Upcoming Bluegrass Related Events

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Bluegrass Band Scramble

Concord Conservatory of Music 1317 Main Street, Concord, MA

Come jam with us for an unforgettable and lively session of learning, coaching, and performing bluegrass all in one whirlwind afternoon! It's time to join a band at the CCM Bluegrass Band Scramble. Reserve your spot with two easy steps: Please pay in advance ($35). Yeah, we know you’ll understand that we have to cover our costs. Complete the short registration form in advance. Tell us your name, contact information, and instrument for placement. To create well-formed bands, individuals sign up for the Scramble and are paired with other musicians by picking names out of a hat, one for each instrument. Bandmates then have over two hours to practice and prepare songs and stage patter for a three-song turn performing for a live audience, with a professional sound system and engineer. Meet and perform with other musicians who love bluegrass! There’s no competition, only an incredible learning and skill-building experience. Invite your friends and family for the live concert at 4:00 pm that's free and open to the public.

$35

The Ruta Beggars, A Bluegrass Concert

Concord Conservatory of Music 1317 Main Street, Concord, MA

The Concord Conservatory of Music is set to host an extraordinary evening of traditional bluegrass music with a twist on April 27th, as The Ruta Beggars take the stage. The band is made up of talented musicians who studied together in the American Roots Program at Berklee College of Music. Micah Nicol on guitar, Sofia Chiarandini on fiddle, Ariel Wyner on mandolin, Trevin Nelson on banjo, and Noah Harrington on bass make up the impressive ensemble. The Ruta Beggars are celebrated for their imaginative musical arrangements, their intricate vocal harmonies, and their impressive musicianship. They have earned a well-deserved place among the top-tier of the bluegrass community, and their live performances are known for their vibrant energy and engaging showmanship. Combining bluegrass with early swing, The Ruta Beggars' music is a unique and captivating sound that's not to be missed. This talented group of musicians has received recognition for their musical talents and was the winner of the Thomas Point's band competition in 2019. Now, they're set to thrill the audiences at the Concord Conservatory of Music with their infectious melodies and dynamic musicianship. Tickets for the show are now available at ConcordConservatory.org. The concert is part of the 2023-2024 CCM Concert & Lecture Series, made possible thanks to the generous support of our Lead Sponsor, Emerson Health, and our Supporting Sponsor, Middlesex Savings Bank. The Concord Cultural Council and Acton-Boxborough Cultural Council, local agencies that the Mass Cultural Council supports, have also provided grants to support the event. Thanks to our sponsors, we are able to bring diverse and high-quality concerts to our community, and we hope you'll join us for this exciting performance. About CCM Concord Conservatory of Music: It is a community … Read More »

$25

Tony Trischka’s Earl Jam: A Tribute to Earl Scruggs

Groton Hill Music Center 122 Old Ayer Road, Groton, MA

“Once again, Tony has set the world afire with his banjo and his storytelling skills…”— Bluegrass Today Tony Trischka is considered the consummate banjo artist and perhaps the most influential banjo player in the roots music world. For more than 50 years, his stylings have inspired a whole generation of bluegrass and acoustic musicians with the many voices he has brought to the instrument. His show honors the music of Earl Scruggs, pioneer of the three-finger banjo style and one of the most important musicians in bluegrass, or, in Trischka’s opinion, in any genre. Trischka recently came into possession of extremely rare recordings of jam sessions with Scruggs and John Hartford, and he transcribed and recorded Scruggs’s note-for-note solos from a number of these, including many songs that were never recorded. Together with his ace band — Michael Daves on vocals and guitar, fiddler Alex Hargreaves and bassist Jared Engel — Trischka will trace the story of Scruggs from his childhood to his final years. “The depth of his genius becomes ever more apparent when I transcribe his solos, which I’ve been doing my entire musical life and with renewed vigor,” says Trischka. “Discovering new twists and turns in his playing is pure joy and, in fact, the inspiration for this tribute show and album.” The show debuted at Joe’s Pub in New York City which drew lots of interest, including an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, a rarity for a banjo player these days. “Earl is my North Star, a lifetime pathway. And I’m not alone,” says Trischka, a banjo innovator and educator who has influenced everyone from Béla Fleck to Steve Martin. “Through his music, this shy kid from Flint Hill, North Carolina went on … Read More »

