Canyon Center to Host "Bluegrass on the Rim" on June 11
06/01/2016
Little River Canyon Center (LRCC) is pleased to announce its third annual “Bluegrass on the Rim” music festival to benefit environmental education on June 11, 5-10 p.m., in Fort Payne, Ala. Tickets are $12 per person prior to the festival and $20 at the door. JSU student tickets are $5 in advance. Children 12 and under, accompanied by an adult, are free. Festival attendees will enjoy top bluegrass performers as they play authentic mountain music guaranteed to resonate with die-hard bluegrass purists as well as followers of folk, country, rhythm & blues and rock & roll.
“The talent line-up this year is phenomenal,” said Pete Conroy, Director of the Little River Canyon Center. “We are featuring nationally known bluegrass talent, including Foggy Hollow Review, Valley Road, Bent Creek, Kelli Johnson and Barry Waldrep, and Masters of Ceremony, Glen Williams and Carl Brady.”
The Canyon Center Concert Series is designed to help fund environmental education at LRCC, and is supported by Jacksonville State University and the Northeast Alabama Entertainment Initiative.
“Gates will open at 5 pm, so we recommend that folks arrive early to claim a place for their lawn chairs or blankets ” said Anna Lindsay, Canyon Center Coordinator for Sales and Services. “Food vendors will be on hand along with on-site restrooms and other comforts of home.”
“Our giant outdoor concert stage is designed for big shows, complete with multi-color LED stage lighting,” said Conroy. “It’s pretty special, but nothing compares to the backdrop of Little River Canyon National Preserve.”
Tickets can be purchased online here.
The following artists will be featured:
The Foggy Hollow Review
The Foggy Hollow Review brings together a unique blend of musicians from several genres over the past years. All of the members hail from and live in the foothill area of the Appalachians. However, not only do they have a love for the traditional tunes that are for the home area, all have put together a vast blend of musical backgrounds.
On Guitar, Rick Goodwin, has played, rock, top 40, oldies, acoustic and bluegrass. Rick lends a great deal to the lead and harmony vocals as well as acoustic guitar playing second to none. On Bass and vocals, Keith LaBenne brings his taste and talent for classical cello and viola to deliver an awesome hot lick and slap on the upright bass.
Lloyd Andrews, the Dobro (lap style resonator guitar) player of the group comes from a long background of electric bass in oldies, rock and even a bit of church music. Glen Williams, after years of acoustic music on guitar and vocals, adds a bit of Mandolin to the sound. Using Bluegrass, Country and Contemporary licks to the song list. The Band mixes traditional and modern bluegrass with old re-arranged country. Its all feel good, toe tapping, sing a long music.
For more on the Foggy Hollow Review, check out their promo set here.
Valley Road
Valley Road began about 8 years ago with a banjo and guitar...literally. Johnny Goss (guitar) and Luke Ford (banjo) met up in their hometown of Alexandria, AL, struck up a friendship, and began jamming almost immediately. After a few line-up changes, Mike Smitherman stepped in and added another piece to the puzzle, wailing mercilessly (but beautifully) on his Old Wave F-Style mandolin and singing baritone. Eventually, he made the decision to move to the upright bass, and has been providing a steady powerful beat ever since. David Johnson came to the band with his high tenor voice and 1800s German-made fiddle, sawing a lonesome melody that has come to be the glue that holds this group of musical souls together. And finally came Josh palmer, our most recent addition, picking his Ratliff mandolin at amazing speeds and precision. Yep....this puzzle is complete and ready for framing!
For more on Valley Road, check out their song "If You Can't Be Good, Be Gone."
Bent Creek
From the foot hills of the Appalachian mountains in Northeast Alabama lies the small communities of Spring Garden, Rockrun Station, Bent Creek/Continued Nances Creek, Hayden, and most recently Chattanooga, Tenn.; this is where the Bent Creek Band started.
From the band: We love to play and sing for people and respect the Bluegrass music and its elders. We would like to thank God for giving us this talent. We would also like to thank our wives and families for letting us go on the road and play Bluegrass music. We have the best fans in the world and would like to thank them for their support. Hope to see you at the next show.
For more on Bent Creek, check out some of their songs here.
Kelli Johnson Music
Kelli has played and recorded with Chimney Peak, Sweetwater Road, and The Kelli Johnson band and has shared the stage with acts such as Claire Lynch, Valeri Smith, IIIrd Time Out, and opened for Marty Raybon, Exile, and Sugarland! In 2009 she was the opening act for the First annual Alabama Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Induction, where she later performed with Bluegrass Legends Three on a String, Gary Waldrop, Jake Landers, and the Whites. She was a Top Four finalist on the tv show " Original Artist" and has worked with Herd Records in Mobile as a songwriter. Several of her songs have appeared in regional and national tv commercials, and she also wrote "Brand New Day" which became the campaign song for 2010 Alabama Gubernatorial Candidate Judge Roy Moore . Her song, “Somebody in Alabama Loves You", was also recently recorded by Blue Circle Records recording artists The Bluegrass Soul Pickers on their cd "If I Ever Get Home". Kelli splits her time performing solo, or with her band Sweetwater Road. She also hosts and produces her own TV show, 'Kelli Johnson LIVE", which airs on WJXS TV 24 in Jacksonville , Ala. It focuses on local and regional musicians in and around NE Alabama and is broadcast into over 250,000 homes each week.
For more on Kelli Johnson, check out here video here.
For more information, please contact Pete Conroy at 256-282-5784 or Anna Lindsey 256-845-3548.