Suwannee Spring Reunion March 22-25 w/ The Infamous Stringdusters, David Bromberg Quintet, Donna The Buffalo, Larry Keel Experience, Dar Williams, Billy Strings, and more!

Announcing The 2nd Annual Suwannee Spring Reunion March 22-25, 2018
Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL

Featuring: The Infamous Stringdusters, David Bromberg Quintet, Donna The Buffalo, Larry Keel Experience, Dar Williams, Billy Strings, and more!

Sowing The Seeds of Music ~ Sustaining Our Community

Tickets on sale now at → www.suwanneespringreunion.com  

LIVE OAK, FL –– For decades the onset of Spring meant gathering at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida for a weekend of fun, family, Bluegrass and string music. A beloved tradition continues as the picturesque grounds play host to a new take on a classic family-friendly gathering with the 2nd Annual Suwannee Spring Reunion taking place Thursday through Sunday, March 22 – 25, 2018.

Suwannee Spring Reunion 2018 features The Infamous Stringdusters, David Bromberg Quintet, Donna The Buffalo, Larry Keel Experience, Dar Williams, Billy Strings, Amy Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Verlon Thompson, Shawn Camp, The Grass Is Dead, Rev. Jeff Mosier and Biscuit Tragedy, Jon Stickley Trio, Front Country, Roy Book Binder, Grayson Capps, Ralph Roddenbery, Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, Nikki Talley, Quartermoon, Sloppy Joe, and Big Cosmo!

Most of these artists bring with them storied histories of epic Suwannee performances! Matching the history on the stage, long time festival creators Beth Judy and Randy Judy along with an amazing staff, are partnering with the Spirit of the Suwannee to make sure that every piece needed to make an epic weekend of music and fun is in place and ready to write this next episode for this new legend.

The theme for the 2018 Reunion is “Sowing The Seeds of Music ~ Sustaining Our Community.” This is the inspiration behind Marci Davis’s art poster for this festival with the seed packet imagery.

Once again the beloved tree-lined amphitheater is home to early morning sing-a-longs and night time musical pyrotechnics from the park’s stellar cast of alumni and new favorites. There will be music on four stages including the Amphitheater, Porch, Music Hall, and Music Farmers Stages. Suwannee Spring Reunion attendees will also enjoy music in the campground with jamming at Slopryland and the Bill Monroe Shrine as well as camp pickin’ parties.

Hands-on and performance workshops will be held throughout the weekend with a variety of artists set to perform. Billy Strings will perform the music of Doc Watson and Dar Williams will share her music and maybe some tidbits from her newest book. There will be hands-on learning workshops led by Roy Book Binder, Tom Nelly, and many more teaching musicians.

Placing a strong emphasis on embracing the traditions that have made the park a national treasure, there will be a wide array of arts & crafts as well as an array of culinary delights ranging from healthy to decadent in the Vending Village. The park itself is a place where kids of all ages can remember why they fell in love with the magic mixture of sights, sounds, and sensations that constitutes a weekend of paradise that is the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park.

Tania & The Magic Moon Traveling Circus will lead the Kid’s Tent with music and activities, Rhonda Bell will lead Daily Yoga each morning at 9am, and folks can also experience the Park’s other many attractions including disc golf, miles of hiking and biking trails, the bat house, and the chance to venture Way Down Upon The Suwannee River.

Tickets are on sale now. Suwannee Spring Reunion offers a multi-day Weekend Ticket that includes festival admission for four days of music, as well as primitive camping on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Early Bird Tickets are $130; Students and military with a valid ID are $120. Children 12 and under are free if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Get your tickets now before they rise to the next pricing tier. Single Day Tickets will be available at the Gate only. Please note, Single Day Tickets do not include primitive camping.

If you are planning to attend our sister festival, Suwannee Roots Revival on October 11-14, 2018, you can get a Special Combo Spring Reunion/Roots Revival Weekend Ticket for $260 total and this is available until 1/15/2018. Each Weekend Ticket includes Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday venue access to music as well as primitive camping Thursday through Sunday.

SOSMP is located between Jacksonville, Florida & Tallahassee, Florida about 30 minutes south of the Georgia State line, about 45 minutes north of Gainesville and is host to a variety of events.

For four days in March, you can slip your shoes off and dance under the bright blue vistas and star-studded skies. Wander the endless trails along the Suwannee River, tell stories around the crackling campfire or simply lie back and watch the Spanish moss that drapes the sheltering Live Oaks that sway in the breeze. Dance the days away at the Stages and while away the late night hours around the “Picking Parties” that spring up into the dawn’s early light. There are no wrong choices when you arrive at your home and the place where live music lives for the founding of a new tradition, built on the love of the past, the Suwannee Spring Reunion.

