Evento

Billy Strings w/ opener ShadowGrass

Billy Strings w/ full band
opening set from ShadowGrass
Sat., April 1, 2017
Tix $15 adv // $18 day of show
Season passes accepted
Music starts 9 pm

"Imagine taking a hardcore heavy metal band like Pantera and cramming all that energy into the body of a 23-year-old bluegrass guitarist. Thats Billy Strings. He tears up the stage during his set, grimacing, growling, head-banging and tearing the holy sh*t out of a set of super-charged Americana. Kid can pick! DAMN can he pick! Its acoustic music with a punk edge and a lot of youthful enthusiasm and, oh man, that PICKING! Strings covers a wide variety of classic tunes and songs in his show, from a slow-burning cover of 'Wild Bill Jones' to a raw cover of 'Cocaine Blues' or picking delights like 'Red Haired Boy' and 'Soldiers Joy.' But the standout track is the opening song, 'Dust in a Baggie,' a cleverly written mountain song about meth that manages to take a very current and destructive issue and translate it into the bluegrass vernacular. Its a tour-de-force, written by Strings himself, and is the moment you realize just how far this kids gonna go." D.L. "THE BLUEGRASS SITUATION"

ShadowGrass is a group of young musicians from Western North Carolina and Southwestern Virginia who crossed paths at local fiddlers conventions in the summer of 2014. They began a musical journey that has led them to play and compete together. Although they have their own style, ShadowGrass is honored to be playing in the shadow of great bluegrass legends. Holding to their bluegrass roots, fast picking, and fresh arrangements have earned the band numerous awards in youth and adult competitions across the region. In 2016 they placed 5th in the adult bluegrass band category at the Galax Fiddlers Convention. ShadowGrass has had the privilege of playing at exciting venues, including Heartwood and The Crooked Road, The Blue Ridge Music Center, The Lincoln Theatre, The Historic Earle Theatre, and at festivals such as the National Folk Festival, MerleFest, HoustonFest, the Richmond Folk Festival, SPGBMA, and IBMA. They were honored to be chosen as a featured youth band for the IBMA World of Bluegrass Festival in 2016. Their foot-tapping music and charming personalities continue to draw a crowd and gain encouraging fans with each new place they visit. ShadowGrass is looking forward to contributing to the heritage of bluegrass music for years to come.