. In that time, the Pistols shared the stage with a veritable who’s-who of country music legends, including Merle Haggard, Billy Joe Shaver, Dale Watson, BR-549, the Derailers, and many more, and were invited to play at Opryland in 2003. When the Two Dollar Pistols went on an extended hiatus in 2008, Howie set about forming a new group, an expansion on the Pistols’ sound that broadened its musical scope to incorporate other influences that had crept into John’s songwriting, like Southern soul, rhythm and blues and country-rock. That group, John Howie Jr. and the Rosewood Bluff, has released two full-length albums, and, like the Pistols, the Rosewood Bluff has shared the stage with big names like the legendary George Jones, Wayne Hancock, Shovels and Rope, and many more. Both of the Rosewood Bluff’s albums, 2011’s Leavin’ Yesterday and 2014’s Everything Except Goodbye, were met with critical acclaim and received steady airplay on key programs like Sirius/XM’s Outlaw Country. The band’s five piece line up – that includes pedal steel guitar – allows for movement between honky-tonk shuffles, driving country-rock numbers, and deep soul ballads, all delivered via Howie’s rich baritone. Howie spent the majority of 2016/2017 in the studio and on the road playing drums for Bloodshot Records artists Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, receiving a co-write credit for the song, “Fuck Up.” He left the Disarmers in late 2017 to continue to work on his own music, and released his critically acclaimed solo album, Not Tonight, which featured members of the Disarmers and the Rosewood Bluff, in September 2018. 2020 found John and the Rosewood Bluff releasing the “Better Things” single and video and working on a new album of original material, Never Enough, for release in 2023
The Joy Band
The Joy Band is made up of some of the triad’s best singers, songwriters, and players.Featuring Molly Mcginn, Sam Frazier, Dashawn Hickman, Chris Micca, and Cliff GreesonDoors at 7:30pmShow at 8:00pm$10