Suwannee Spring Reunion 2018:
The Infamous Stringdusters
David Bromberg Quintet
Donna The Buffalo
Larry Keel Experience
Dar Williams
Billy Strings
Amy Helm
Jim Lauderdale
Verlon Thompson
Shawn Camp
The Grass Is Dead
Rev. Jeff Mosier and Biscuit Tragedy
Jon Stickley Trio
Front Country
Roy Book Binder
Grayson Capps
Ralph Roddenbery
Grandpa’s Cough Medicine
Nikki Talley
Quartermoon
Sloppy Joe
Big Cosmo
Suwannee Spirit Kids
Tania & Magic Moon Traveling Circus

For more information and to reserve camping, please visit www.suwanneespringreunion.com.

 

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Town Mountain & The Larry Keel Experience Play Isis for 4th Annual Holiday Benefit on Sat 12/19

4th Annual Holiday Town Mountain Benefit
with The Larry Keel Experience on Saturday, December 19th
at Isis Restaurant and Music Hall
An annual event that helps provide much needed hunger relief for 1 in 6  of our WNC neighbors, with partial proceeds going to MANNA FoodBank

Town Mountain hosts their 4th Annual Holiday Benefit on Saturday, December 19, 2015 at Isis Music Hall and will be joined by The Larry Keel Experience for the occasion! Tickets for the concert are on sale now and the event typically sells out, so get your tickets early. Doors at 8pm, show at 9pm, $20. 743 Haywood Road, Asheville, NC 28806. More info at www.isisasheville.com

Starting in 2012, local bluegrass ambassadors, Town Mountain, decided they wanted to initiate an annual holiday concert to help fight local hunger. Each year since, they have teamed up with another band and host Isis Restaurant and Music Hall to throw a holiday party featuring some of the best local and regional pickers rotating on stage throughout the evening. In sum total, the Holiday Benefit Concert has raised $7,500 enough money to provide food for 22,500 meals through MANNA FoodBank.

“The WNC music community has always been a strong support system for our work at MANNA FoodBank, whether it is through supporting our special events, our mission, or by raising money to end hunger in Western North Carolina. Over the past three years, this event has helped us provide the food for over 19,500 meals!” MANNA FoodBank says, “When our community works together – a business providing the space for an event, musicians providing entertainment and a reason for gathering, and the people buying tickets to support it – we can accomplish so much. Thank you to every individual who makes this possible. With your help, we can end hunger in WNC.”

Town Mountain’s banjo player and founding member Jesse Langlais decided that he wanted to make this an annual event because of the band’s ties to the area and their desire to give back to the place that has helped launch their music careers. In addition to providing the space free of charge as host of the event, Isis Music Hall has also waived many production costs and been generous enough to donate both in kind and cash contributors to the event each year in order to facilitate the event’s success.

“The need to provide a hot meal and shelter to those in need is ever present. Not only is it something we need to be aware of 365 days a year, it’s something that always stands out around the holiday season,” says Langlais. “This year, partial proceeds will be going to MANNA FoodBank, who work to help 1 in 6 people facing food insecurity in Western North Carolina.”

“We are honored to be part of this annual funding raising event that brings together musicians and community to provide for those that are less fortunate.” Isis’s owner Scott Woody says, “We deeply appreciate the efforts of FATE (Josh Stack) and MANNA for all that they do.”

Town Mountain will have some new tunes to ring in the season! They recorded an impromptu set of two of their favorite songs from the Grateful Dead’s catalog, “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” and “Big River” at the widely acclaimed Echo Mountain Recording Studios in their hometown of Asheville, NC. The disc is called The Dead Session and comes out on November 13th. This is the Grateful Dead done in Town Mountain’s hard drivin’ style filled with a honky tonk edge and barroom swagger. They will put out their next studio album, produced and engineered by GRAMMY winner Dirk Powell, in 2016. Town Mountain is Robert Greer on vocals and guitar, Jesse Langlais on banjo and vocals, Bobby Britt on fiddle, Phil Barker on mandolin and vocals, and Adam Chaffins on bass.

The Larry Keel Experience will also be playing some new tunes for the celebration from their upcoming album due out in 2016. Larry Keel, widely known as a guitar legend and master fisherman, is an innovative and original acoustic flatpicking guitarist that had broken ground in the genre. Always offering an exhilarating performance, The Larry Keel Experience features Will Lee on soulful, blues-grass 5 string banjo, penetrating vocals, along with exceptional songwriting contributions, and Jenny Keel on upright bass with her impeccable timing along with solid and imaginative bass lines and vocal harmonies.

