Bluegrass Festival to Be Held at Cole Auditorium During Farm-City Week

This year Richmond County Farm-City Week will include a bluegrass music festival at the Cole Auditorium featuring a powerhouse line-up of award-winning bluegrass musicians.

The inaugural Richmond Community College Bluegrass Festival will kick off at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, with the following bluegrass bands on tap to perform: Balsam Range, Lonesome River Band, and The Burrows Brothers.

“We are excited to be an entertainment destination for Farm-City Week,” Cole Auditorium Director Joey Bennett said. “A bluegrass festival is a perfect supplement for this annual event that highlights the farming community. We have some very well known and highly entertaining bands lined up to play, and we also will be inviting local talent to take part in this music festival being held at the Cole.”

Balsam Range

Balsam Range is a group of five outstanding acoustic musicians and singers from North Carolina. Elements of jazz, country, gospel, swing and old-time music are all infused into the fresh sound of this unique Southern band. The five distinct personalities of the band, Tim Surrett, Buddy Melton, Caleb Smith, Darren Nicholson and Marc Pruett, create one remarkable musical experience.

The band has an impressive list of awards and honors from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), including Vocal Group of the Year in 2015 and Entertainer of the Year in 2014. In 2014, Buddy Melton was also named Male Vocalist of the Year, and Tim Surrett received a Mentor Award.

The band’s fifth album, Five, made its Billboard Chart debut at No. 4 and remained on the Billboard chart for an impressive six weeks. Additionally, Balsam Range consistently tops radio airplay lists with its history of top singles.

Lonesome River Band

Lonesome River Band has been one of the most popular bluegrass groups since the release of its breakout CD, Carrying The Tradition, back in 1991. Led by five-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year and Virginia Country Music Hall of Famer Sammy Shelor, the group continues its reputation as one of the most respected names in bluegrass music. Backing Shelor are award-winning players and vocalists, including songwriter Brandon Rickman on guitar, Mike Hartgrove on fiddle, Barry Reed on bass and Randy Jones on mandolin and vocals.

The band is celebrating its Billboard Top 10 Bluegrass Album, Turn On A Dime, which showcases Lonesome River Band at the top of their creative game. The album features numerous chart songs, including the hit “Her Love Won’t Turn On A Dime” that reached the No. 1 spot seven times on the Bluegrass Today Top 20.

When masterful players and vocalists combine with top-notch material and thoughtful arrangement, the result is dynamic bluegrass music. Lonesome River Band’s enduring career includes 17 albums, three of which were released in 2012 in celebration of the group’s 30th anniversary.

The Burrows Brothers

Traditional bluegrass and The Burrows Brothers: Can't have one without the other. For Adam and Jake Burrows, traditional music is what they love. The sound and the look. The Burrows Brothers are well known for their energy, entertainment and hard driving music.

Adam Burrows has been nicknamed the “Killer” for his aggressive playing style on the guitar or upright bass, and he brings strong and smooth vocals to the duo.

One of the strongest banjo players on the circuit, Jake Burrows has been compared to J.D. Crowe and Earl Scruggs. He blends his tenor vocals with Adams lead to take listeners back to the brother duets of old. When not playing with The Burrows Brothers, Jake plays and sings with The Kody Norris Show.

Ticket Information

Tickets to the Richmond Community College Bluegrass Festival are $30 to $45 (price varies for seating options) and can be purchased through the Cole Auditorium Box Office. Festival-goers who purchase tickets early will receive a $5 discount.

Box office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can also call the box office at (910) 410-1691. Information is also available on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.