It’s been an eventful couple weeks with drives that took us all the way from the Smokies to the Tidewater to the Blue Ridge and back again. We thank Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts for hosting us for their prestigious “OnStage Concert Series” which brought over 400 people out to see our concert (and a fantastic school program the following day!)

Thanks, Mitzi & Joe Soward, for having us back to Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Fest. Hard to believe it’s been a decade since our last performance there, but it was beautiful and friendly as ever.

We visited winding mountain roads to get to Galax’s Blue Ridge Music Center, where our outdoor ampitheater concert turned into an indoor seated event. It was a fun afternoon.

And of course an Appalachian trip is not complete without a visit to Abingdon’s Bonefire Smokehouse & a hang with music promoter/old building renovator/entrepreneur/ole hippie friend Doug Beatty. <3

It was a real joy to visit the East Coast on Labor Day weekend. We just loved our time there! 

Every city needs a venue like Gypsy Sally’s. Their specialty is folk, Americana and bluegrass, and they organize and present it like a million bucks! We were so honored to do a concert there, alongside the amazing Karen Jonas and Tim Bray.

The kids enjoyed their time on the road with the bluegrass band, and as usual the comment was “Mom, why are there so many mans in this car?” <3 (I’m grateful those mans like games of Uno!)

Our time at Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival brought us our first New Jersey experience! Ever! This was a special, special fest. 44 years and counting, and obviously going very strong. 7,000 tickets were sold…I highly recommend this one if you like camping and pickin! 🙂

As always, I followed Hot Rize around–they were fantastic! Gibson Brothers and Italy’s Red Wine crushed some fantastic sets. It was an honor to be invited to Delaware Valley–they say they’ve been trying to get us out there since our Colorado days. Glad it happened this year, finally! Til next time, New Jersey!  <3

Our New England tour was a wonderland of beautiful scenery, soulful music, and kind souls. We flew in to Boston and immediately entered the heart & soul of Boston’s bluegrass scene: the weekly Bluegrass Concert at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge.

                                Wednesday brought us to Vermont, where we were invited to a family camp on Lake Champlain for swimming, paddle boarding, and pickin.’ Thanks, Mahoney clan, for your hospitality!!

We traveled on to the happenin’ scene of downtown Burlington, where we played at the infamous Nectar’s! Amazing things have happened at this venue, as many Phish fans know, and we were proud to be on the stage.

We got to jam and hang with Doug Perkins of Smokin’ Grass, a long lost friend from my rambling days around this country picking bluegrass. It’s hard to get that cat out of the hills and into the town!

The weekend’s grand finale was Ossipee Valley Music Festival in scenic rural Maine. We were inspired by the music, which was varied, eclectic, soulful and of highest caliber. The campfire picking is top notch! What an honor to return after 9 years! Thanks so much to Bill Johnson for founding this glorious fest. We love you, and we love your passion!

Ruthy + Mike were a favorite. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver absolutely crushed their Friday night set. It was a joy to get to josh around with these DLQS characters for a while. Great folks!

Guitar workshop on Saturday was inspiring. Tony Watt always makes me smile, and new friend Mark Mazengarb is a nasty finger picker (AND flatpicker! No fair!) Fun to see Nate Leath hop up Saturday with Travelin’ McCourys alongside Bridget Law, Jason Carter and Bronwyne Keith for four fiddle madness.

‘Til next time, beautiful New England!! Thank you!

Another summer of fantastic Western scenery & amazing mountain folks in WY, UT, & CO! We’d really like to thank the festivals and concert series who hosted us this year.

The fun began at Arts in the Park in Thermopolis, WY where we took advantage of the “largest mineral spring” in the country & enjoyed a summer eve of ‘grass. Travelin’ on towards Evanston, WY, we experienced our first Beer, Brats, & Bluegrass.

In Utah, we drew a ‘grass-loving crowd at the popular Park Silly Sunday Market, presented by Mountain Town Music. We drove many a mile down to Crested Butte, CO, where we had the pleasure of being greeted by happy, happy music lovers at the packed Alpenglow Concert Series. We know it’s been a long rainy spring for Coloradoans, and they were happy for some sunshine and music!

Del Norte was our next Colorado stop. Wildwood Sounds is a fantastic listening room that deserves lots more notoriety!! Thanks so much to the Crawfords for hosting us!

In Lakewood, we were THIS CLOSE to being rained out again at Bonfils Ampitheater for Sounds Exciting Summer Concert Series, but we stuck it out through the storms. 600 tickets were sold for our show…but even through thunderstorms, a couple hundred people showed up in rain gear. We LOVE YOU, Coloradoans. You are tough.

Armed with instruments post-show, we took over the Vine Street Pub in Denver for Nate’s birthday cake and beer! Next, we headed back into the heart of the Rockies, we were Western Slope bound and performed the first ever Gunnison Block Party. Thanks Bryan Wickenhauser and iBar Ranch for inviting us! The grande finale of our tour was Wallsburg, UT, for the 2nd annual Wallsburg Music Festival, and it was…magic! Thank you to the Shupe family. We look forward to seeing you again next year, Westerners. <3

Psyched for some shredding fiddle this week and in New England in July. Joining us in Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado is my old pal Nate Leath! Raised on ‘grass in NC, Nate’s been busy as adjunct professor of music at prestigious Washington & Lee University in Virginia these days. So glad he’ll be with us!

Welcome, bassist Erik Alvar to our traveling feast! Erik is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in commercial music. He’s toured with the Roys and Grant Peeples, among others, and he’s studied with Mike Marshall, David Grisman, Jerry Douglas, Darol Anger, Julian Lage, jazz bassist Rodney Jordan, and classical bassist, Melanie Punter. He’s got the chops and the sense of adventure that make him an awesome fit for this crew of multi-faceted musicians, and we so enjoyed his inaugural weekend at Pagosa Folk n’ Bluegrass last week! www.erikalvar.com

I’m excited for Royal Masat’s new adventures with his new venture ChessBoxer with Cadillac Sky alums, Ross Holmes & Matt Menefee! But I’m so sad to say ‘bye for now. It’s been real, ‘Royale!’ Thanks for almost two years of your amazing singing & playing–bass, Dobro, fiddle–anything you touch turns to gold. Thanks for the laughs, the jokes, and the words of wisdom. Thanks for the stories about all things Texas. Happy trails!

It was our first time there on June 6, and WOW! Amazing music, fantastic scenery, nicest folks on earth…THANK YOU Folkwest for including us amongst the world’s best musicians & scenery (and audience!)

Congrats to the FARM School and thank you to Annie Savage for hosting us in Lafayette, Colorado! What a wonderful afternoon and evening with the Steel Pennies!