For more info please visit www.isisasheville.com, www.TownMountain.net, and www.larrykeel.com. For more about MANNA FoodBank please visit  www.mannafoodbank.org .

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Suwannee Springfest Additions Include Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, Del McCoury & David Grisman, Hot Rize, Jeff Austin, The Duhks, Pgrass

Suwannee Springfest Additions Include Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt,
Del McCoury & David Grisman, Hot Rize, Jeff Austin, The Duhks, Pgrass

Suwannee Springfest March 19-22, 2015
at The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL

Suwannee Springfest 2015 Lineup Additions:
Lucinda Williams
John Hiatt
Del McCoury & David Grisman
Hot Rize with Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers
Jeff Austin
The Duhks
Pgrass
Virginia Dare Devils
Whetherman
Flagship Romance
The Applebutter Express
Big Cosmo
Canary in the Coalmine
Acoustic Ensemble

In addition to the already announced line-up of:
The Wood Brothers, Shovels and Rope, Keller Williams and The Travelin’ McCourys, The Infamous Stringdusters, Blind Boys of Alabama, Donna The Buffalo, Larry Keel Experience

www.suwanneespringfest.com

Live Oak, FL — On March 19-22, 2015, the 19th annual Suwannee Springfest kicks off the spring festival season at The Spirit Of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL. A gem of a festival with beautiful early spring weather in a stunning natural setting, Suwannee Springfest is thrilled to announce a few additions to the already stellar lineup. Additions include Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, Del McCoury & David Grisman, Hot Rize with Red Knuckles and The Trailblazers, Jeff Austin, The Duhks, Pgrass, Virginia Dare Devils, Whetherman, Flagship Romance, The Applebutter Express, Big Cosmo, Canary in the Coalmine, and Acoustic Ensemble.

Bands that have already been announced to perform are The Wood Brothers, Shovels and Rope, Keller Williams and The Travelin’ McCourys, The Infamous Stringdusters, Blind Boys of Alabama, Donna The Buffalo, Larry Keel Experience, Cabinet, Jim Lauderdale, Verlon Thompson, The Seth Walker Band, Fruition, Town Mountain, Joe Craven, amongst others.

Festivalgoers experience four days of superb music in the midst of a friendly, family-style environment with good times including music from usual festival favorites, as well as lots of talented new faces in Bluegrass & Newgrass, Acoustic Blues, Roots Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Cajun/Zydeco, New & Traditional Folk and other forms of American Roots music.

Along with the camping, there are nearly 12 miles of trails suitable for hiking, biking, horseback riding and nature exploring. For RV hook ups, cabin rentals and golf cart rentals, please call SOSMP at (386)364-1683. SOSMP is located between Jacksonville, Florida & Tallahassee, Florida about 30 minutes south of the Georgia State line, about 45 minutes north of Gainesville and is host to  a variety of events including Wannee, Magnolia Fest, Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival, Hulaween, and Aura Music Festival amongst others. Please visit the park’s web site at www.musicliveshere.com or call them at 386-364-1683 for information.

Get your tickets in advance for Suwannee Springfest and save for $160 until February 28th; $175 from March 1st through March 18th; and $200 at the gate. Individual day tickets are also available. Student / Military Ticket $150 Advance. Tickets are inclusive of all taxes and fees, and include 4 days of primitive camping and music Thursday – Sunday nights. Kids under 12 are invited to join for free. Attendees can also upgrade for a VIP Experience which includes a four-day ticket with primitive camping, dinners Thursday – Saturday evenings, a VIP Laminate, a swag bag with the festival poster, a cap, and other goodies for $300 through February 15th ($350 from 2/16 on and at gates. If you purchase a VIP Ticket you will be entered into a drawing for a pair of upgraded All Access Passes. Please visit SuwanneeSpringfest.com for ticketing and other information.

Suwannee Springfest Final 2015 Lineup
Lucinda Williams
John Hiatt
Del McCoury & David Grisman
The Wood Brothers
Shovels and Rope
Hot Rize with Red Knuckles and The Trailblazers
Keller Williams and The Travelin’ McCourys
The Infamous Stringdusters
Jeff Austin
Blind Boys of Alabama
Donna The Buffalo
Larry Keel Experience
Cabinet
Jim Lauderdale
The Duhks
Verlon Thompson
The Seth Walker Band
Fruition
Town Mountain
Joe Craven
Dread Clampitt
Pgrass
Shinyribs
Jon Stickley Trio
The Shook Twins
Taylor Martin’s Acoustic Band
Ralph Roddenbery Band
Grandpa’s Cough Medicine
Virginia Dare Devils
Whetherman
Flagship Romance
The Applebutter Express
Sloppy Joe
Nikki Talley
Big Cosmo
Canary in the Coalmine
Grits & Soul
Quartermoon
The Josh Daniel/Mark Schimick Project
Steve Pruett’s Back from the Brink
Oak Hay
Short Straw Pickers
Sarah Mac Band
Acoustic Ensemble

Further information can be found at suwanneespringfest.com.
Also visit us at facebook.com/suwanneespringfest, twitter.com/SuwanneeSpring and instagram.com/SuwanneeSpringfest.

