The Avett Brothers & Sol Driven Train Perform at the Southern Grown Festival in Sea Island, GA June 19-21

The Avett Brothers & Sol Driven Train Perform at the Southern Grown Festival in Sea Island, GA June 19-21

Sea Island’s Southern Grown Festival Celebrates the
Tastes & Tunes of The South

Grammy-Nominated Avett Brothers Join Award-Winning Chefs for
Celebration of All Things Southern

Tickets are on Sale now at www.southerngrown.com/tickets-and-pricing
Rates range from $65 GA to $1450 for a 2 person“All Access” pass
Sea Island Resort ~ 100 Cloister Drive, Sea Island, GA 31561

Sea Island Resort in Georgia is bringing together the best music and food south of the Mason-Dixon for the inaugural Southern Grown Festival, taking place June 19-21, 2015. The three-day festival, filled with brunches, barbeque and bourbon, pays homage to the distinctive culture of America’s South at one of the finest grand dame resorts of the region. Southern Grown will feature a weekend full of events and classes led by more than a dozen award-winning chefs and artisans from Louisiana to Kentucky, and will culminate with an oceanfront performance by North Carolina folk-rock band The Avett Brothers.

The Southern Grown festivities kick off on Friday evening with a “Big Fish” Fry, featuring an appearance by Big Fish author Daniel Wallace, live music from South Carolina jam band Sol Driven Train and a late night speakeasy experience with hand-crafted cocktails created by Tom Bulleit of Bulleit Bourbon. On Saturday, festivalgoers can participate in an array of classes and lectures, including a “Pole to Plate” class taught by two patriarchs of the Southern food movement, Mike Lata (Charleston’s FIG) and John Currence (Oxford’s City Grocery); a “Curds and Whey” session with cheesemongers Jessica and Jeremy Little of Georgia’s Sweet Grass Dairy; and an “Up in Smoke” tutorial celebrating barbeque, one of the South’s most honored traditions, with pit masters Harrison Sapp and Griffin Bufkin of Georgia’s Southern Soul Barbeque.

The highlight of the Southern Grown weekend occurs on Saturday evening, when the Grammy-nominated band The Avett Brothers takes the stage for an oceanfront performance on the lawn of The Lodge at Sea Island. As the sun sets over the Atlantic Ocean, guests will be serenaded by the band’s folk rock sounds while sampling selections from the carnival-style “culinary village,” emulating some of the world’s biggest music fairs. Additional music will be announced as the event draws nearer.

“Southern Grown truly reflects Sea Island’s rich history of gracious hospitality and memorable experiences,” said Scott Steilen, President of Sea Island. “Sea Island embraces its many long-standing traditions and we are thrilled to continue building thoughtful new traditions rooted in our rich culture.”

Southern Grown welcomes locals and travelers alike to experience the region’s wildly impressive food and music culture.  Festival tickets are now available for sale and prices range from $65 (general admission concert tickets) to $1,450 (“All Access” passes for two). For additional information on the Southern Grown weekend or to make reservations, please visit www.southerngrown.com or call 1-800-SEA-ISLAND.

About Sea Island:
An exceptional destination appealing to those who appreciate gracious service and heartfelt hospitality, Sea Island is the home of two of the top five resorts and one of the top five hotel spas in the Continental U.S., according to Travel + Leisure’s 2013 and 2014 World’s Best Awards. With four Forbes Five-Star experiences — The Cloister at Sea Island, The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club, The Spa at Sea Island, and the Georgian Room restaurant – and an extensive array of engaging nature adventures and recreational experiences, Sea Island entices families, outdoor and activity enthusiasts, and those simply wanting to refresh and recharge. It is the only resort in the world to have received four Forbes Five-Star awards for seven consecutive years. Located on the southeastern coast of Georgia, Sea Island features five miles of private beach, a Beach Club, tennis and squash centers, Yacht Club, Shooting School, and Camp Cloister. Well known as a family resort, Sea Island is steeped in golf tradition and is home to three championship golf courses, including Seaside, site of the PGA Tour’s McGladrey Classic, as well as the nation’s finest Golf Performance Center. Guests may also enjoy nearby Broadfield, a Sea Island Sporting Club and Lodge, offering a variety of seasonal hunting, fishing, sporting and organic culinary opportunities. Renowned for its hospitality, Sea Island has been creating life-long traditions for discerning travelers and offering real estate ownership opportunities since 1928. Experience Sea Island at www.seaisland.com.

