Town Mountain Spring and Early Summer Tour Dates

Town Mountain Spring and Early Summer Tour Dates

Town Mountain is ready and reelin’ to travel the country this spring and summer! They will have stops in the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Kentucky, Colorado, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Washington and Oregon. Notable events include performance at the Leftover Salmon’s Bluegrass Throwdown, John Hartford Memorial Festival, ROMP, The Hampton Taphouse Festival, The Festival of Bluegrass, RapidGrass and much more!

Stay tuned for a new music videos coming your way from Town Mountain this season, including a track from Leave the Bottle [Pinecastle Records 2012]. They will be launching a new covers series that will kick off with their version of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire”. This will premiere on The Bluegrass Situation this June (http://www.thebluegrasssituation.com).

Based in Asheville, NC, Town Mountain is Phil Barker on mandolin and vocals, Robert Greer on lead vocals and guitar guitar, Jesse Langlais on banjo and vocals, Bobby Britt on fiddle, and newest member Jake Hopping rounds them out with his rock-solid bass. One listen to their instantly memorable songs, and it’s plain to see why Grammy-winner Mike Bub would align with the group to produce Leave the Bottle as well as 2011’s Steady Operator.

“I’m not sure what the definition of bluegrass would be in words alone, but if that definition was set to music, it would probably sound something like Town Mountain’s Leave the Bottle… I could go on,” says Bluegrass Today’s David Morris, “There are no duds, and no filler songs on this project. But you get the point. This, my friends, is how bluegrass is supposed to sound.”

Leave the Bottle effortlessly covers a wide array of styles in the stringband spectrum featuring the stellar in-house songwriting that has become the band’s trademark. There’s the barroom swagger and honky tonk edge of tracks like “Up the Ladder” and the title track “Leave the Bottle”, the Jimmy Martin style bounce and confidence of “Lawdog” and “Lookin’ in the Mirror”, the Irish flavor of Bobby Britt’s “Four Miles”, and the laid back John Hartford style groove of “Greenbud on the Flower” among others. But no matter the style, the band’s delivery gives every tune a true and honest feel.

Town Mountain On Tour Spring and Early Summer Tour Dates
Fri 5/10 Chapel Hill, NC Merritt’s
Sat 5/11 Harrisonburg, VA The Clementine Cafe
Fri 5/17 Bloomingdale, GA Randy Wood Guitars
Sat 5/18 Panola, SC Birdfest at Pineland Farms
Sun 5/26  Black Mountain, NC Pisgah Brewing w/ Leftover Salmon’s Bluegrass Throwdown with Elephant Revival & Dangermuffin
Fri 5/31 Bean Blossom, IN John Hartford Memorial Festival
Sat 6/1 Carbondale, IL The Hangar 9
Sun 6/2 Chicago, IL The Red Line Tap
Mon 6/3 Urbana, IL The Iron Post
Tue 6/4 Lancaster, WI House Concert
Wed 6/5 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon w/ Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
Thu 6/6 Bangor WI Leo and Leona’s w/ Horseshoes & Hand Grenades and Cactus Blossoms
Fri 6/7 Cincinnati, OH THe Crow’s Nest
Sat 6/8 Lexington, KY Festival of the Bluegrass
Thu 6/13 Lexington, NC High Rock Outfitters
Fri 6/14 Tryon, NC Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival
Thu 6/20 Salem, VA Private Event
Fri 6/21 Raleigh, NC The Pour House Music Hall
Sat 6/22 Hampton, VA Hampton Taphouse Festival & After-Party
Sun 6/23 Norfolk, VA Town Mountain BBQ Picnic @ Norfolk Taphouse
Wed 6/26 Lexington, KY Willie’s Locally Known w/ Tyler Childers and the High Wall
Fri 6/28 Owensboro, KY ROMP: Bluegrass Roots & Branches Festival
Sat 6/29 Belvidere,TN Circle E Guest Ranch 2nd Annual Bluegrass Festival
Thu 7/4 Gold Hill, CO The Gold Hill Inn
Fri 7/5 Fort Collins, CO Acoustic Bridge Musical Potluck
Sat 7/6  Idaho Springs, CO Clear Creek RapidGrass Bluegrass Festival
Thu Thu 7/11 Charlotte, NC Whitewater River Jam at US National Whitewater Center
Fri 7/12 Fairfax, VA Fairfax County Summer Entertainment Series at Royal Lake Park
Sat 7/13 Gardners, PA Bluegrass On The Grass
Sun 7/14 Mount Solon, VA Red Wing Roots Music Festival
Tue 7/23 Bellingham, WA The Green Frog
Thu 7/25 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern
Fri 7/26 Skamania, WA Columbia Gorge Bluegrass Festival
Sun 7/28 Eugene, OR Sam Bond’s Garage
Fri 8/2 Saxapahaw, NC Haw River Ballroom w/ Big Fat Gap

Please visit www.TownMountain.net for more information and further tour dates.