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Suwannee Springfest 2015 Initial Lineup: Wood Brothers, Shovels and Rope, Infamous Stringdusters, Keller Williams & The Travelin’ McCourys, Blind Boys of Alabama

Suwannee Springfest 2015 Initial Lineup: Wood Brothers, Shovels and Rope, Infamous Stringdusters, Keller Williams & The Travelin’ McCourys, Blind Boys of Alabama

Announcing The 19th Suwannee Springfest Initial Lineup
~ March 19-22, 2015 at Spirit of Suwannee in Live Oak, FL ~
Tickets on Sale Sat Nov 15th
www.suwanneespringfest.com/tickets

Wood Brothers, Shovels and Rope, Infamous Stringdusters,
Keller Williams & The Travelin’ McCourys, Blind Boys of Alabama, Larry Keel Experience, Donna The Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, Joe Craven, Verlon Thompson

The Seth Walker Band, Fruition, Town Mountain, Dread Clampitt, Jon Stickley Trio, Taylor Martin’s Acoustic Band, The Shook Twins, Shinyribs, Ralph Roddenbery Band, Cabinet,
Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, Grits & Soul, and more!

On March 19-22, 2015, the 19th annual Suwannee Springfest kicks off the spring festival season at The Spirit Of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL. A gem of a festival with beautiful early spring weather in a stunning natural setting, Suwannee Springfest is excited to announce a stand-out initial lineup with the Wood Brothers, Shovels and Rope, Infamous Stringdusters, Keller Williams & The Travelin’ McCourys, Blind Boys of Alabama, Larry Keel Experience, Donna The Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, Joe Craven and Verlon Thompson. Tickets are on sale in advance starting Saturday, November 15th and will also be available gate.

Others on the initial lineup include The Seth Walker Band, Fruition, Town Mountain, Dread Clampitt, Jon Stickley Trio, Taylor Martin’s Acoustic Band, The Shook Twins, Shinyribs, Ralph Roddenbery Band, Cabinet, Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, Grits & Soul, Sloppy Joe, The Josh Daniel/Mark Schimick Project, Steve Pruett’s Back from the Brink, Quartermoon, Okay Hay, Nikki Talley, Short Straw Pickers, and the Sarah Mac Band. Stay tuned for additions to eh lineup as the event draws nearer.

Festivalgoers experience four days of superb music in the midst of a friendly, family-style environment with good times including music from usual festival favorites, as well as lots of talented new faces in Bluegrass & Newgrass, Acoustic Blues, Roots Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Cajun/Zydeco, New & Traditional Folk and other forms of American Roots music.

Get your tickets for Magnolia Fest now and save for $145 until 1/11; $165 until 2/15; $180 until 3/18 ($200 at the gate). Student / Military Ticket $145 Advance. Tickets are inclusive of all taxes and fees, and include 4 days of primitive camping and music Thursday – Sunday nights. Kids under 12 are invited to join for free. Attendees can also upgrade for a VIP Experience which includes a four-day ticket with primitive camping, dinners Thursday – Saturday evenings, a VIP Laminate, a swag bag with the festival poster, a cap, and other goodies for $300.  If you purchase a VIP Ticket you will be entered into a drawing for a pair of upgraded All Access Passes.

Along with the camping, there are nearly 12 miles of trails suitable for hiking, biking, horseback riding and nature exploring. For RV hook ups, cabin rentals and golf cart rentals, please call SOSMP at (386)364-1683. SOSMP is located between Jacksonville, Florida & Tallahassee, Florida about 30 minutes south of the Georgia State line, about 45 minutes north of Gainesville and is host to  a variety of events including Wannee, Magnolia Fest, Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival, Hulaween, and Aura Music Festival amongst others. Please visit the park’s web site at www.musicliveshere.com or call them at 386-364-1683 for information.

Further information at suwanneespringfest.com. Also visit us on at facebook.com/suwanneespringfest, twitter.com/SuwanneeSpring and instagram.com/SuwanneeSpringfest.

