Live Review: Hackensaw Boys and Charm City Junction @ Stages Music Arts — 05/21/21

Posted on 05/26/2021 by Casey Vock in Live Review and tagged Americana, bluegrass, Charm City Junction, folk, Hackensaw Boys, Stages Music Arts.

Hackensaw Boys perform at Stages Music Arts in Cockeysville on May 21, 2021. (Photo by Casey Vock.)

As live performances mount a comeback, venues in the Charm City and Baltimore County are quickly helping music lovers jump back into the swing of things as more and more dates fill the calendar.

This past Friday night gave acoustic roots fans a special opportunity to celebrate the craft at the Charm City Bluegrass Festival, hosted at Stages Music Arts, a cozy outdoor venue and recording hub tucked away up on Stenerson Lane in Cockeysville, Maryland.

Livestream Preview: Keller Williams @ StageIt, 8/19/20

Posted on 08/18/2020 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged bluegrass, folk, jam band, Keller Williams, livestream, StageIt.

Keller Williams (Photo by Taylor Crothers)

Keller Williams released his 25th studio album, Speed, last year, and it was his third collaboration with flatpicker Larry Keel and bassist Jenny Keel, following 2006’s Grass and 2012’s Thief.

Since then, Keller has embraced live-streaming in our pandemic times, and he has a show on Wednesday, Aug. 19 via StageIt that’s sure to touch on his collaborations with The Keels and more!

Around Town: Congrats to the 2020 Wammie Award Winners

Posted on 07/21/2020 by Parklifer in Around Town, Local Spotlight and tagged awards program, best of the year, bluegrass, blues, folk, gogo, hip hop, Pie Shop, punk, soul, The Musicianship, Wammie Awards, Wammies.

Elizabeth II won the 2020 Wammie Award for Best Rock Song with “Lonely.” (Photo by Mark Caicedo)

The MusicianShip recognized winners of the 2020 Washington Area Music Awards, or Wammies, in a series of virtual announcements with Events DC last week.

Parklife DC salutes the 2020 Wammie Award winners!

Stream Preview: DelFest at Home @ Facebook, 5/21-5/24/20

Posted on 05/21/2020 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged Americana, bluegrass, Del McCoury, DelFest, DelFest at Home, Facebook Live, music festival, Ronnie McCoury, The Del McCoury Band, The Travelin' McCourys.

The Travelin’ McCourys (Photo courtesy IVPR)

DelFest, the festival brainchild of Del McCoury and his extended McCoury family, has just announced DelFest at Home, a streaming event celebrating musical highlights from DelFests past.

Happening during the originally scheduled festival weekend, May 21 through May 24, the free online event will feature performances from the festival’s namesake and his family as well as bluegrass and jam band luminaries such as Trey Anastasio Band, Bela Fleck and Chris Thile, Greensky Bluegrass, and more.

Interview: Ronnie McCoury (of The Del McCoury Band and The Travelin’ McCourys)

Posted on 05/11/2020 by Casey Vock in Interview and tagged bluegrass, Interview, Nashville, Ronnie McCoury, Tennessee, The Del McCoury Band, The Travelin' McCourys.

The Del McCoury Band performs at Ram’s Head On Stage in Annapolis in November 2017. (Photo by Casey Vock)

Ronnie McCoury, the eldest son of bluegrass legend Del McCoury and the longtime mandolin player for The Del McCoury Band, says he’s never had this much free time in the four decades he’s been performing music.

Ronnie was just a 13-year-old kid when he got his first glimpse of his father’s buddy Bill Monroe playing the mandolin, and, not long after, he was playing gigs alongside his dad. All these years later, Ronnie’s an eight-time International Bluegrass Music Association Mandolin Player of the Year and, just last year, produced the association’s Album of the Year — “Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass” — with his dad.

Livestream Preview: Odetta Hartman @ Facebook Live, 4/24/20

Posted on 04/21/2020 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged bluegrass, folk, livestream, New York City, Odetta Hartman, Sixth & I.

Odetta Hartman (Photo courtesy the artist)

With a heart-stopping voice and wide-ranging instrumental talent, Odetta Hartman carries cowboy soul into an era where country can clash with computers, and bluegrass isn’t afraid of bass.

Odetta livestreams a performance for Sixth & I Living Room Sessions on Friday, April 24.

RIP, John Prine

Posted on 04/08/2020 by Mark Engleson in Around Town and tagged Americana, bluegrass, country, folk, John Prine, Nashville, Tennessee.

John Prine (Photo by Danny Clinch)

(Editor’s note: Folk musician John Prine, 73, died of complications related to COVID-19 on April 7.)

A Personal Remembrance of John Prine

I only saw John Prine live once. In November 2017, he played DAR Constitution Hall. Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys opened the show.

Live Review: The Lil Smokies @ 9:30 Club — 3/7/20

Posted on 03/16/2020 by Ari Strauss in Live Review and tagged 9:30 Club, bluegrass, folk, Montana, The Lil Smokies.

The Lil Smokies jam on stage at DC’s legendary 9:30 Club, March 7, 2020. (Photo by Ari Strauss)

The Lil Smokies had March 7 circled on their calendar for quite some time. For several months, the progressive bluegrass band from Missoula, Montana, anxiously anticipated stepping onto the stage at DC’s legendary 9:30 Club for the very first time.

Live Review: Trampled by Turtles @ Baltimore Soundstage — 2/22/20

Posted on 03/03/2020 by Casey Vock in Live Review and tagged alt-country, Baltimore Soundstage, bluegrass, folk, Minnesota, Trampled by Turtles.

Trampled by Turtles performs at Baltimore Soundstage on Feb. 22, 2020. (Photo by Casey Vock)

What separates one band from the next might be the degree to which it challenges itself within the confines of whatever genre it is pigeonholed — and exercising creativity while respecting particular forms and traditions of your craft isn’t always easy.

For going on two decades, Duluth, Minnesota-based Trampled by Turtles has earned a reputation in the studio and on the road for testing the upper limits of bluegrass power and tempo while simultaneously honing the sweetest harmonies to ever come out of the Zenith City.

Live Review: Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives @ The Birchmere — 2/27/20

Posted on 03/02/2020 by Mark Engleson in Live Review and tagged Americana, bluegrass, country, Marty Stuart, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, Nashville, Rashad Polk, Tennessee, The Birchmere.

Marty Stuart performs at The Birchmere on Feb. 27, 2020. (Photo by Rashad Polk)

If you have even the slightest interest in country music, you owe it to yourself to see Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives. The Fabulous Superlatives — “Cousin” Kenny Vaughan on guitar, “Professor” Chris Scruggs laying down the bass, and “Handsome” Harry Stinson keeping the beat on the drums — are an all-star team of Americana players. Marty is a former child prodigy who was already playing professionally with bluegrass legend Lester Flatt as a teenager.

bluegrass

Live Review: Hackensaw Boys and Charm City Junction @ Stages Music Arts — 05/21/21

Livestream Preview: Keller Williams @ StageIt, 8/19/20

Around Town: Congrats to the 2020 Wammie Award Winners

Stream Preview: DelFest at Home @ Facebook, 5/21-5/24/20

Interview: Ronnie McCoury (of The Del McCoury Band and The Travelin’ McCourys)

Livestream Preview: Odetta Hartman @ Facebook Live, 4/24/20

RIP, John Prine

Live Review: The Lil Smokies @ 9:30 Club — 3/7/20

Live Review: Trampled by Turtles @ Baltimore Soundstage — 2/22/20

Live Review: Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives @ The Birchmere — 2/27/20

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