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Author : Nancy Posey

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MerleFest 2025 Highlights

Nancy Posey
by Nancy Posey01315
While first-time performers at MerleFest–particularly those outside the bluegrass genre–sometimes express concern that their music may be outside of audience expectations, regular festival-goers know the musical borders are wide. Wyatt Flores suggested he might be “the elephant in the room.” His devoted fans throughout the audience begged to differ. Then......

MerleFest 2025: The Usual Suspects

Nancy Posey
by Nancy Posey0821
All the planning leading up the MerleFest brings a balance of new artists and regular favorites to the four-day festival in Wilkesboro, NC, established 37 years ago by Doc Watson in memory of his son Merle. Now held on a dozen stages across the Wilkes Community College campus, the festival......

Bonnie Raitt Headlines MerleFest 2025

Nancy Posey
by Nancy Posey0548
When the MerleFest lineup is announced every year, certain names generate huge buzz, particularly when making first-time appearances at the festival. For 2025, Bonnie Raitt not only drew festival-goers, but other performers scheduled to play the festival invariably named Raitt as the not-to-miss set. Raitt did not disappoint. Closing out......

Pitney Meyer Embraces Bluegrass Tradition with Release of ‘Cherokee Pioneer’

Nancy Posey
by Nancy Posey01311
When Mo Pitney and John Meyer set out to record Cherokee Pioneer, their first full-length album as Pitney Meyer, they established themselves firmly within the bluegrass realm. From the opening track, “Banjo Picker (in a Bluegrass Band),” they bring together the lyrical imagery and the traditional instrumentation associated with the......

Henhouse Prowlers release ‘Unravel’

Nancy Posey
by Nancy Posey11491
In their latest album Unravel, the Chicago-based band Henhouse Prowlers incorporates such classic bluegrass songs as “Honey Will You Be Mine?” and “Headin’ for a Heartache,” from which the album title is taken, while stretching the musical boundaries in ways that highlight their textured vocals and their stunning instrumentals. Rather......

Who’s Coming to MerleFest: Full Cord

Nancy Posey
by Nancy Posey01430
For Michigan-based bluegrass band Full Cord, MerleFest has long been the kickoff of festival season. Guitarist Eric Langejans and bassist Todd Kirchner both attended the festival for years before they knew each other. Langejans first attended the North Wilkesboro, NC, festival with a friend when he was twenty and has......

Nashville Declares ‘Bobby Bare Day’ @ Basement East

Nancy Posey
by Nancy Posey0788
Nashville’s Basement East was the scene of a star-studded tribute to iconic singer-songwriter Bobby Bare on his 90th birthday. Presented by the Americana Music Association, the show-out celebration benefited MusiCares(R). While the singer was not present, the show was recorded and ended with the crowd singing “Happy Birthday” as the......

Charlie Treat Releases 4th Album ‘Dawn is Breaking’

Nancy Posey
by Nancy Posey01380
When Charlie Treat released his bluegrass album Into the Wild Mystic Mountain in 2022, he says he had told himself he was going to “make the folkiest thing I can make, and then I’m going to make the least folky thing I can do.” His fourth album Dawn Is Breaking,......