Suwannee Springfest Initial 2015 Lineup
Wood Brothers
Shovels and Rope
Infamous Stringdusters
Keller Williams and The Travelin’ McCourys
Blind Boys of Alabama
Larry Keel Experience
Donna The Buffalo
Jim Lauderdale
Joe Craven
Verlon Thompson
The Seth Walker Band
Fruition
Town Mountain
Dread Clampitt
Jon Stickley Trio
Taylor Martin’s Acoustic Band
The Shook Twins
Shinyribs
Ralph Roddenbery Band
Cabinet
Grandpa’s Cough Medicine
Grits & Soul
Sloppy Joe
The Josh Daniel/Mark Schimick Project
Steve Pruett’s Back from the Brink
Quartermoon
OKay Hay
Nikki Talley
Short Straw Pickers
Sarah Mac Band

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Larry Keel Experience w/ Jeff Sipe at Oskar Blues’ 3rd Annual NYE Hootenanny in Brevard, NC along with Jeremy Garrett, Travis Book, Steve “Big Daddy” McMurry, Mike Guggino & Jon Stickley Trio

The Larry Keel Experience with Jeff Sipe
at the 3rd Annual New Year’s Eve Hootenanny at Oskar Blues
Wednesday, December 31 at Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard, NC

The New Year’s Eve Experience:
The Larry Keel Experience with Jeff Sipe
PLUS
Jeremy Garrett & Travis Book (of the Infamous Stringdusters)
Steve “Big Daddy” McMurry (of Acoustic Syndicate)
Mike Guggino (of the Steep Canyon Rangers)
AND THE
Jon Stickley Trio

Show Details:
This event is 21+ only; 7pm ‘til after the beer drops
$30 adv/ $40 dos, Locals-only $20 tickets for a limited time at the Tasty Weasel
Package ticket includes entry to the CANuary 1st Hangover Brunch at the Oskar Blues REEB Ranch in Hendersonville, NC on 1/1/15 -$100

Oskar Blues Brewery
342 Mountain Industrial Dr Brevard, NC 28712
http://brew.oskarblues.com/events/nye-brevard

*********************************

The Larry Keel Experience is excited that Jeff Sipe is joining the band for the evening to perform at The 3rd Annual Holiday Hootenanny at Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard, NC on Wednesday, December 31, 2014. Based in Lexington, VA, the Larry Keel Experience is Larry Keel on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, Jenny Keel on stand up bass and harmony vocals, and Will Lee on Banjo and lead vocals. Also performing for NYE are Jeremy Garrett & Travis Book (of the Infamous Stringdusters), Steve “Big Daddy” McMurry (of Acoustic Syndicate), Mike Guggino (of the Steep Canyon Rangers), and the Jon Stickley Trio.

The NEW Oskar Blues CHUBurger food truck will be slingin’ the goods throughout the evening and a photobooth will be onsite to capture all of your NYE memories (so that you don’t have to). Hotel specials are available, just check the Oskar Blues website for more info. The Oskar Blues trolley will be making the rounds to local hotels and downtown Brevard to give you a safe ride to and from the Hootenanny. Trips will start at 6 p.m. and the trolley will stop at each stop roughly every 30-40 minutes. Tickets are on sale now and more information is at http://brew.oskarblues.com/events/nye-brevard.

The CAN’uary 1st Hangover Brunch will be hosted the following afternoon at noon at the Oskar Blues REEB Ranch, their new 145-acre farm that is located about 8 miles from the Brevard-based Oskar Blues brewery in Hendersonville, NC. The January 1, 2015 brunch will be hosted by Jeremy Garrett, Travis Book, Sarah Siskind, and Larry & Jenny Keel. Proceeds from the brunch will benefit Oskar Blues CAN’d Aid Foundation. Included in the $80 ticket price (or as part of the NYE package deal) are a Southern-style family-style meal, drinks (including Mama-mosas and Café con FIDY), and the exclusive VIP concert.  Limited tickets are available. The CAN’d Aid Foundation will give an update on their work in our community and the work ahead in 2015.

Larry Keel has had a fantastic 2014 and is excited to celebrate with you! Some highlights include his appearance with Sam Bush at this year’s Lockn’ Festival and he’s been on tour with Yonder Mountain String Band throughout South east, Mid West, North East this fall. He’ll be heading to Puerto Morelos, Mexico w/ all the Bluegrass buddies to play Strings and Sol in Mexico in mid-Dec. Also, stay tuned for more information on an upcoming studio release due out in the spring of 2015 with some very special guests!