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Donna the Buffalo continues to stampede with the Herd this winter!

“With more than 20 years of experience, impeccable musicianship, and uplifting, heady music, Donna the Buffalo has become one of the premier Americana and roots-rock outfits on the eastern seaboard, if not the whole country.” ~ Ryan Whirty, Rochester City Paper

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Donna the Buffalo continues to stampede with the Herd this winter! They will be traveling through North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama before heading back up north to West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York before making the trek back down to Florida for the Inagural Virginia Key Grassroots Festival the 2nd weekend of February!

Travis Newbill wrote an awesome live review from Donna The Buffalo’s recent show at Revolution Live in Ft Lauderdale on Jan 9th! Some excerpts are below.

Donna’s groove is infectious, hypnotic and wholesome, subtly incorporating trance, reggae, and pop qualities into a sound which is Americana first and foremost. It is rootsy music offered by deep, sensitive players. At times they could be described as Mazzy Star, sped up and minus the echo, with an emphasis on allowing grooves to develop, peak, and come to rest.

Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tara Nevins has the presence of an Americana shaman. Whether she is zoning with the tambourine, violin, washboard, accordion, guitar, or singing, she is visibly tapping into mystical energy, and inviting all those willing into that vast space. Ditto guitarist Jeb Puryear, whose eyes roll involuntarily into the back of his head while the rest of his body surrenders as well–possessed by the groove with jaw agape.

The band was locked in from start to finish Friday night while delivering their sweetly melodic songs and jamming extensively. The crowd was locked in as well. The audience was equal parts bluegrass, Grateful Dead, and reggae people — all friendly spirits. It is no wonder why this band has such a dedicated following. There is no other band that this writer has come across that does quite what they do. And they do it with a humble confidence and great joy. Click here for the full review in the Broward-Palm Beach New Times.

Photo credits: Full band shot by John D Kurc.  Jeb Puryear by Gene Martin. Tara Nevins and Kyle Spark by Rich Orris.

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DtB on the radio this winter:

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Sun, Jan 15th; between 6-8pm EST — WQFS in Greensboro, NC — Interview with Tara on “Hangin’ with Higgs”. (also doing a ticket giveaway!)

Tue, Jan 17th; 6-8pm EST — WMNF in Tampa, FL — Jeb Puryear Co-Hosts & plays Virginia Key GrassRoots Fest DJ with DJ Ed Greene on “Freak Show” Listen to the Poscast!

Thu, Jan 19th; 4pm EST — WQFS in Greensboro, NC — Duo session with Jeb & Tara on David Wright’s program “The Caravan” (also doing a ticket giveaway!)

Fri, Jan 20th; 5pm EST — WDVX in Knoxville — Jeb & Tara duo session with Tony Lawson in the “Features at 5”

Sat, Jan 21st; between 4 and 6pm — 98.1 The River in Asheville — Jeb & Tara duo session with Aaron LaFalce in “Studio AVL”

Sat, Jan 21st; in the 5pm EST hour — WCOM in Carborro, NC — Tara Nevins interviews on Tom Arnell’s “Placeholder Show”

Sun, Jan 22nd; starts around 7pm EST — Kix Country in Port Charles, FL — Studio session and interview with Jeb who will also play DJ with Virginia Key GrassRoots Fest Music on Larry’s Timko’s show “Down Home Cookin'”

Sat, Jan 28th; — time tba  WWVU (U92 fm) in Morgantown, WV — Jeb and Tara duo session with Carly Parana’s “Alternate Routes”

Sun, Feb 5th; 2pm WLRN in Miami, FL — Interview with Jeb Puryear and Emma Hewitt about the Virginia Key Grassroots Festival with Michael Stock on “Folk & Acoustic Music”

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DtB on tour this winter:

Thu, Jan 19, 2012 – Greensboro, NC – The Blind Tiger – w/ Woody Pines
Fri, Jan 20, 2012- Knoxville, TN – The Bijou Theatre – w/ Woody Pines
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel – w/ Woody Pines
Sun, Jan 22, 2012 – Huntsville, AL – Crossroads Café – w/ Woody Pines
Tue, Jan 24, 2012 – Birmingham, AL – WorkPlay Theatre – w/ Woody Pines
Wed, Jan 25, 2012 – Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley – w/ Wooten Brothers
Thu, Jan 26, 2012 – Carrboro, NC – The Cat’s Cradle – w/ Woody Pines
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 – Falls Church, VA – The State Theatre
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 – Morgantown, WV – 123 Pleasant Street
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 – West Chester, PA – The Note – w/ Mason Porter
Fri, Feb 3, 2012 – Buffalo, NY – The Tralf
Sat, Feb 4, 2012 – Utica, NY – Uptown Theatre
Sat-Sun, Feb 10-12, 2012 – Miami, FL – Virginia Key Grassroots Festival
Fri, March 23, 2012 – Charleston, SC – The Pour House
Sat-Sun, March 24-25,2012 – Live Oak, FL – Suwanee Springfest
Sun, March 22, 2012 – Atlanta, GA – Sweetwater 420 Festival
Thu-Sat, April 26-28, 2012 – Wilkesboro, NC – Merlefest

More shows tbd…
Stay tuned to www.donnatehbuffalo.com

 

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Free Download of the Title Track of Dehlia Low’s ‘Ravens and Crows’ Which Releases Through Rebel Records on Aug 2, 2011

Newly signed to Rebel Records, Dehlia Low echoes the sounds of early country with a strong bluegrass flavor, crafting a fresh originality that feels like home in the flourishing roots music soundscape. Their new release ‘Ravens and Crows’ was produced by the Infamous Stringdusters’ Travis Book and hits the streets on August 2nd…

Dehlia Low’s vocal harmony and instrumentation reflect a deep connection to traditional music with modern arrangements and relevant, smart songwriting. The band combines their gripping, rustic-flavored vocal style with extraordinary instrumental prowess in original songs that feel at once both old and new pushing their sound into the emerging Americana genre. The group’s sound is focused on original music rooted in bluegrass but with a distinctive country/folk feel true to their southern Appalachian roots.

Dehlia Low’s eagerly-anticipated Rebel Records debut ‘Ravens & Crows’ is released August 2nd. Produced by Travis Book of The Infamous Stringdusters, this album helps to firmly establish Dehlia Low as one of the most compelling and distinctive young groups on the acoustic music scene today. With their tasteful, sometimes moody blending of different styles, the group has created a unique sound that already seems fully mature and established.

Dehlia Low formed in late 2007 as part of Asheville, North Carolina’s roots music renaissance. Singers Anya Hinkle (from Blacksburg, VA on fiddle) and Stacy Claude (from Atlanta, GA on guitar) pulled together a group of talented pickers from the region: Aaron Ballance on Dobro (Winston-Salem, NC), Bryan Clendenin on mandolin (Hurricane, WV) and Greg Stiglets on bass (Jackson, MS).

Here is what the press is saying about Dehlia Low’s Ravens and Crows:

“The group has taken off like a skyrocket…and deservedly so: in a musical world that doesn’t always treasure creativity, Dehlia Low has staked out a good piece of ground all its own.” ~ Nashville Scene, Jon Weisberger

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“Dehlia Low’s “Ravens & Crows” is carefully crafted to lure traditional, country, bluegrass and Americana fans. They are generally appealing to all of these genres without alienating anyone, which is hard to do.” ~ Boone Mountain Times, Ashley Wilson

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“Heavenly lead & harmony vocals…superb original songs…musical prowess.” ~ Al Shusterman, Backroads Bluegrass on KCBL

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“…bittersweet vocal harmonies and spirited picking…Dehlia Low promises to bring the sounds and soul of the Blue Ridge Mountains …” ~ Art News New Orleans

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“…relying on the warm tones of acoustic guitar, mandolin, upright bass, slide guitar, and not to mention fiddle thumpin’, strummin’ and pickin’ underneath honeysuckle vocal harmonies — the Asheville, N.C., quintet seems like it has rolled straight off a mountainside and right onto a wraparound wooden porch in some summer-grass valley.” ~ Style Weekly, Mike Hilleary

