News Archive

Rock, Folk, Pop, Bluegrass, Celtic...and Hats

Music on the Square welcomes the catbird seat and Fall Creek Band to downtown Jonesborough Friday, August 29 at 7 p.m. The catbird seat performs rock, folk and pop. Band members include Nate McClure, Brandon Story, Mariel Story, Ethan Henley, Dave Bedsole, Dane Kinser and emeritus: Roy Andrade and Kristy Lawson. More band information can be found at heycatbirds.com. The Fall Creek Band epitomizes the tradition of Appalachian music. Performances encompass a strong offering of traditional bluegrass mixed with a taste of Celtic, as well as their own original and classic material. Members include Audey Ratliff (mandolin, vocals); Janice McCombs (bass); Savannah Vaughn (fiddle, vocals) and Ronald Vaughn (guitar). More band information can be found at thefallcreekband.com.

Holston Mountain Hat Project will be visiting MOTS this week, so stop by for a "party on your head!" Holston Mountain Hat Project offers knit and crocheted hats handmade right here in the hills of southern Appalachia. Typically, their products are made out of 100% acrylic yarn. However, special orders are available in any type of yarn desired. Hat designers, Georgia and Karen, are a mother/daughter cooperative. Karen is a mother and midwife who started making her hats while attending women at birth. She has passed her basic knowledge of needle and fiber work to her daughters. Lisa, Georgia's twin sister, has recently joined the project with handmade sewn bags. The Project donates several hundred hats per year to orphanages, homeless and women's shelters, selected UNICEF maternity services designated "Baby Friendly" and folks that provide services for those suffering from hair loss due to illness or injury. Hats are sent around the world. Their hats and other items (accessories such as bags and belts) can be seen and purchased at regional festivals and craft fairs, on the Internet and at the Tri-Cities Flea Market in Bluff City, Tennessee. To view several of their creations, please visit Holston Mountain Hat Project on MySpace.com.

For more information about MOTS, call the Jonesborough Visitors Center at 423-753-1010.

Merger of Bluegrass, Southern Rock and Soul

Experience "grass with an edge" and "swampy funk" when Music on the Square introduces Rough Edges and Sol Driven Train to downtown Jonesborough Friday, August 22 at 7 p.m.

Rough Edges band members make their homes in East Tennessee. The band was formed in 2006 by Travis Sutton (bass) and Chip McLain (guitar), Jeff Webb (banjo) and Clint Hurd (mandolin). Their lineup brings to the stage bluegrass with a contemporary edge, tight harmony, an entertaining show and a true love of the music they perform. Rough Edges effectively establishes itself as "grass with an edge" appealing to traditional bluegrass fans as well as non-traditional ones. The most avid country music lovers can enjoy their music and the younger generation, especially college students, can also enjoy their style. Their performances have been shaped into a skillfully executed, articulate musical presentation that move the spirit with their high-energy sound and intense shows.

"Charleston, SC based Sol Driven Train is a band in motion, bouncing to the pulse of the music along with the crowd. Members seamlessly mix Allmanesque Southern rock, languid world-beat, swampy funk and downright catchy melodies as they swap lead singers and instruments. A punchy horn section adds an extra dimension of sweaty soul to the genre-blurring jam party." (Atlanta Creative Loafing, 11/21/06). Since fall 2005, the band has been touring the Southeast and beyond, averaging 150 shows per year at festivals, bars, music venues, theatres, summer camps and children's museums; independently recording and producing three albums along the way.

For more information, call the Jonesborough Visitors Center at 423-753-1010

"Femo Rock" and "Reggabilly"

Vanessa Boyd and Ras Alan perform "Femo Rock" and "Reggabilly" during Music on the Square in downtown Jonesborough Friday, August 15 at 7 p.m.

Vanessa Boyd describes her music as a mix of acoustic and electronic sounds - Americana meets Psychedelia Rock - calling it "Femo Rock." Others have described the music as ranging from ethereal to savage; a wide-ranging mix of musical emotion utilizing melodic dissonance. Vanessa has been performing original live music for over five years participating in musical theatre, stage shows and giving live interviews and performances for radio and TV. Her songs are equal parts lyrics and music and she believes in producing a sound that engages the listener.

Appalachian reggae artist, Ras Alan, sings original lyrics about Southern Appalachian mountain living while playing an acoustic resonator guitar and thumping on dB, a wooden drink box that plays bass beneath his boot. He has been featured on Country Music Television and Public Broadcasting Stations and in Blue Ridge country Magazine. He performs at numerous family-friendly festivals throughout the US and Jamaica and continues to be heard on radio and internet stations worldwide. His blend of traditional mountain music, original lyrics and reggae beat is a unique combination. His songs are fun, emotional and socially responsible. Influenced by bluegrass, old time, Southern gospel, jazz, African drumming and a respectful portion of Rastafari spirituality, Alan's music is full of life and the reggae rhythm is extremely danceable. Establishing the term "Reggabilly" in 1991, Ras Alan's songs are true stories inspired locally and applicable worldwide, rooted in Southern Appalachian tradition and consciously moving forward.

For more information, call the Jonesborough Visitors Center at 423-753-1010.

Tennessee Skyline and Tomahawk

Tennessee Skyline and Tomahawk are the next bluegrass bands to be featured during Music on the Square in downtown Jonesborough Friday, August 8 at 7 p.m.

The musicians that make up Tennessee Skyline are some of the most-talented and best-known musicians in the music-rich area of eastern Tennessee. They have excelled in many musical endeavors, both individually and as a unit. Their most-recent CD, The Train Don't Come Around Here Anymore, is a master work of their combined talents. When listening to their music, you can just hear Tennessee Skyline's Appalachian heritage coming through every note. Whether they're picking some of the old tunes, or playing one of the band's own compositions, tradition and heritage are what drive this band to excellence. Members include Billy Baker, fiddle; Audey Ratliff, mandolin; J.C. Radford, bass, vocals; Roger Hall, banjo, vocals; G.C. Matlock, guitar; Tommy Freeman, guitar, vocals.

Janine Broyles developed a love for music at an early age. Her mother says she came out singing. "She claims I hummed constantly, especially while I was eating. I've always enjoyed singing and listening to a wide variety of music, but it wasn't until my early 20s, after moving to Jonesborough, Tennessee, that I became acquainted with the sounds of bluegrass. I began performing on stage regularly at our family owned restaurant, The Chucky Trading Company, which was housed in a 100-year-old mansion on the Nolichucky River in Erwin. I was the original entertainment as well as the manager for 20 years. During this time I met Janice "Red" Winters who applied for a waitressing job and we fast became friends and fellow pickers. Over many years of picking and singing together I learned to play the mandolin. Janice's husband, David, joined us on the banjo. A regular customer of the Trading Company, Randy Broyles, eventually began playing the Dog House bass with us and Tomahawk was formed." Eric Bowman, the newest member has been playing banjo, dobro, guitar and mandolin and adding vocals for the last year. Their latest CD is Tomahawk Fly-Away.

For more information, call the Jonesborough Visitors Center, 423-753-1010