Larry Keel is described by some reviewers as the most powerful, innovative and all-out exhilarating acoustic flatpicking guitarist performing today. Keel has absorbed the best lessons from his Bluegrass family upbringing, both sides deeply steeped in the rich mountain music culture and heritage of Southwest Virginia. From there, he has always integrated that solid musical grounding and natural-born talent with his own incomparable approach to flatpicking the guitar and composing original music. He’s also got a knack for choosing interesting and appealing material from all realms of music with guts, whether it’s a tune written by a fellow songwriter/musician friend, or a tasty cover from any number of genres all over the map.

Keel has a variety of musical formats swirling around the calendar each year: look out for his core band, The Larry Keel Experience (featuring Will Lee on soulful, blues-grass 5 string banjo, penetrating vocals and exceptional song-writing contributions and Jenny Keel on upright bass, with impeccable timing, solid yet imaginative bass lines and vocal harmonies). “Hot and fluent bluegrass act showcasing Larry Keel’s dazzling guitar skills and gruff, baritone vocals, wife Jenny’s granite-firm bass guitar work… Good folks, amazing roots music,” writes Tad Dickens with the Roanoke Times.

Other projects of Keel’s include Larry Does Jerry (Keel performing the music of Jerry Garcia), Keller Williams and The Keels, Keel paired with artists such as Drew Emmitt, Danny Barnes, Peter Rowan, Sam Bush, and a multitude of guest spots in great bands on the tour circuit including the Traveling McCourys, Steep Canyon Rangers, Infamous Stringdusters, and Greensky Bluegrass.

The versatility of his talents is pretty irresistible, and has earned Keel the highest respect and billing among the top acoustic musicians alive, and some now gone: Tony Rice, Chris Thile, Vassar Clements, Sam Bush, Del McCoury, John Hartford, Bill Monroe, Peter Rowan, and Darol Anger to name a few. And his fierce, high-spirited energy also appeals to young rockers, jammers and alt country pickers and fans who are equally drawn to Keel’s deep rumbling voice, his earthy and imaginative song-writing, and his down-home-gritty-good-time charm. Keel regularly collaborates with JamBand and Rock giants Yonder Mountain String Band, Keller Williams, Jorma Kaukonen, David Nelson, Little Feat, Rebirth Brass Band, Dirty Dozen Brass, Railroad Earth, members of String Cheese Incident and Leftover Salmon, amongst others.

Throughout his career, Keel has released 14 albums and is featured on 10 others. The most recent release, March 2012, is CLASSIC, the 3rd album recorded by Keel and his powerhouse ensemble, Natural Bridge. The project is filled with originals written variously by Keel, the band members or by musician/song-writer friends. “Classic is not a derivative work stuck in the quagmire of a romanticized past. It’s forward-thinking, spontaneous, audacious, and full of surprises. Fresh. All the Keel’s are doing is watering the seeds the old Masters planted and widening the Circle a little bit,” writes Robert Kimmel with Bluegrass Today.

For Keel the musical mission is always clear: to let technical skill, honest emotion and fearlessness connect the playing and singing to audiences, to entertain and to thoroughly enjoy the experience of creating and sharing in music.

Larry Keel Experience on Tour
11/11 Tue – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC*
11/12 Wed – Higher Ground Ballroom – South Burlington, VT*
11/13 Thu – Paradise Rock Club     Boston, MA*
11/14 Fri –  Theatre of the Living Art – Philadelphia, PA*
11/15 Sat – Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn, NY*
11/21 Fri – The Lincoln Theatre – Marion, VA
12/05 Fri- The Southern Charlottesville, VA
12/06 Sat – Acoustic Stage Concert Series – Hickory, NC
12/11-15 – Larry Keel at Strings & Sol – Puerto Morelos, Mexico
12/19 Fri – Clementine Cafe – Harrisonburg, VA
12/31 Wed – – Oskar Blues Brewery – Brevard, NC %
01/01/15 Thu – Oskar Blues REEB Ranch – Hendersonville, NC ^

* LKE w/ Yonder Mountain
% LKE w/ Jeff Sipe. Alsoperforming are Jeremy Garrett & Travis Book, Steve “Big Daddy” McMurry, Mike Guggino, and the Jon Stickley Trio
^ The CAN’uary 1st Hangover Brunch with Jeremy Garrett, Travis Book, Sarah Siskind, and Larry & Jenny Keel. Proceeds from the brunch will benefit Oskar Blues CAN’d Aid Foundation.

