Upcoming Bluegrass Related Events

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Stone Church Coffeehouse presents Southern Rail

Stone Church Coffeehouse 300 High St, Bristol, RI

Enormously popular music series now in its 17th year!  Seating is limited, so call 401-253-4813 to reserve your seats.  Guests are welcome to bring their own supper and libation to enjoy during Southern Rail's concert!

$20

Homegrown Coffeehouse presents Southern Rail

Homegrown Coffeehouse First Parish Church, 23 Dedham Ave., Needham, MA

Bluegrass and the world’s best Carrot Cake!  What could be better? Southern Rail brings their upbeat brand of Bluegrass and happy mayhem to the Homegrown Coffeehouse on Saturday April 6. This promises to be another packed house, featuring high-energy exuberant bluegrass with lush harmonies, irrepressible good humor, and sparkling banjo, guitar and mandolin. Come early before the Carrot Cake runs out!

$20 – $25

Jay Unger and Molly Mason, Masters of American Traditional Music

First Parish Unitarian Church 7 Harrington Rd, , Lexington, MA

Concert at First Parish Milton, 535 Canton Avenue, Milton MA sponsored by the Forbes House Museum as part of the Heritage Music Series. Jay's haunting 'Ashokan Farewell' was featured throughout Ken Burns' award winning series The Civil War. The duo has recorded albums with the legendary James Galway and Thomas Hampson. Featured on Prairie Home Companion, they provided music for film Brother's Keeper.

$30 – $35

7X National Fiddling Champion Luke Bulla, Harvard MA

notloB Parlour Concerts at Fivesparks 7 Fairbank Street, Harvard, MA

Luke Bulla Presented by notloB Parlour Concerts at the old Harvard library, 7 Fairbank Street, Harvard MA 01451 Friday, April 19, 2024, 7:30pm   Luke Bulla has been singing and playing music most of his life, touring with and singing in his family band from age four, Luke took up the fiddle at seven. Over the course of the next few years, he won the National Fiddle Contest (in Weiser, Idaho) six times in his respective age categories. His seventh win came in the Grand Champion division at age sixteen, making him the youngest to have earned the title at the time. In the spring of 1999, Luke moved to Nashville to establish himself as a full time musician. He spent his early years in Tennessee playing fiddle in Ricky Skaggs’ band, Kentucky Thunder, which earned him his first Grammy Award. Luke was a member of the John Cowan Band. Luke has also performed and/or recorded with Brandi Carlile, Jim Lauderdale, Darrell Scott, Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck, Bryan Sutton, Kevin Costner & Modern West, Russ Barenberg Trio, Shawn Colvin, Tony Rice, Chris Thile, Peter Rowan, Patty Griffin, Glen Phillips, Rodney Crowell, and Earl Scruggs, to name a few. In 2009, Luke released a solo EP featuring Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, Aoife O’Donovan and more. Since 2009, Luke has been touring with Lyle Lovett. Luke released an LP, Who Loves You Better, produced by Bryan Sutton in May 2016. After many years as a sideman, Luke is currently touring the country playing solo performances. ARTIST’S WEBSITE: lukebulla.com ARTIST’S VIDEO: https://youtu.be/mgKqxoWbkQI?si=E5Zkt7QWKfPdoDxQ ADMISSION: by free-will offering, suggested amounts: Adults $20+, teens and seniors $15, children $10. RESERVATIONS REQUESTED: notloB Parlour … Read More »

$10 – $20

Sanford Springvale Historical Museum presents Southern Rail

SANFORD-SPRINGVALE HISTORICAL MUSEUM 505 MAIN ST (RT 109), SPRINGVALE, ME

Southern Rail welcomes spring with their exuberant blend of upbeat bluegrass and riveting vocals to the acclaimed Sanford Springvale Historical Museum. This promises to be another packed house, featuring lush harmonies, irrepressible good humor, and sparkling banjo, guitar, mandolin and bass. Come early to browse the wonderful exhibits! Doors open 6:45.  concert is at 7:30.

$20

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