A “Hot” Band at Ashland Coffee & Tea  

After a smokin’ pit-stop at BoneFire Smokehouse in Southwest VA, we moved on to my hometown of Richmond. At Ashland Coffee & Tea, an old friend commented, “Rebecca, you have a HOT band!” Me: “They really are amazing musicians, aren’t they!?” She stared at me blankly. “No, they are hot guys, Rebecca!” Wait, I thought bluegrass was all about the music! :-0

The Drive Thru with Rog

Before the show, we got to stop by the Drive-Thru with Rog on WHAN in Ashland. There was a signed Hit & Run poster at the station… from 2004! Thanks for the good times and the spins, Roger Reynolds! xox

Drum & Strum

Next stop: Drum & Strum Music Center in Warrenton. We were the ceremonious LAST SHOW in this venue, and we milked it: “This is the last song of the first set of the last show EVER at this location.” THANK YOU to Pablo Teodoro for hooking us up with treats from Great Harvest Bread Co. So awesome (and every morsel was devoured!) Thanks Casey Henry of the famous Murphy Method for gracing the stage with your banjo chops, too!

Photo by Frank Baker

Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival proved itself to be a unique experience, as always. Where else does one find a crazy mix of Mid-Atlantic folks (and even Europeans!), a top-notch awesome line-up, & camping right next to the stage in the shade? It was fun to see Lou Reid, and to bump into Chris Eldridge as we  walked on stage.

Next stop was the American Roots Concert Series in Washington D.C. at the Hill Center for the Arts, where families spread out on the lawn and concert-goers are highly enthused! (One person told me he’d driven 3 hours to come to the show!) Loved our May afternoon with these intelligent music lovers.

DelFest was bigger than ever this year. It was worth every minute of the 10-hour drive to do our set. ‘Twas also fun to see John Frazier rip with Yonder Mountain String Band & Jerry Douglas right after we played. Ah!

It was a 13 hour drive to get to our 3 pm set in Alabama the next day, but thanks to the courage and goodwill of mostly Daniel and Kyle, we made it with time to spare….and again, it was worth every minute. Acoustic Cafe Festival in Haleyville is one of my true favorites. It exemplifies what a festival is supposed to be. Great people, great vibes, great music, and kindness and good spirits all around. We loved all of the tie dye decorations as we walked around the campground, which had paths named Rowan Row, Garcia Flats, and John Hartford Blvd. Sweet! Thanks so much to everyone there for giving us such a warm welcome, and thanks to Nat Keefe of Hot Buttered Rum for hopping on stage with us! It’s been way too long! Until next time, Alabamans!

It’s a little nuts what ‘grassers like to do in order to play a few festivals. Our May run gave us the pleasure of 3,476 miles in the van. Kyle figured out that we could’ve just gone ahead and driven to Alaska instead. But we think Gettysburg, DelFest, Acoustic Cafe, and the awesome venues were worth every mile! 

Like so many guitar players, I’ve used D’Addario strings for years and years. I’m proud to be an official D’Addario “artist.” Check out my D’Addario profile, here. Royal, John, Christian, and Kyle all play with D’Addarios, too! 

Our May touring season is underway! Preschool graduation Tuesday, hop into the van with Mama Wednesday. Had a great time pickin’ in Southwest Virginia last night, and looking forward to this weekend at Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, Hill Center for the Arts (DC), Drum & Strum (Warrenton), & Ashland Coffee & Tea (Richmond)!

Jarrod Walker

We know that our audiences this May are looking forward to hearing the tasteful and toneful singing and picking of mandolin meistro, Jarrod Walker. Regular mando guy John Frazier is busy touring with Yonder Mountain String Band and his own FrazierBand. But we are honored to have this talented guest star onboard for our Mid-Atlantic dates and festivals this month! Jarrod’s known for his work with Missy Raines, Clay Hess, his brother Cory Walker, among others. If you read this and have something nice to say about Jarrod, please make a comment on our Facebook page under Jarrod’s picture. It won’t go unnoticed!

“Beautiful voices, compelling songwriting, and expert musicianship: listeners encounter all of these attributes from the very first song of Rebecca Frazier’s album When We Fall. With this record, the Virginia-born musician roars back from a personal tragedy and a ten-year recording absence. Frazier and her superlative band, including her husband John, join Bob for a performance from Nashville’s SiriusXM Studios.” For more info, visit Bob Edwards Show site, here!

East Side Story, a wonderful indie bookstore at 5 Points in East Nashville, hosts a bi-monthly series called “East Side Storytellin’.” Store owner Chuck Beard, pictured below, is an amazing force in our little community! I had the pleasure of singing songs from “When We Fall” for the Mad Donna’s presentation on April 15, alongside readings by Skip Nipper, author. Great news is that “When We Fall” is now available at East Side Story, so you won’t have to travel far if you’re interested in picking up your personal copy. 🙂

It was like a fairytale visit to Arandelle in the movie “Frozen” this weekend, leaving the dogwood blooms and daffodils and entering a land of frosty climes and icy snow-covered lakes! And yet, we managed to have one of our best tours, ever! I owe it to friendly folks in Minnesota, who never fail with their good cheer and amazingly happy spirits.

Began our journey in Maple Lake, where bluegrass is alive and well and very, very happy.

Lonely Pines Concert Series MBOTMA

MBOTMA Cabin Fever Festival, Duluth MN

Next stop, headlining Cabin Fever Festival in the charmingly magical city of Duluth. If you’ve never been, it’s time to remedy that! (By the way–great Pho can be found!) Our team of amazing guys included Daniel Rice, master sound engineer & snowball fighter.

Onward to Stillwater, where we met the awesome Pocahontas County Boys. Loved ’em. Thanks to Phil Neussbaum for the “Bluegrass Review” interview & taping. Lastly, thanks to my mother-in-law, Dr. Pamela, for babysitting all weekend! <3

Fun times in Indy, y’all! Thanks to Do317 Lounge for such a cool night in a sweet vibey room. We (heart) Woody Pines! This trio really put it on & we loved their music. (yeah, Brad Tucker!)