Merlefest announces initial lineup

MerleFest 2010 is slated for April 29 -May 2, is proud to announce the line up for the event’s 23rd year.
The following artists will join host Doc Watson on the campus of Wilkes Community College for a celebration of "traditional-plus" music--a term Doc coined to describe the unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, and expanded to include Americana, country, "plus whatever other styles we were in the mood to play."
Doc Watson - www.docsguitar.com

Richard Watson
Susana and Timmy Abell - www.timmyabell.com

Alberti Flea Circus - www.albertifleacircus.com

The Avett Brothers - www.theavettbrothers.com

Jim Avett - www.jimavett.com

Balsam Range - www.balsamrange.com

Shana Banana - www.shanabanana.com

The Banknotes                                               

Bearfoot - www.bearfootband.com

The Belleville Outfit - www.bellevilleoutfit.com

Roy Book Binder - www.roybookbinder.com
Brave Combo - http://www.brave.com/bo/

Buffalo Barfield - www.buffalobarfield.com

Sam Bush Band - www.sambush.com

Cadillac Sky - www.cadillacsky.net

T. Michael Coleman - www.tmichaelcoleman.com

Elvis Costello - www.elviscostello.com

John Cowan Band - www.johncowan.com

Dailey & Vincent - www.daileyvincent.com

Dehlia Low - www.dehlialow.com

Donna The Buffalo - www.donnathebuffalo.com

Jerry Douglas - www.jerrydouglas.com

The Duhks - www.duhks.com

Eleanor Ellis - www.eleanorellis.com

Alice Gerrard

The Gibson Brothers - www.gibsonbrothers.com

Great Big Sea - www.greatbigsea.com

The Greencards - www.thegreencards.com

Buddy Greene - www.buddygreene.com

Mitch Greenhill - www.folkloreproductions.com/about.html

George Hamilton IV - www.georgeiv.net

John Hammond - www.johnhammond.com

Corey Harris - http://www.myspace.com/coreyharrismusic

Wayne Henderson - http://waynehenderson.org/Wayne/AboutWayne.htm  

David Holt - www.davidholt.com

The InterACTive Theater of Jef - http://www.jefthemime.com

Phil Jamison -www.swangathering.com/Catalog/OT/sgotstaff1.html

Jeni & Billy - www.jeniandbilly.com

The Kruger Brothers - www.krugerbrothers.com

Jim Lauderdale - www.jimlauderdale.com

Jack Lawrence - www.jacklawrence.com

The Lee Boys - www.leeboys.com

Little Feat - www.littlefeat.net

Jeff Little - www.jefflittle.net

The Local Boys                                  

The Lovell Sisters - www.lovellsistersband.com

Harry Manx - www.harrymanx.com

Bill Mathis

Andy May - www.andymay.com

Nashville Bluegrass Band - www.nashvillebluegrassband.net

Nation Beat - www.nationbeat.com

The Neighbors - http://www.myspace.com/theneighborspage

Ben Prestage - http://www.myspace.com/bprestage

Missy Raines & The New Hip - http://www.missyraines.com

Red Molly - http://www.redmolly.com

Tony Rice - http://www.tonyrice.com

Peter Rowan - http://www.peter-rowan.com

Scythian - http://www.scythianmusic.com/indexmain.cfm

Anne and Pete Sibley - http://www.anneandpetesibley.com

Joe Smothers - http://www.myspace.com/joehsmothers

Steep Canyon Rangers - http://www.steepcanyon.com

Tut Taylor - http://webpages.charter.net/tutbro

Happy Traum - http://www.happytraum.com

The Travelin' McCourys - http://www.myspace.com/thetravelinmccourys

Rhonda Vincent and The Rage - http://www.nemr.net/~rhondav

The Waybacks - http://www.waybacks.com

Lightnin' Wells - http://www.lightninwells.com

Pete and Joan Wernick - http://www.drbanjo.com

Shannon Whitworth - www.shannonwhitworth.net

The Wilders - http://www.wilderscountry.com

Wilkes Acoustic Folk Society    

Tony Williamson - http://www.mandolincentral.com/bio.html

W.P.A. - http://www.myspace.com/wpaband

Wylie and The Wild West - http://www.wylieww.com

Zephyr Lightning Bolts - www.zephyrlightningbolts.net  

"Yet again, the MerleFest line up fulfills the festival's mission of bringing in an incredibly exciting, diverse, and talented group of musicians," comments Festival Director Ted Hagaman.  "Fans can count on more surprises, spontaneous jam sessions and one-of-a-kind musical collaborations, and we will continue to add to this line up.  We encourage MerleFest fans to keep checking our website (www.merlefest.org) for updates."

In addition to providing the full line up, the festival's website, www.merlefest.org, is a complete source of information on all aspects of the event.  Festival fans are encouraged to visit the website and sign up for the MerleFest e-newsletter or register as a volunteer.  Fans can also follow the latest MerleFest developments on Facebook and Twitter.

The MerleFest box office will open for 2010 ticket sales on Tuesday, November 10, at 2:00 p.m. EST. Ticket purchases can be made on the web at www.merlefest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857.  With over 75 acts performing on 15 stages during the course of the event, MerleFest is an entertainment value.  An early bird ticket discount is available through March 12, 2010.

MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson as a fundraiser for Wilkes Community College and a celebration of "traditional plus" music.  Scheduled for April 29 - May 2, 2010, the event is held on the campus of Wilkes Community college in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.