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Greensky Bluegrass, The Wailers (Reunited!) top Rooster Walk 9 band lineup

Progressive stringband Greensky Bluegrass and legendary reunited reggae band The Wailers will top the lineup for the ninth annual Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival, set for May 25-28, 2017 just outside of Martinsville, Va. The two bands were announced Tuesday along with new additions Anders Osborne, Anderson East, The Motet, Susto, Misison in the Rain, Juliana MacDowell and "artist at large" Josh Shilling.

Rooster Walk, which was named one of the top five festivals in Virginia by the Richmond-Times Dispatch last year, will announce additional bands in the coming weeks.

"Rooster Walk has grown each and every year thanks to an amazing family of fans, supporters and volunteers," said festival co-founder Johnny Buck. "We're excited to bring these fantastic bands to Martinsville-Henry County. Greensky Bluegrass will continue our tradition of world-class, cutting edge, progressive bluegrass. The Wailers, meanwhile, have reunited and will bring three original members from Bob Marley's iconic group to Pop's Farm. It's shaping up to be a pretty special weekend, for sure."

Playing as many as 175 shows per year, Greensky Bluegrass have graduated to headlining status at some of the country's most iconic venues, selling out amphitheaters like Red Rocks and world-class auditoriums like the Ryman. They've become a regular name on the festival circuit, too, adding Bonnaroo, the New Orleans Jazz Festival, Austin City Limits, Forecastle, and Outside Lands to their touring schedule.

The legendary Wailers band is carrying its revolutionary sound and message to faithful fans around the world. Steered by famed bassist and founder Aston "Familyman" Barrett, and recently rejoined in solidarity with original Wailers Junior Marvin and Donald Kinsey, this modern version of The Wailers is now producing a sound more authentic than anything since the early 1980s. From Familyman's signature booming bass to Junior and Donald's electrifying rock/blues guitar licks and leads, the sound, the power, the heartbeat of Reggae music will have you calling out for more.

Other acts currently announced on the RW9 lineup are The Marcus King Band (southern rock; Asheville, N.C.), Billy Strings (progressive bluegrass; Nashville, Tenn.), Eric Krasno Band (rock/jazz fusion; New York, N.Y.), Yarn (roots/rock; Brooklyn, N.Y.), Susto (indy-rock; Charleston, S.C.), Erin & The Wildfire (R&B/soul; Charlottesville, Va.), The Trongone Band (southern rock; Richmond, Va.); Mission in the Rain (Jerry Garcia Band tribute; Western N.C.), Juliana MacDowell (singer-songwriter; Loudon, Va.) and artist-at-large Josh Shilling (soul/rock; Nashville, Tenn.), a native of nearby Bassett, Va.

In addition to four days of amazing music, the family-friendly Rooster Walk will offer a wide variety of kids' activities, craft beer, food/arts vendors and beautiful on-site camping.

Rooster Walk Inc. is a community-nonprofit dedicated to promoting music, arts and education in its home of Martinsville/Henry County. A portion of festival proceeds go to the Penn-Shank Memorial Scholarship as well as the Rooster Walk Music Instrument Program for entry-level band programs in Martinsville/Henry County public schools. The festival is proud to have Bassett Furniture return as its title sponsor once again.

To learn more or purchase tickets, visit www.RoosterWalk.com.

Instrumental music outfit Snarky Puppy have had a strong 2016.

Not only did the Brooklyn band win a Grammy earlier this year, but received a nomination for another at next year's ceremony (Best Pop/Duo Performance for the song "Culcha Vulcha"). After a full year of touring the band will be closing out 2016 with a trio of shows at NYC's Irving Plaza.

The Irving Plaza shows will take place on Friday, December 30, Saturday, December 31, and Sunday, January 1. The New Year's Day show will start very early into the new year. How early? Try 1 a.m. This will be an afterparty for Phish, who are doing a four day NYE run of their own at MSGt. If you're a fan of both bands and plan to be in NYC for New Year's, fear not: the timing works out so that you can make both shows.

Part of the appeal of Snarky Puppy seems to come from how unplaceable they are. In a world where music genres can overlap and still be understood easily (like pop-rock or folk punk), it's something of a rarity to find a band that is nearly unclassifiable. As the New York Times describes them, they are "a barnstorming groove-centric instrumental act with a rabid fan base and a blithely unplaceable style."

No matter how unplaceable that style may be, with a rabid fanbase, it doesn't matter to Snarky Puppy. They released two studio albums in 2016. Their tenth, "Family Dinner - Volume 2" and their eleventh, "Culcha Vulcha." They have also amassed a sizable and diverse number of artists to collaborate with them, including David Crosby, Salif Keita, Charlie Hunter. Their members have also collaborated with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Celine Dion, and Yo-Yo Ma.

After their shows at Irving Plaza, Snarky Puppy will take a month off before embarking on tour dates around the world. From February 10 to 12, they will appear at the Groundup Music Festival in Miami. Their only other scheduled North American tour date is at the Vogue Theatre in Indianapolis on March 17. After that, they will be heading off to tour Australia, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and more.

2016 has proven to be very rewarding for Snarky Puppy and it will be interesting to see if their fortune continues. Given how far they've come, they should do very well in 2017.

- Ryan Nelson

Featuring Phil Lesh & Friends, The Avett Brothers, and many more!

LOCKN' 2017 Announced!

The fifth anniversary of the festival will take place August 24-27, 2017 in Arrington, VA, and will feature Phil Lesh & Friends, The Avett Brothers, Widespread Panic, The String Cheese Incident, Umphrey's McGee, Joe Russo's Almost Dead, Gov't Mule, and many more.

