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 W/ Durty Dub
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.
Uncle John’s Bone Presents Cransgiving w/ Casey Cranford, Ranford Almond, Ben Vinograd, Matt Laird and special guests
Cory Branan
Over the last two decades Cory Branan has released five albums to much critical acclaim from NPR, Pitchfork and Rolling Stone among others, who called him, “A country boy with a punk-rock heart.” He has toured extensively, appearing on stages from Letterman and the Ryman to your town’s shittiest punk bar. “…a career stacked with lonesome country anthems to life on the road, delivered in a voice that’s pleasantly weathered.” – NPR Branan’s songs have been covered by such artists as Frank Turner and Dashboard Confessional. He has also collaborated with the likes of Jason Isbell, Laura Jane Grace (Against Me!), and Craig Finn (The Hold Steady)who have been included as featured guests on previous records. Branan has even been mentioned in the Lucero song, “Tears Don’t Matter Much” with the lyrics, “Cory Branan’s got an evil streak, and a way with words that’ll bring you to your knees.” “It’s rad”, says Branan, “to have a new home with nice folks at Blue Èlan who’ve threatened to turn me loose to make my kind of weird American music, and I’m really looking forward to getting into the studio this fall and giving it hell.”
Laid Back Country Picker
Laid Back Country Picker and Honey are the Hillbilly Power Duo. Picking up where the White Stripes left off, they deliver a blistering show, equal parts 70s Guitar Rock, Honky Tonk and Country Punk. They have toured internationally, opening for the likes of Deep Purple as well as playing festivals and clubs all across the US. Blurring the lines with wit, humor and hot picking, LB is his own genre. Imagine Waylon Jennings sitting in with Motorhead.
Drew Foust & The Wheelhouse w/ DaShawn & Wendy Hickman Present: Sacred Steel
Drew Foust makes music that feels like it’s been lived in. A natural soul singer, self-taught multi-instrumentalist, and prolific songwriter, Drew makes music that exists somewhere between a juke joint’s last call and the first light of Sunday morning. It’s gritty, spiritual, and deeply human. Southern soul with a modern heartbeat. Backed by The Wheelhouse, Drew delivers a brand of “Southern Soul N’ Roll” built on deep grooves, raw feeling, and unfiltered authenticity. Together since 2019, they’ve played hundreds of shows at venues, clubs, and events all across North Carolina and the East Coast, including stops in Nashville, New York City, Atlanta, and New Orleans. Notably, Drew & The Wheelhouse have performed at nationally acclaimed music festivals, including FloydFest, Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, and the North Carolina Folk Fest. They have also been official opening acts for The Wallflowers, Anders Osborne, The Rumble, and Cedric Burnside. Drew has also collaborated in the studio and onstage with friends like Charlie Hunter, Sam Fribush, DaShawn Hickman, Maia Kamil, Jive Mother Mary, and Jay Faires.
Revelwood Mission w/ Jeffrey Dean Foster & the Arrows
Forged out of a common love for timeless rock & roll and legendary live performances, RevelWood Mission emerged in 2017 with their first release, “The Lansing EP,” delivering a soulful, driving new sound to audiences throughout the Southeast. With a style that’s raw and powerful yet intricately woven, their musical legacy if rich with dynamic guitars, vocal harmonies, and a commanding rhythm section. At times relentless and at others elegant, the band swings seamlessly between bluesy, riff-driven rock songs and intimate lyrical ballads that can tell a three-minute story or an epic. Over a four decades-long career, Jeffrey Dean Foster has slogged it out in the trenches with The Right Profile, The Carneys, and The Pinetops, and been courted and signed by Clive Davis. He has toured the country and shared the stage with Bob Dylan, The Cowboy Junkies, Alex Chilton, Alejandro Escovedo, Ian Hunter, R.E.M. and many more, racking up accolades from all the right magazines. He was even labelmates with Whitney Houston!