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Larry Keel’s “Sound Check” is on the Soundtrack for New Fly Fishing Film – CONNECT- by Confluence Films

This just in!!  The Larry Keel Experience has a sound track included in a new film by Confluence Films.  They do WORLD CLASS movies about fly fishing, really the absolute best in the industry and the Keels are excited to be part of this one! Far be it from Larry Keel and his fast-pickin, fishin master band to miss out on an opportunity to be involved in a FISH PORN project as cool as this! no lover of travel, nature, exciting settings and music can resist!!

For this latest project, Confluence Films used one of Larry Keel Experience’s instrumental’s “Sound Check” in the Alaska segment of the movie. This tune was written by Will Lee and performed by The Larry Keel Experience on their self-titled album. Find out more about Larry Keel at www.larrykeel.com

Click here to check out the new trailer for CONNECT.

Confluence Films brings you their biggest project yet! In 2008 they brought you DRIFT. In 2009 it was RISE Now their most ambitious project yet- CONNECT. 2 Years in the making. 6 International locations. 12 Anglers. 10 species. 1 Angry Croc. On DVD and Blue Ray November 4th 2001.

The film will premiere Saturday, October 8th, 2011 at the Ellen Theatre in Bozeman, MT. Sponsors for CONNECT include Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Hatch Reels and Simms Fishing Products.

You will have the chance to view the new movie “on the Big Screen” by attending one of the Screening events in Bozeman, MT (10/8 & 10/13)  —  Salt Lake City, UT (10/18)  —  Bend, OR (10/20)  —  Johannesburg, South Africa (11/25)

Check back to http://www.confluencefilms.tv/tour.php on a regular basis for more tour dates that will be added soon.

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Archive: Interview with Larry Keel in Durham

ATTENTION: THIS SHOW (Casbah Durham Dec 17th)HAS BEEN CANCELLED due to The Keels being snowed in in Virginia; however, we did want to post the article as an archive for you all to enjoy!

Bluegrass at the Casbah with Keel

THE HERALD-SUN, DURHAM, N.C. | DAWN BAUMGARTNER VAUGHAN | Thu, Dec 16, 6:56 PM

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

Dec. 16–Longtime flatpicking guitar playing bluegrassman Larry Keel thinks just about any song could be turned into a bluegrass song.

“I believe whether a Miles Davis song or a reggae song, the bluegrass sort of creeps in there. Though your hardcore purists might say no,” said Keel in a phone interview from his home in Lexington, Va., on the side of a mountain.

Tonight he’ll be at Casbah in Durham with his band Natural Bridge, which features his wife Jenny Keel on upright bass and Mark Schimick on mandolin. Larry Keel and Natural Bridge is named for the, well, the natural bridge that’s a wonder of nature and tourist stop in southwestern Virginia. Keel lived in the community of Natural Bridge for 15 years before moving to Lexington. The group’s last record was “Backwoods.”

Over the course of Keel’s career, he’s played with several groups — Magraw Gap, the Larry Keel Experience, the Keel Brothers and Keller & the Keels.

Keller & the Keels is composed of Larry and Jenny Keel with Keller Williams . Their latest, out this year, is “Thief.” It’s filled with covers of songs that seem a natural segue to their Americana sound — like the Grateful Dead’s “Mountains of the Moon” — to songs you didn’t know could be bluegrass, like “Pepper” by the Butthole Surfers, “Bath of Fire” by Presidents of the USA and “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse.

Larry Keel said that the song choices were Williams’.

“I’m just glad to be a part of it, to put it out there to kids who might not normally hear it,” Keel said. In recent years new bluegrass bands have veered from playing only traditional tunes.

“I sort of look at it as bluegrass has to change to keep it growing. I see younger groups trying to turn their age groups on to bluegrass by playing songs they know in a bluegrass fashion, and therefore preserving bluegrass,” he said.

Keel plays a little bit of all of it — traditional, originals and covers.

“With my style of traditional bluegrass, I do a lot of writing and always try to write something new from something that inspires me — people I meet, all the places I go to,” he said. Fishing, too, is part of the experience.

“It’s a very Zen-like activity, very magical. You’re concentrating on one focused-type thing, and music is like that,” Keel said.

Keel said that as he grows older, he definitely takes his music very seriously, but not too serious.

“I try to keep an audience happy,” he said. “It’s nice to uplift them when they come out to a show, and I get back that good energy.”

Keel has his own youtube channel,http://www.youtube.com/user/Larrykeelmusic. Keel will be back in North Carolina again for a New Year’s Eve show in Charlotte with Keller & the Keels.

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Archive: Flatpicker, Larry Keel, Remains at the Forefront of Progressive Bluegrass

Great preview in the Fredericksburg Freelance Star about Larry Keel and Natural Bridge’s upcoming show at the Otterhouse this Saturday, September 11th.