Early Bird Tickets are on sale while they last. Grab yours here: http://fgtix.to/2gsCg7h

We'll see you on the farm!

Greensky, Tuna, Keller & more!

For more details and tickets visit DarkStarJubilee.com

Widespread Panic, Bob Weir, Trey Anastasio & more!

Winners will be chosen at the end of December.

Choose your favorite HGMN studio album of the year

Click here to see the candidates and cast your vote.

On tour supporting their new CD To Be Free

Don't miss The Nth Power this winter when they take self-proclaimed "Spirit Music" which blends soul, jazz, funk and world-beat tracks topped with gospel-style vocals on the road.

The powerhouse quartet will be showcasing tracks off of their new live release To Be Free currently out now.

It's hard to think of a better message than the love at the heart of To Be Free, or a band better suited to spread it than The Nth Power. - Live for Live Music

 

Floydfest - Dreamweavin'

Posted by: admin | November 7th, 2016

Floydfest - Dreamweavin’
With the announcement of Floydfest’s 2017’s initial lineup and theme, Freedom, my heart began to flutter in excitement and reflect on the amazing time at last summer’s epic celebration. It’s been a few months, but the memories are still vibrant in my mind.

Floydfest is an experience my whole family looks forward to every year; an annual pilgrimage into the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, layered with magical moments and musical & creative exploration. We make discoveries and find pieces of ourselves we didn't know existed. It's become a part of our identity, a milestone of our years and a marker of friendships. Each year it is a treat to introduce friends to the experience, and our conversations about the trip start around January. It really is a big part of our lives, and it is even more special to know that we are a part of it.

Michael Franti & Spearhead, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Railroad Earth, Shovels & Rope, White Denim, Turkuaz, BIG Something, Zach Deputy, Fruition, among initial artists

Find your way to Freedom ... FloydFest 17~Freedom, the latest annual offering of the Southeast's premier summer outdoor music festival, taking place July 26 to 30, 2017, at Milepost 170.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Floyd, Va. Michael Franti & Spearhead, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Railroad Earth, Shovels & Rope, White Denim, Turkuaz, Fruition, Nicola Cruz, The Steel Wheels and 21 other bands round out Across-the-Way Productions' initial artist announcement for the 17th annual event.

Across-the-Way Productions released early-bird tickets for FloydFest 17~Freedom at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, via www.floydfest.com, in tandem with a sampling of the artist lineup that will descend on Floyd, Va., July 26 to 30, 2017.

Recently receiving top accolades from TIME Magazine and Fox News, FloydFest 17's initial artist lineup also includes HONEYHONEY, BIG Something, The Shook Twins, Baskery, Zach Deputy, The Lil' Smokies, Rebekah Todd & the Odyssey, Jack Broadbent, Urban Soil, Honey Island Swamp Band, The Mantras, Edward Davis Anderson, Dead 27s, Davy Knowles, McLovins, Hayley Jane and the Primates, The Drunken Hearts, Kansas Bible Company, Trae Pierce & the T-Stones, Liver Down The River and Broccoli Samurai. The next scheduled round of artist additions will be released Nov. 22, with more to follow in December, and through into early spring, according to Kris Hodges, producer and CEO.

"Freedom is creating your own reality," Hodges explained. "Freedom to be yourself takes discipline, and we've tread that path for 17 years now. But we're still here; still free to live life; free to be artists, without being told how to live; free to create art and stay viable in the world today."

The unforgettable magic that was FloydFest 16's Buffalo Mountain Jam returns in 2017 for its second annual installment, with more details due for release in the coming months. Known for its impromptu artist collaborations, super jams and special guests, the Buffalo Mountain Jam will evoke a 'freedom' unique to the 17th annual event -- not to be missed.

"The Buffalo Mountain Jam is extremely important to witness -- it's a capstone of the festival, spotlighting 'new-school newgrass,'" Hodges said. "It's a free-form jam that speaks to the quality of the musicians that make it happen ... a jam that speaks to freedom."

As always, FloydFest will also include vibrant and varied vendors, quality craft brews and chews, healing arts, workshops and whimsy, children's activities, onsite art installations and a final lineup featuring more than 100 artists performing on nine+ stages.

"Our 2017 theme of 'Freedom' bespeaks a metaphorical unshackling from the constraints of archaic ideas and notions of who and how we 'should' be, or act, how we 'ought' to feel, or think, or conduct ourselves and our lives," Erika Johnson, co-founder and CFO, said. "Humanity is at a unique and liberating juncture in history; truly free to create our own reality, individually and collectively, with infinite potential for what that looks like. This level of 'freedom' is both a huge opportunity, and a huge responsibility. FloydFest is a 'timeout zone' ... literally a 'zone out of time' to reflect and revel, both, on all of this."

Voted 'Best Outdoor Music Festival,' FloydFest is also selling tickets to its Outdoor Adventure programs during the early-bird ticket on-sale, including its popular On-the-Water Guided Float Trips and Belcher Mountain Beatdown mountain-bike excursion. 

A token of gratitude to loyal FloydFest fans, AtWP continues its Alumni Program in 2017, with all patrons that purchase prior to Dec. 31, 2016, joining the FloydFest Alumni family. In addition to frozen ticket prices for a period of years -- and a four-day head start on purchasing tickets, annually -- FF Alumni enjoy special parties and perks throughout the year and at AtWP events.

FloydFest is located at Milepost 170.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Floyd, Va. Detailed directions are available by clicking to www.floydfest.com.

Early-bird tickets for FloydFest 17~Freedom are available by clicking to www.floydfest.com. For more information, call (888) VA-FESTS or email info@floydfest.com.

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