Date
Saturday, July 20, 2024 - 7:00pmLocation
Tickets at BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org
$25 | Free for ages 12 and under
Fireside Collective
A quartet who cheerfully disregard every kind of one-dimensional label that might be attached to their music, Fireside Collective has been on a roll since emerging seven years ago from the fertile roots music scene of Asheville, N.C. In quick order, the progressive bluegrass group released its debut album, won the 2016 Band Contest at MerleFest, earned a nomination for International Bluegrass Music Association’s New Artist of the Year in 2022, and embarked on an ambitious touring schedule that’s earned an enthusiastic reception from traditional bluegrass fans to wide-ranging, eclectic music festival audiences alike.
Blending the characteristic interplay of bluegrass instrumentation and harmonies with strong original material and exuberant energy, Fireside Collective has drawn on folk, blues, funk, and a wide variety of bluegrass sounds to create a distinctive body of work that’s all their own.
Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road
Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road are rapidly rising on the bluegrass scene. Named Momentum Band of the Year by IBMA in 2019, the group has been recognized as one of the fastest growing bands in the industry. Purcell deftly leads Cane Mill Road as they interpret these musical traditions and boldly write original music in the fertile spirit of bluegrass, old-time, and Americana. Their powerful arrangements and dynamic stage presence have landed them main stage slots at legendary festivals across the country.
Purcell, who graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 2024, grew up just down the road from Doc Watson and was raised on traditional bluegrass standards. In 2023, he was the first-ever musician to win three contests in the same year at the RockyGrass music festival in Colorado, taking home first place in the mandolin, banjo, and guitar categories. In addition to Purcell, Cane Mill Road consists of Jacob Smith (bass), Rob McCormac (guitar), Colton Kerchner (banjo) and the 2021 RockyGrass Fiddle Champion Sam Stage (violin).