Live Bluegrass Weekends
Have you been out to our live Bluegrass Weekends yet? This month, we have two amazing bands coming to play. On October 26, Ernie Bradley & The Grassy Ridge will be here, and on October 27 Stoney Creek Bluegrass will be playing! Bluegrass music is a part of Appalachian heritage, and we are so excited to be able to feature these amazing bands and share our region’s traditions.
Before we highlight the bands coming this month, let’s take a closer look at what bluegrass is and where it comes from. According to the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation, bluegrass originated from the music that immigrants from Ireland, Scotland and England brought with them to America in the 1600s. As the settlers began to move west and south into the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia, they continued to make music about their everyday lives and the struggles they faced. When the phonograph and radio grew in popularity in the 1900s, this “mountain music” was able to be spread across the whole United States.
What sets bluegrass music apart from other country music is its powerful sound, created using traditional acoustic instruments and distinctive vocal harmonies. Bluegrass music also features a three-finger picking style of playing the banjo.
The performers of our last Live Bluegrass Weekend of the year certainly show why this musical style has remained popular for so long!
Ernie Bradley & the Grassy Ridge Band has been playing bluegrass music for almost 40 years. Ernie Bradley, vocalist and banjo player, is also the founder of the band. He learned to play banjo from his father and grandfather, and has performed all over the country since he was a child. The band also features a guitar, bass, and mandolin. You can check out their Facebook page here!
Stoney Creek Bluegrass is a four-member bluegrass band founded right here in West Virginia. Band founder Libby Files brings a signature sound to bluegrass favorites. Around the Panhandle magazine named Stoney Creek “West Virginia’s Classic Bluegrass Band.” Take a look at their Facebook to get more information about upcoming shows and to preview a performance!
The music lasts from 11:00 am – 4:00 p.m. Don’t forget to bring your own lawn chairs to this FREE show! If you are feeling hungry, there will be a local food truck as well as Orr’s Farm Market goods. Hope to see you all there!
