Both the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount and the Blue Ridge Music Center near Galax have announced new acts — Keller Williams and Darin and Brooke Aldridge at the Harvester, Bill and the Belles and ShadowGrass at the Blue Ridge Music Center.
Keller Williams will take the stage in Rocky Mount on Sunday, Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. The show will be a 20th anniversary celebration of his album “Laugh.” Williams will be joined by the original musicians from the album, Tye North ( Leftover Salmon) and Dave Watts (The Motet).
Hailing from Fredericksburg, Virginia, Williams released his first album, “Freek,” in 1994, and has since given each of his albums a single syllable title that serves as a concise summation of the concept guiding each project.
The bluegrass duo Darin and Brooke Aldridge will perform at the Harvester on Friday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m.
Brooke Aldridge is a four-time consecutive winner of the Female Vocalist of the Year award given by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Darin Aldridge is a former member of The Country Gentleman. Together with their band – Billy Gee on bass, Samantha Snyder on fiddle, and Jacob Metz on banjo and resonator guitar – Darin and Brooke were recognized with the IBMA’s nomination for 2021 Vocal Group of the Year.
Tickets to both shows will go on sale Thursday at 1 p.m. at harvester-music.com.
The Blue Ridge Music Center is presenting Bill and the Belles and ShadowGrass for an evening of music at 7 p.m., Saturday, July 16, in the outdoor amphitheater. The Music Center is located at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just south of Galax and 30 minutes from Sparta and Mount Airy, N.C.
Bill and the Belles began as a project to explore the sounds between rural and urban music, between vaudeville and down-home roots.
ShadowGrass will open the show. The group started in the summer of 2014, initially getting together to compete at fiddlers’ conventions in Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina. The band includes Kyser George on guitar, Luke Morris on mandolin, Clay Russell on banjo, David George on bass, and Madison Morris on fiddle.
Tickets are $20 for adults. Children 12 and younger are admitted free of charge. Advance tickets are available at BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org. Tickets can be purchased on the evening of the show at the admission gates.
Parking opens at 5:15 p.m. and is free. Admission to the amphitheater begins at 5:45 p.m.
The Galax Smokehouse will offer barbecue, home-style sides, and beverages for purchase during the concert.