$37 – $57

Kaïa Kater

Groton Hill Music Center 122 Old Ayer Road, Groton, MA

“You want some authenticity in your folk music or bluegrass – I give you Kaïa Kater.” – No Depression Montreal-born Grenadian-Canadian Kaïa Kater’s jazz-fueled voice and deft songcraft have garnered acclaim from NPR’s Tiny Desk, The Guardian, Rolling Stone and No Depression. Kaïa draws on influences rooted in Quebec, the Caribbean, and Appalachia, all of which reflect the diversity of her background; her family’s deep ties to the Canadian folk music scene; her college years spent soaking up Appalachian music in West Virginia and her father’s experience growing up in Grenada, arriving in Canada in 1986, after the U.S. invasion. Kaïa released her first EP Old Soul (2013) when she was just out of high school. Since then, she’s gone on to release three more albums, Sorrow Bound (2015), Nine Pin (2016) and Grenades (2018).  For the JUNO-nominated and Polaris Music Prize long-listed Grenades, Kaia leaned into a wide array of sounds and styles in order to convey a broad range of emotions and topics, most notably her Caribbean ancestry and her father’s experience as a refugee in Canada.  In 2020, Kaïa took part in the Slaight Music Residency at the Canadian Film Center, released a new single, and wrote original music for The Porter (BET+ 2022).

Southern Rail at Highfield Hall and Gardens in Falmouth

Bluegrass on the Lawn at Highfield Hall 56 Highfield Drive, Falmouth, MA

Popular summer series in Falmouth at the lovely Highfield Hall and Gardens. Enjoy a rousing afternoon of high spirited bluegrass and sweet harmonies.

$35 – $45

Golden Rod Bluegrass Festival

Golden Rod Bluegrass Festival 625 Old Homestead Highway, Swanzey, NH

The Goldenrod Bluegrass Festival-2024 will be held on Saturday July 6, 2024 from 09:00 AM to 5:00 PM, at the Goldenrod Grange Hall located at 625 Olde Homestead Highway in Swanzey New Hampshire. Returning are Southern Rail, The Splinters and The New Englanders and for the first time in Swanzey, Mr. Bill.  People of all ages will enjoy a day of traditional bluegrass including standards, originals and gospel tunes. Inside the Goldenrod Grange Hall, patrons will find the Goldenrod Coffee Shop serving coffee and goodies, the gift shop selling clothing including tee shirts as well as mugs and other items related to the festival.  Seating for the BBQ will also be available. Tickets are 40.00 each and include: the day long music festival,  Firefighter's open fire chicken BBQ.  Field Picking near the grounds and plenty of parking at any of the town's school lots conveniently located across the street from the Grange Hall.

The New Grown-Ups

The Porch Southern Fare and Juke Joint 175 Rivers Edge Drive, Medford, MA

The New Grown-Ups put a modern twist on American roots music, blending traditional folk, country, blues, celtic, old time, originals, and bluegrass into contemporary acoustic music.

Harry Smith Frolic

Camp Kiwanee Camp Kiwanee Road, Hanson, MA

Camping and old time jam weekend in Greenfield, MA On the Green River at Camp Keewanee, Greenfield, Mass. July 12-14, 2024 Friday 5pm through Sunday 5pm (No early birds! Day Camp in session weekdays) Suggested donation: $40/weekend or $20/day Summer day camp facilities including: •Unfurnished cabins to play music in (no beds) •Bathrooms and showers •Picnic pavilion & basketball court •Camping and parking on flat ground •Frolicking in the Green River •Swimming Pool open select hours Saturday Morning Secular River Immersions Potluck Saturday Night & Midnight Reenactment Vol. 2 Harry Smith Anthology This volume has everything: fiddle & string band tunes, cajun, gospel, blues, shape note. So study up!

$40

Zoe and Cloyd with Evan Murphy

The Burren 247 Elm Street, Somerville, MA

Zoe & Cloyd - The innovative “klezgrass” music of Zoe & Cloyd springs from the rich traditions and complementary styles of fiddler/vocalist Natalya Zoe Weinstein and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist John Cloyd Miller. Descending from a lineage of klezmer and jazz musicians, Natalya trained classically in her home state of Massachusetts before moving south in 2004. John, a twelfth generation North Carolinian and grandson of pioneering bluegrass fiddler, Jim Shumate, is a 1st place winner of the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest and the Hazel Dickens Songwriting Contest. Based in Asheville, NC, Natalya and John are also experienced educators and are both instructors in the traditional music program at Warren Wilson College. With B.B. Bowness and Nate Sabat. Evan Murphy opens. $20 advance; $25 at the door.

$20

Jamvember in July!

Camp Kiwanee Camp Kiwanee Road, Hanson, MA

JamVember in July, a weekend-long bluegrass non-festival, will be held on the 19th, 20th & 21st of July at Camp Kee-wanee in Greenfield, MA just 10 minutes from the intersection of Rt. 2 & I-91. It starts at 6 pm on Friday and ends at 1 pm on Sunday. https://jamvember.com/index.html for more information