Imagine the band that occupies the common ground between traditional bluegrass, outlaw country, and pure old time mountain music. A group that harnesses the frantic energy of the modern punk string band, yet still remains respectfully rooted in the tradition of Bill Monroe. Imagine a band with one foot proudly planted in the path of traditional bluegrass, and one foot stepping out into the unknown forefront of American string music.
This is Town Mountain, the exciting new sound from Asheville, NC. Born out of the all night jam sessions and fertile picking scene of Western North Carolina, Town Mountain has emerged as one of the premiere young American bluegrass bands. Great original, tight vocal harmonies, a charismatic stage presence, and instrumental expertise place this group in the upper tier of contemporary acoustic bands. But, in the end, despite these qualities, it’s always the undeniable, irresistible energy of a live Town Mountain show that truly sets this group apart.
This unique energy has had Town Mountain winning over audiences in theatres, clubs, house concerts, and festivals across the country for almost three years now, from Oregon to Maine to California and back home to Carolina. It all started in 2005, when the guys decided to take their homegrown sound on its first national tour. That summer was spent swaggering across the country, sharing their music in smoky bars and hometown honkytonks nightly. The tour ended with a bang in Colorado, where Town Mountain joined the ranks of Steep Canyon Rangers, Chatham County Line and Yonder Mountain String Band by winning the prestigious Rockygrass Band Competition. The tour and the win kicked the Town Mountain experience into high gear, establishing the group as a force among American string bands, and as a live show that is not to be missed.
With a PBS series soundtrack already to its credit along with three full-length albums, The Henhouse Prowlers have been barnstorming on to the red hot bluegrass scene since 2004. In 2007, the group of roughly thirty-somethings made the commitment to go the distance, to be a full-time touring bluegrass band. But not just another bluegrass band.
2010 marked a turning point for the band. The Prowlers began to see their hard work and relentless tour schedule pay off with a strong momentum and growing reputation for crisp, hard-driving bluegrass with intricate harmonies and electrifying stage energy. While balancing time on the road and in the studio in Colorado, HHP competed in the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition and took top honors in the 2010 Rockygrass Band Competition.
Dedicated equally to tradition and innovation, The Henhouse Prowlers center their sound on that of the early, formative years of bluegrass, while they keep their pulse on today by covering contemporary topics in a largely original repertoire. The bluegrass and acoustic music scenes are exploding with a new generation of young, invigorated fans across the nation, and the Prowlers embody the new breed of performers adding to the style of Flatt and Scruggs with a dynamic exuberance appreciated by all.
Honey Don’t is the musical union of Bill Powers and Shelley Gray, perhaps better known as one-half of the Paonia, Colorado based old-time bluegrass band, Sweet Sunny South.
Their music is acoustic and based in the folk tradition. They draw from their bluegrass and old-time background while injecting country, blues and a little swing. The songs are catchy and engaging, funny, sad, lonesome and uplifting. Most of the songs are original, but select covers and traditional tunes are part of their repertoire as well.
Grass It Up is a critically acclaimed five-piece band based in Colorado Springs. The group is made up of David Jeffrey, Shannon T. Carr, Jon Bross, Danny Karpel and Ben Lewis. Steeped in traditional American music such as bluegrass, country and rock, they regularly dip their toes into their own original ballads and “grass up” pop tunes. The quintet’s instrumentation includes guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, backed by bass and piano.
In addition to being in high demand for performances at The Broadmoor Hotel, owned by the Gaylord family of Grand Ol' Opry fame, the band has won a multitude of awards. It was voted "Best Original Band of 2010" by readers of Colorado Springs Independent (after winning runner up in 2009 and third place in 2008), as well as "Best Original Band of 2009" by The Gazette. Their performances have captivated a wide range of audiences in venues from the Front Range Barbecue, to the Western Jubilee Warehouse, Meadowgrass and Keystone Bluegrass Festivals, and the Pikes Peak Center. The group has an impressive resume, having recorded three full length all original albums and performed for Fortune 500 companies, luxury resorts, convention centers, mountain towns, festivals, acoustic societies, weddings and other private events.
Each year Club Nine, a non-profit consisting of local civic-minded chefs, donates the proceeds from Fiddles, Vittles and Vino to further agricultural programs at Rock Ledge Ranch. The fruits of their labor thus far include funding apple trees to rejuvenate the property's orchard, as well as an asparagus and berry crop. Club Nine hopes to eventually fund larger projects such as the construction of a greenhouse. These projects both beautify the Ranch while restoring it's original purpose, with the ultimate goal being a synergy between local restaurants and Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site.
The Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site is an educational, non-profit living history farm and museum. Click the logo below to go to their website.
