Chuck Mountain, Kelsey Hurley & Jesse Dunks
Lee Roy Parnell’s Texas Flavored Christmas wsg: Jimmy Murray & The Walnut Circle Band
Join GRAMMY-nominated Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame member Lee Roy Parnell for an unforgettable evening of live music featuring his long list of hits (“On The Road,” “Love Without Mercy,” “I’m Holding My Own,” “Heart’s Desire” and “What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am”), plus his Texas-flavored take on a few classic songs for the Christmas season delivered only the way this ace guitarist, vocalist and songwriter can. No Depression may have said it best when they called Lee Roy Parnell “a fine writer blessed with a rich, soulful vocal delivery and a blistering array of guitar chops drawn almost equally from Texas blues, Memphis soul, and Southern rock traditions.”
That 1 Guy, Dr. Bacon, and Brock Butler
DR. BACON is a 4 Piece touring Appalachian Rock, Funk, Grass and Soul band. Blending diverse instrumentation, inspirations, and influence allows the band to perform a synthesis of styles creating a unique musical expression. The Dr. Bacon live experience is truly a spectacle to behold, bringing the audience on a musical journey, caressing ears with lush beauty then whipping crowds into a down-home tribal romp, shaking booties and shedding inhibitions. An undulating wave of energy and styles leads to massive and manic versatility ensuring that no matter what genre of music suits your taste, you will hear something that resonates. Bacon goes good with everything! Dr. Bacon started in 2012 on King Street in Boone as a 3 piece busking acoustic bluegrass, folk, and 90s pop/rock/hip-hop influenced band. Several lineup changes over the years and a move to Asheville have refined and redirected the bands sound, incorporating funk, rock, soul, psychedelic, improvisation, blues, punk and world music. The blending of several elements of these genres, often within the same song, along with an arsenal of instrumentation brings the real Dr. Bacon flavor. The band tours regularly, up and down the East coast and beyond. With 3 EPs and two length albums under their belts, Dr. Bacon performs an original focused setlist with a rotating and evolving palate of choice covers. Never performing the same set twice and constantly working towards the next musical achievement means that each show is a beast unto itself where you’ll never know what new tricks are in store.
Red Panda w/ Feeney
With an all star cast of musicians from the North Carolina triad, Red Panda features a deep pocket rhythm section comprised of lifelong friends Kassem Williams (Drums) and Mark Vann (Bass) along with jam rock veteran Nick MacDaniels (guitar, vocals) from Big Something plus up and coming singer songwriter Ranford Almond (guitar, vocals), and Bill Stevens (keys) creating a unique blend of funk, jazz, and rock.
Mariee Siou
Mariee Siou has been a fixture in the Neo-folk scene since her 2007 debut “Faces in the Rocks”—now acclaimed as a cult classic in the indie music world. She is revered for her delicate finger picking and poetic mysticism, often drawing, as from the ether, immense feeling through a voice of soft potency and otherworldly wordsmithing. She is known as a healing singer and as being a visionary artist, channeling and transmitting medicinal qualities through her music. Mariee Siou has extensively toured Europe and the US, and opened for acclaimed artists like Mazzy Star, Buffy St. Marie, Bert Jansch, Brightblack Morning Light, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, and Joanna Newsom. In 2021 she played Le Guess Who? In Utrecht, Netherlands, at the invitation of Phil Elverum of The Microphones/Mt. Eerie, and she continues to tour the US and Europe.
Mark Kano & Mike Garrigan w/ John Gillespie
General Purpose, Burlap Circus, and Somnium
Chris McGinnis, Joel Nelson, Mason Winfree, and Will Easter
Chris McGinnis writes songs that exist somewhere between a hiccup and a heartache. His most recent EP, Songs For You, touches on the peculiarity of your hometown morphing beyond recognition. It tells the story of two Baby Boomers falling in and out of love across time zones and decades. It’s about connection and disconnection alike. With the release of his debut full-length album Mamaw’s Angel, Chris veers deeper into these familiar themes. Through tales of stolen Winnebagos and hip-shaking grandbabies, Chris’ music is Appalachian absurdity for the 21st Century. Will Easter 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 49 Winchester, Town Mountain, David Childers, Tommy Prine, and Ronda Vincent. He has also played many notable festivals, including FloydFest, Shakori Hills, Boonerang, Doc and Rosa Lee Music Fest, and is the winner of the 2022 Merlefest band competition. Mason Winfree Mason P. Winfree is an award-winning old-time musician and flatfoot dancer who has earned numerous ribbons, including first-place honors, at bluegrass and old-time fiddlers’ conventions across North Carolina and Southwest Virginia, such as the Galax Old Fiddlers Convention and the Mount Airy Fiddlers Convention. Over the years, he has performed with several groups and has shared his craft both nationally and abroad, including on PBS’s Song of the Mountains.
Chicago Farmer & Ed Jurdi
When taking on the moniker Chicago Farmer, singer-songwriter Cody Diekhoff aimed to not only showcase the dichotomy of his life and travels — growing up in the tiny Illinois farm community of Delavan, and calling “The Windy City” home for several years — he also wanted to honor his past through his uplifting, introspective melodies. “My hometown kind of goes with me wherever I go,” Diekhoff says. “All thethings I learned from my grandparents, I take that with me wherever I go. They’re always in my heart and in my mind.” Which is why Diekhoff’s latest offering, Homeaid, puts a spotlight on the old soul nature and deep ethos of compassion and camaraderie that resides at the core of his being. A blend of Americana, indie-folk and roots-rock, the album swirls effortlessly into the ether of a modern world facing uncertain times. As a founding member and co- leader of the Austin, TX rock and roll outfit The Band of Heathens, Ed Jurdi’s voice, songwriting and musicianship have been key elements in defining the band’s kaleidoscopic American sound. From festival performances at Bonnaroo, Austin, City Limits, Lollapalooza, Wakarusa, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass to over a thousand one nighters in clubs and theaters across the United States and Europe, Ed Jurdi has been a fixture in the Americana world and beyond for the better part of two decades. Originally from the Boston area, Ed Jurdi has forged a sound both rooted in the past and pointing toward the future. An ardent student of the masters of American music, he brings the passion of a gospel sermon and juxtaposes it against a gathering of merry pranksters with a soulful delivery and timeless voice. Ed has called Asheville and the mountains of Western North Carolina home for the better part of a decade after spending eight years in Austin, TX
Hustle Souls
Hustle Souls, based in Asheville, NC, masterfully blend Retro-Soul, Brass Band Funk, and Singer-Songwriter Americana into a unique and captivating sound. Lauded by American Blues Scene as a “generation-jumping mashup of new school second line funk with old school vintage soul,” and described by Bluestown Music as “intimate soul…with a Curtis Mayfield like warmth,” the band has earned a spot as one of Music Connection Magazine’s “Hot 100 Live Unsigned Artists & Bands.”Overflowing with energy and spontaneity, Hustle Souls features B3 organ and jubilant brass, three-part vocal harmonies and a passion for songwriting. Their music has been praised by Aldora Britian Records as “worthy of being included in that brilliant soul music canon, a heritage that features some of the greatest performers and writers that have ever graced this earth.”In 2024, Hustle Souls released their vinyl debut and singer Billy Litz was invited to perform at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, as an endorsing artist for the prestigious Santa Cruz Guitar Company. The band also represents Seydel Harmonicas and LR Baggs as endorsing artists. Hustle Souls have been featured on major festival lineups such as Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, the Ramble Festival, Rooster Walk, Mountain Music Fest, Shakori Hills Grassroots Music Festival etc.