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“The real highlight on Ravens and Crows is the vocal harmony. Lead singer Anya Hinkle, guitarist Stacy Claude, and bassist Greg Stiglets’ voices blend beautifully on songs like the album’s title track.“ ~ Americana Music Examiner, Chris Griffy

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“…really special. I have added them to my “must see” list permanently.” ~ The Bluegrass Blog, Diane Farineau

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In 2011, Dehlia Low will be taking their “Appalachiagrassicana” sound across the U.S. in support of the new album:

Sun, July 24th – Mast Farm Inn – Banner Elk, NC
Fri, July 29th – North Columbia Schoolhouse Cultural Center – Nevada City, CA
Sat, July 30th – Sutter Creek Theatre – Sutter Creek, CA
Sun, July 31st -Freight & Salvage – Berkeley, CA
Tues, August 2nd – House Concert – Bear Valley, CA
Wed, August 3rd -The Abbey at Hopmonk Tavern – Sebastopol, CA
Thurs, August 4th – The Red Fox Tavern – Eureka, CA
Fri, August 5th – Dead on the Creek Festival – Willits, CA
Sat, August 6th – Oaksong Music Society at Gray Pine Farm – Oak Run, CA
Sunday, August 7th – House Concert | Berkeley, CA
Sat, August 13th- Stecoah Valley Center -Robbinsville, NC
Mon, August 15-21st – Northern Lights Bluegrass Festival |- Big River, SK
Fri, August 26th – Bacchus Bistro – Marshall, NC
Sat, September 3rd – The Station Inn – Nashville, TN
Thurs, September 8th – The Evening Muse – Charlotte, NC
Sat, September 10th – Mountain Song Festival – Brevard, NC
Fri, September 23rd – Hendershots Coffee Bar – Athens, GA
Sat, September 24th – Jammin’ at Hippie Jack’s – Crawford, TN
Mon, September 26th Abbeville County Career Center – Abbeville, SC
Tues, September 27th – The Basement – Nashville, TN
Sat, October 1st – The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center – Asheville, NC
Sat, October 8th – Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival – Silk Hope, NC
Fri, October 14th – Private Event – Seneca, SC
Sat, October 15th – Private Event – Candler, NC
Sun, October 16, 2011 – Poplar Knight Spot – Aberdeen, NC
Thurs, October 20th – Cafe Nola – Frederick, MD
Fri, October 21st – The Purple Fiddle – Thomas, WV
Sat, October 22nd – Elk Creek Café – Millheim, PA
Sun, October 23rd – Puck Live – Doylestown, PA
Sat, November 12th – The Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC
Fri, November 18th – Ashland Coffee & Tea – Ashland, VA
Sat, November 19th – Southern Cafe and Music Hall – Charlottesville, VA
Tues, December 6th – Wilbert’s | Cleveland, OH
Wed, December 7th – Circus – Ann Arbor, MI
Thurs, December 8th – Salt of the Earth – Fennville,MI
Stay tuned to DehliaLow.com for more tour dates TBA!

Dehlia low on the web:
www.dehlialow.com
twitter.com/dehlialow
www.reverbnation.com/dehlialow
www.facebook.com/pages/Dehlia-Low

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My Grandmother, Dorothey Scholze, got herself a writeup in the Erie Times!

My grandmother got herself a writeup in the Erie Times!

My Grandmother and Me

Liz Allen: Cold imagery stirs up warm memories

Written  by Liz Allen,  The Erie Times www.goerie.com

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. . .  life was luxurious compared with that of Depression-era kids like Dorothy Scholze. She called me after we ran an Associated Press photo that said the Pittsburgh Mills Mall is in Tarentum. Dorothy, 81, says it’s in Harwick, built on her great-grandfather’s farm.

Many of the region’s Eastern European immigrants were coal miners, and some met awful fates. Dorothy was 13 when her maternal grandfather, John Hanovsky, 63, died in a slate slide. An uncle, trapped in a mine as he laid a brick wall, “came out and was white as a ghost. He never went back again,” she says.

Her parents, William and Hattie Busan, chose a different path. A painter and a decorator, her dad bought a two-room house in the country. In high school, she taught swimming and lifeguarded at the YMCA, which sponsored summer camp in Emlenton, organized field trips to Pittsburgh and encouraged teens to attend college.