FLAT-PICKERS WITH LOCAL ROOTS REMAIN AT THE FOREFRONT OF PROGRESSIVE BLUEGRASS

Keel’s local bluegrass roots branch out in many directions

Date published: 9/9/2010

BY RYAN GREEN

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Most area residents are aware of the numerous national claims to fame our local bluegrass musicians have made. Yet, some may be unaware that perhaps the most prolific and progressive flat-picker performing today spent many nights picking away in and around Fredericksburg.

Photo by Bright Life Photography

For the versed and unversed alike, on Saturday night Larry Keel and his band, Natural Bridge, will rock The Otter House and demonstrate why his act is consistently touted as the hottest, most provocative and most entertaining bluegrass band of this decade.

Growing up in Warrenton, Keel frequently played the open-mic nights at the Irish Brigade (located in the same spot that The Otter House now calls home). As he made connections with other local musicians, he spearheaded a healthy progressive-bluegrass scene in the Fredericksburg area with his band Magraw Gap and later the Larry Keel Experience.

Becoming increasingly more renowned for his flat-picking virtuosity, Keel claimed several first-place prizes during the mid-’90s at Telluride competitions, which for all intents and purposes are the World Cup of bluegrass.

In 2005, Keel formed his much lauded band Natural Bridge with his wife, Jenny Keel, on string bass and Mark Schimick on mandolin. Their latest release, “Backwoods” (2009) is a course in the direction the Keels are leading the bluegrass scene, which is to say they are taking the scene somewhere new. It is a must listen for anyone claiming to be tuned to the motions of country/bluegrass music. Within, you find the complexity and virtuosic instrumentation of traditional bluegrass in the vein of Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs–but the comparisons need not go much further.

In a recent phone interview, Jenny Keel remarked on the band’s determination to go beyond traditional bluegrass.

“We put a lot of energy into honoring the forefathers of bluegrass. They were the original alternative music makers of their time,” said Jenny Keel. “But bluegrass has to grow, it has to evolve. None of the greats in the last three generations have stayed true to the Monroe-Scruggs way.”

Indeed, the Keels’ original tunes stand alone in a genre driven by the cover. The melodies, grounded by Larry Keel’s uniquely deep timbre, are backed in places by overhanging Tom Petty- esque harmonies and the pulse of Jenny Keel’s quiet-yet-strong bass playing. Meanwhile, both Larry Keel and Schimick set the standard for virtuosic picking throughout by melding classic bluegrass runs with elements of rock, gypsy jazz and the blues. In the end, progressive bluegrass may be an understatement, but it is clear that what the Keels are doing is progress.

The Keels also recently released their equally acclaimed second album as Keller and the Keels–a collaboration with hometown hero Keller Williams–titled “Thief.” This genre-bending album is a collection of covers (e.g., Amy Winehouse, Marcy Playground) that existed beyond the canon of bluegrass before Williams rearranged and captured them with the able hands of the Keels behind him. This album’s astounding success is an indication of how the branches of bluegrass are outgrowing its roots in our mountainous landscape and becoming, in some ways, a form of pop music.

While some traditionalists fear these changes, the Keels fully support them. For the most part, it is through this growth that the youth of today are learning about the wonderful music our area has produced for hundreds of years.

Larry’s attitude (in the words of Jenny Keel) is, “If I’m out there doing my thing and I throw in a Bob Marley tune, then I’ve got them listening. Then I lay on a full-on mountain song, like a Ralph Stanley song. Then I’ve got them to listen to Ralph Stanley when they might never have heard it.”

For this Saturday’s show, fans should arrive, as cliched as it is to say, expecting the unexpected.

“Larry grew up with a bunch of pickers, and there is likely to be some crazy hijinks beyond our Natural Bridge format,” said Jenny Keel.

Rumors have it that Will Lee (son of Ricky Lee, the Ralph Stanley-backing legend) and Gary Keel, Larry’s brother, will be in attendance, and likely onstage.

To be sure, the same creativity and cohesion that drive the constant evolution of this band will be present. Count in the virtuosic musicians and the feel-good atmosphere of the Otter House and this show becomes a bargain too sweet to pass up.

Ryan Green is a freelance writer and musician in Richmond. Reach him at
Email: ryugreen@yahoo.com.

Read original ==>> Fredericksburg.com – >> FLAT-PICKERS WITH LOCAL ROOTS REMAIN AT THE FOREFRONT OF PROGRESSIVE BLUEGRASS – page 2 FLS http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2010/092010/09092010/573655/index_html?page=2#ixzz0z3SFWhbw

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