Bluegrass, gospel band to kick off Live @the Lake concert series

April 26, 2021 - Richmond Community College and the Cole Auditorium will be bringing live entertainment back to town starting Friday, April 30, when the Live @the Lake outdoor concert series kicks off.

Bluegrass and gospel band Caroline from Garner, N.C., will be the first performance to fill the seats of the amphitheater that overlooks RichmondCC's lake on the Hamlet Campus. At the heart of the bluegrass band is Caroline Owens, who has been singing since she was 2 years old.

“I began humming around the same time that I started forming words,” Owens said. “I can recall my mom always having some form of music playing almost constantly throughout our day. I owe many thanks to her for investing her time and devotion toward my interests.”

Owens has performed alongside many of her heroes such as Alison Krauss, Suzanne Cox, The Isaacs, Larry Gatlin, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Lorraine Jordan and many others.

Her band “Caroline” has been together in this configuration since the beginning of 2020. They have performed at bluegrass festivals, concert theaters, music halls and churches throughout the Carolinas.

"This group is a fun one to watch live," said Jenny Owens with Carolina Capital Promotions. "They have a brand new album out entitled 'Applejack' that will be released this month. With this album you can expect to hear traditional bluegrass with a Dolly Parton vocal style by Caroline Owens."

Caroline is made up of some very seasoned talent: Joe Pessolano on mandolin/dobro and singing harmony vocals, Parks Icenhour on lead guitar, Greg Penny on bass and Curt Love on banjo. For more information or to hear some of their music, visit https://www.facebook.com/musicfromcaroline or https://carolineband.com/.

The show will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Cost is $5 per person over the age of 5. The RichmondCC Cafe will be open with a limited menu for purchase.

Other performances for the Live @the Lake series are:

• Singer/songwriter and RichmondCC student Taylor Bowersock on May 7
• Five-piece band Beach Fever on May 14
• Local singer/songwriter Heather Henry and opening act Madison Watts, a RichmondCC student, on May 21

For more information about the Live @the Lake series, call the Cole Auditorium at (910) 410-1691 or email coleaud@richmondcc.edu.