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The Everyone Orchestra NE Spring Shows Include Members of Living Colour, Pink Floyd, String Cheese Incident, Disco Biscuits, Leftover Salmon, Trey Anastasio Band, Railroad Earth & more…

The Everyone Orchestra’s Matt Butler. Photo by Suzy Perler

The Everyone Orchestra NE Spring Shows Include Members of Living Colour, Pink Floyd,
String Cheese Incident, Disco Biscuits, Leftover Salmon, Trey Anastasio Band,
Railroad Earth & more…

The Everyone Orchestra has announced additional shows for the Eastern states for April and May 2015. Joining conductor Matt Butler in the northeast this April are Drew Emmitt (Leftover Salmon), Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident) [DC and Stroudsburg], 1 (Railroad Earth), Cris Jacobs (The Bridge), Jesse Harper (Love Canon), and Jay Starling (Love Canon). They are set to play Thursday, April 23 at Tally Ho Theatre in Leesburg, VA; Friday, April 24 at Gypsy Sally’s in Washington DC; Saturday at the 8 x 10 in Baltimore MD for a Late night Charm City Bluegrass and Folk Festival show, and Sunday, April 26 at the Sherman Theatre in Stroudsburg, PA.

In May, a different cast of characters are brought into the mix including Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Aron Magner (Disco Biscuits), Robert Mercurcio (Galactic), Durga McBroom (Pink Floyd), Natalie Cressman (Trey Anastasio Band), Ivan Jackson (Mighty High Brass Band), and Todd Stoops (Kung Fu) [Ridgefield Only]. They will play Friday, May 8th at Brooklyn Bowl in New York; Saturday, May 9th at Ardmore Music Hall near Philadelphia, PA; and Sunday, May 10th at Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut.

Everyone Orchestra has previously announced three March shows in Northern California which feature Kris Meyers (Umphrey’s McGee), Joel Cummins (Umphrey’s McGee), Jamie Kime (Zappa Plays Zappa), Ben Thomas (Zappa Plays Zappa), and Kai Eckhardt (John McLaughlin Trio/Garaj Mahal). They pay Thursday, March 26th at Napa City Winery in Napa, CA, Friday, March 27th at Grass Valley Center For The Arts [NEW LOCATION] in Grass Valley, CA, and Saturday, March 28th at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, CA.

The Everyone Orchestra will also be performing a set at the Electric Forest Festival this June in Rothbury, MI. Stay tuned to EveryoneOrchestra.com for more on the EO lineup for the fest, as well as other special guests for all shows to be announced for the spring shows.

Butler has been leading a rotating cast of accredited musicians through full-length shows that are entirely improvised, since 2001, after touring with the rock band Jambay. In 2012, Butler gathered particularly well-known musicians from bands like Phish, Moe., and others, and recorded Everyone Orchestra’s first studio album, Brooklyn Sessions [2012].

“The experience of playing with different musicians, improvising every night, and getting the crowd involved in ways that they can’t be at a regular show has provided an unparalleled live music experience,” said Butler.

The Everyone Orchestra conductor/founder Matt Butler has taken its participants, both on stage and off, on improvisational journeys with the most diverse of lineups at festivals, theaters and philanthropic events both nationally and internationally. A laundry list of hundreds of musicians, dancers, singers, guest conductors and community organizations have embraced the experience of EO in single shots of musical adrenaline to the soul. Tuning in to his energy, the band and audience utilize The Conductor as their pivot to the set mood of each passing jam as he communicates with the musicians using hand signs, whiteboard and assorted mime suggestions.

The list of Everyone Orchestra participants is an increasingly wide and intercontinental group including members of The Grateful Dead, Phish, Furthur,  Ratdog, Trey Anastasio Band, Gov’t Mule, String Cheese Incident, moe., members of Allman Brothers Band, Yonder Mountain String Band, The New Mastersounds, Big Gigantic, The Punch Brothers, Dumpstaphunk, Galactic, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Railroad Earth, Thievery Corporation, Lettuce, Infamous Stringdusters, Leftover Salmon, The Flecktones, ALO, Tea Leaf Green, Tuvan throat singers, live painters, dancers, chanters, choirs, hula hoopers, fire spinners, jugglers, stilt walkers, storytellers, a presidential candidate and hundreds of others among a growing legion of other performers.

Marching clearly into uncharted territory, The Everyone Orchestra balances the challenges of live group improvisation with triumphant tension and release conduits of music which head deep into the soul. This unique collaborative of performance deeply encourages and requires audience interaction.  The edge of your seat enthusiasm for what is next is the fuel behind the continuous musical experiment of The Everyone Orchestra.

What is Everyone Orchestra → http://vimeo.com/36999515
Musicians Describe Everyone Orchestra → http://vimeo.com/33037192
Musicians from across a wide spectrum of styles and backgrounds describe their experiences with the Everyone Orchestra.

For more information, tour dates, videos, downloads & more, please visit www.everyoneorchestra.com, www.facebook.com/EveryoneOrchestra, & www.twitter.com/every1orchestra.