Dorothy planned to take the train from Tarentum to the University of Pittsburgh; her dad planned to expand their tiny house. Then her parents were seriously hurt when a truck rammed their car. After the accident, “My plans changed,” she says. She pauses, then adds: “Everything changed for the better.”

She met Richard Scholze at a Y dance. Married in 1950, they built a home in Lawrence Park Township near her parents, her brother and friends from the Pittsburgh area. She and Richard raised three sons and a daughter.

She recalls the struggles of the Depression, but counts her blessings every day. She remembers her mom, who fished for trout and liked to hunt. “That’s her bear there,” she says, pointing to a mount on the wall. Their long-ago move to Erie remains an “adventure.” She still loves the water and swims at the Y.

Recently widowed, Dorothy sorely misses Richard. But every evening, she drifts off to sleep amid a shower of snowflakes that her dad stenciled on her bedroom wall, using patterns she made as a child. She’s wrapped in the warmth of happy memories.

LIZ ALLEN writes about ordinary people each week. You can reach her at 870-1735 or at liz.allen@timesnews.com.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110130/OPINION18/301309815/-1/RSS02

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Archive: Buffalo Hunt: Look no further Donna’s in Edinboro

DtB plays the Edinboro Art and Music Festival tonight near Erie, PA. They take the stage at 10:30pm. Here is what the Erie Times has to say:

Buffalo hunt: Look no further, Donna’s in Edinboro tonight

Preview by Dave Richards

Staff writer, Erie Times

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Tonight’s gig affords Donna fans and those who will be, once they hear the group, a chance to enjoy them up close. The intimate setting makes crystal-clear the camaraderie between Nevins and Puryear, who played old-time fiddle music before they founded Donna the Buffalo more than 20 years ago.

Festival director Fred Parker appreciates them coming back; they also headlined in 2009. It didn’t take much to coax them; he’s a longtime friend of the band and a fellow musician.

“Tara and Jeb are friends of mine, and it’s nice to have them kicking off the festival,” Parker said. “I think it gives us a real nice headliner and a shot in the arm. I know they like the event.”

Parker spent time with Nevins and Puryear, telling Puryear, “I know it’s kind of small place, but what do you think?’ And he said, ‘We loved it, and we had a real good time.'”

Fans literally climbed the tables in 2009. Odds are, they’ll do it again, though even band members don’t know which songs they’ll play until they get on stage. They never bother with a set list.

“That’s one of the things about us,” Nevins said. “We get up onstage and play whatever we feel like playing. We just kind of fly by the seat of our pants. Every time we try to make a set list, we never stick to it.”

They stick to a pattern, though, usually alternating between Puryear’s rhythmic, Dylan-influenced, guitar-centered songs and Nevins’ breezy, melodic, accordion-driven gems like the folksy “Tides of Time” and infectious “Locket and Key.”

Donna the Buffalo arrives with a new band member, bassist Kyle Spark, who joined at the end of March. He had a lot to learn, considering Donna’s rich songwriting history. Nevins said they took it slow.

“He gets the records, and we give him a list of the things we normally play and start with that,” Nevins said. “You gotta give a guy a fighting chance. For a few shows, we stick to those for his sake. Then we’ll throw a new one onstage and see how it goes.”

So far, she’s like the chemistry.

Mixing in new players keeps the band fresh; Puryear and Nevins are the only two constants. Playing other types of gigs helps, too. In 2009, Nevins joined former Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann’s BK 3 on the road.

“The call came in, and it was kind of out of the blue,” Nevins said. “I just felt, ‘Well, I’m up for something different. A challenge. Step out of my box a little bit.’ I did it, and it was completely awesome. I had a wonderful time, and the playing was fantastic. I’d love to do it again.”

Nevins said Donna may record again with Jim Lauderdale, who joined them for a set at Merlefest. They haven’t started a follow-up to 2009’s well-received “Silverlined,” which includes guest spots from Bela Fleck, Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo, and Levon Helms’ daughter Amy.

“Looking back, I think it was a great record. It got all the way up to No. 8 on the Americana charts,” Nevins said.

“We did our very first music video for the song ‘Locket and Key,’ and that got a lot of airplay. People still hear it in department stores and restaurants and grocery stores. It was one of the first times one of our songs traveled a little bit further.

“Yeah, I have a good attachment to that record.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100513/ENTERTAINMENT0301/305129888/-1/SHOWCASE

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