Everyone Orchestra On The Road:
MARCH
Thu 3/26 – Napa City Winery – Napa, CA*
Fri 3/27 – Grass Valley Center For The Arts – Grass Valley, CA* NEW LOCATION
Sat 3/28 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA*
* Conducted by Matt Butler featuring Kris Meyers (Umphrey’s McGee), Joel Cummins (Umphrey’s McGee), Jamie Kime (Zappa Plays Zappa), Ben Thomas (Zappa Plays Zappa), Kai Eckhardt (John McLaughlin Trio/Garaj Mahal), More guests to TBA

APRIL
Thu 4/23 – Tally Ho Theatre – Leesburg, VA^
Fri 4/24 – Gypsy Sally’s – Washington DC^
Sat 4/25 – 8 x 10 – Baltimore MD ^ – Late night Charm City Bluegrass and Folk Festival show
Sun 4/26 – Sherman Theatre – Stroudsburg, PA^
^Conducted By Matt Butler, featuring Drew Emmitt (Leftover Salmon), Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident) [DC and Stroudsburg], Andrew Altman (Railroad Earth), Cris Jacobs (The Bridge), Jesse Harper (Love Canon), and Jay Starling (Love Canon).

MAY
Fri 5/8 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn NY#
Sat 5/9 – Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA#
Sun 5/10 – Ridgefield Playhouse – Ridgefield, CT#
#Conducted By Matt Butler Featuring, Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Aron Magner (Disco Biscuits), Robert Mercurcio (Galactic), Durga McBroom (Pink Floyd), Natalie Cressman (Trey Anastasio Band), Ivan Jackson (Mighty High Brass Band), and Todd Stoops (Kung Fu) [Ridgefield Only]

JUNE
6/26-27 – Electric Forest – Rothbury, MI

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The Honeycutters Release ‘Me Oh My’ on April 21 Through Organic Records

Asheville-based American Country Roots Band, The Honeycutters,
Set to Release 3rd Studio Album, Me Oh My, on Tue, April 21, 2015
With Organic Record Company

Me Oh My Pre-sales Begin Tuesday, February 17th on iTunes
Pre-sale orders include two immediate tracks for download

The Honeycutters, an Asheville, NC-based original country roots band, is set to release their third studio album, Me Oh My, on April 21, 2015 with Organic Records®. Led by songwriter Amanda Anne Platt, The Honeycutters include Tal Taylor on mandolin, Rick Cooper on bass, Josh Milligan on drums, and Matt Smith rounds out the band on pedal steel, electric guitar, and dobro to create a sound that carries just as well across the bar room as in a church or a theater. Fueled by the powerful songwriting and vocals of founder Amanda Platt, Me Oh My moves her into the spotlight as producer, band leader, and principal creative force behind the band. With songs that are honest and relatable, part chagrin and part hope, Platt’s voice carries a timeless appeal. Pre-sales for the album start Tuesday, February 17th on iTunes and includes two immediate tracks to download.

The Honeycutters are (right to left)
Matt Smith, Josh Milligan, Rick Cooper,
Amanda Anne Platt & Tal Taylor.
Photo by Sandlin Gaither.

“The new album is the one I’m most proud of to date.” Platt says, “I took much more of a driver’s seat in it’s making, and the process has forced me to do a lot of growing up… I feel like I’ve really found my voice. I’m very excited about the line up of the band, and the songwriting includes some of my very favorites.” Platt self produced the album along with the help of engineer and assistant producer Jon Ashley. They laid down the all original 14-track album in Echo Mountain Recording Studio and Mixtown Studio in Asheville, NC and it was mixed and mastered just down the road at Crossroads Studios in Arden, NC.

Me Oh My is threaded with themes of love, loss, acceptance and regrowth. It kicks off with an engaging southern swingin’ song, “Jukebox,” that is about taking life one day at a time and not taking yourself too seriously saying “it’s only a song, so for heaven’s sake won’t you sing along?” The title cut is an inspirational anthem about the state of the modern woman, stating, “Some girls marry and some girls wait.” Me Oh My brings more of what fans love about The Honeycutters, honestly written songs sung in Platt’s authentic voice. The up-tempo, beer-raising, danceable “Ain’t It The Truth” is one that will fuel audiences at live shows while melancholy ballads like “Texas ’81” balance the album both in meter and mood. The upbeat “I’ll Be Lovin’ You” as a whole speaks to holding someone up until they are strong enough to stand on their own. Me Oh My delves deeper into the darker realms of love with “Little Bird” which gained Platt notoriety as it was chosen as a finalist at MerleFest’s prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest (2011).

Special guests on the album include Phil Cook on piano and organ, Aaron Wood on Telecaster, Peter James on Telecaster, Will Straughan (Red June) on harmony vocals and resonator guitar, Mica Hanks electric guitar, Evan Bradford on trumpet, and Amanda’s father Mark Platt on harmonica.

Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst calls The Honeycutters “… just superb, with a sweet toned and melodious aura… Today’s Smoky Mountain area modern folk thing does have a certain vibe, and these guys are among its finest purveyors.” Folk Music About.com’s Kim Ruehl wrote, “Their music embodies a very catchy, accessible, optimistic sort of spirit so frequently lacking in folk circles (where brooding, hyper-analytical music reigns supreme). What’s more, like Carolina Story, they’re a great band replete with tasty harmonies.”

They’ll celebrate Me Oh My with an album release tour which is soon to be announced as well as a hometown album release party at Isis Music Hall in Asheville on April 17th. They are also set to perform at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC the weekend of the release date.

In both her simple composition and honest delivery it’s easy to hear the influence of country legends such as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, or Loretta Lynn, and with this Miss Platt credits growing up listening to her Father’s extensive record collection every Saturday morning. Despite her love for classic country, Platt cites Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty as major influences and her songwriting carries a wit and an edge that plants her firmly in her generation.

The Honeycutters formed in 2007 in Asheville, NC, the town they still call home, and had quick success with their first release Irene (2009). Me Oh My is the highly anticipated follow up to the 2012’s When Bitter Met Sweet. Each album has helped to grow grow their audience and expand their tours to include notable appearances at MerleFest, Suwannee Springfest, Strawberry Music Festival, Vancouver Island Music Fest, Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Folk Alliance, Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Fest and the Nelsonville Music Festival. They have also performed alongside esteemed musicians Guy Clark, Tony Rice, The Seldom Scene, Billy Joe Shaver, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Amy Ray, Donna the Buffalo, Jill Andrews, and The Steep Canyon Rangers.

For more information about The Honeycutters and their tour dates, please visit: www.thehoneycutters.com. For news from the road, please visit www.facebook.com/Honeycutters and twitter.com/thehoneycutters.

The Honeycutters on Tour
2/12 Thu – Willie’s Locally Known – Lexington, KY
2/18 Wed – Music City Roots – Nashville, TN
2/19 Thu – Old Rock House – St. Louis, MO
3/13 Fri-  Mudville Music Room – Jacksonville, FL
3/14 Sat – Music Under the Moss – Panama City, FL
4/2 Thu – Robert Ferst Center For The Arts – Atlanta, GA
4/3 Fri – Mars Theatre – Springfield, GA
4/17 Fri – Isis Music Hall – Asheville, NC
4/18 Sat – Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival – Silk Hope, NC
4/24 Fri – MerleFest – Wilkesboro, NC
More dates TBA

Organic Records® is an eclectic home for a variety of artists that are singularly unique and defy categorization. In a time when music is becoming less defined by genre, Organic artists are developing their own  musical identity outside the confines of traditional classifications. Organic Records® is their natural habitat. Organic Records® is a division of Crossroads® Entertainment & Marketing and is located in Arden, North Carolina. More information can be found at www.organic-records.com.

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Asheville Musicians Band Together and Launch Campaign To Rebuild West African Music Education Center & Home

Asheville Musicians Band Together and Launch Campaign To Rebuild West African Music Education Center & Home

700 years of musical lineage is in jeopardy in Ivory Coast, West Africa. Asheville musicians, led by the band Zansa, have banded together to help rebuild the Dembele family home and Djembeso Drum & Dance Education Center in Ivory Coast, West Africa after it was recently destroyed by their government. Members of Zansa, along with many other local Asheville musicians, and other supporters of Asheville’s West African community are raising funds to help the Dembele family continue to grow their musical legacy. We need to rebuild this house and music compound not just for this generation, but for generations to come.

Donations can be made to the rebuilding efforts via the newly launched Indiegogo campaign: http://igg.me/at/adama/x/3637548. Thanks to LEAF Community Arts, a nonprofit that supports arts education around the world through the LEAF International program, your donation is tax deductible. Adama Dembele has been a teaching artist through LEAF for four years, sharing his music and culture with hundreds of young people across Western North Carolina.

The Dembele household is a culturally significant resource within the community. The family has been sharing their music here for centuries. The fact that Adama is a 33rd generation musician means that his family has been passing on their musical heritage and culture for nearly 700 years. Their household, known as Djembeso, which translates to House of Djembe, has been a mecca for musicians throughout West Africa, Europe, the United States, and beyond who have traveled there to study music. Currently, the family is unable to continue passing on this wealth of cultural knowledge, and we need your help. Your generous donations will go directly to help the rebuilding process and make it possible for this legacy to continue!

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