The Summer Solstice is on its way and that sweet, ever-growing summer season of regional music festivals is just around the corner.
Here’s a look at six great fests coming up in the heart of the summer in the region.
Whizzbangers Ball @ The Summit in the New River Gorge
The Huntington-based Whizzbang BAM (Booking and Management) rolls out a first year fest at the world-class outdoor recreation haven – The Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean, W.Va. That is the 10,600-acre permanent home to the Scouts of America’s National Jamboree that is in the heart of the New River Gorge – America’s newest national park.
Come see the 15 wildly varying national artists under the Whizzbang management including RCA Records artist Tyler Childers and The Food Stamps and their touring DJ Charlie Brown Superstar, R&B sensation Jocelyn and The Sweet Compression, rockers like Of The Dell, and Jeremy Short, a slew of top shelf songwriters such as John R. Miller, Arlo McKinley, Abby Hamilton, Tommy Prine, Darrin Hacquard and both kinds of music – country and western – from El Dorodo. Gates open at 4 p.m. Friday, June 14 and at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 15. Check out the full lineup here … https://whizzbangersball.com/line-up/
Ball tickets are weekend only at $150 (which includes camping) at arguably one of the world’s coolest outdoors facilities. Explore the Mossy Oak outdoor experience, and check out incredible outdoors adventures from rock climbing, hiking and archery to a whitewater rafting express trip.
Don’t miss the rare chance to see Tyler in concert at this #almostheaven Scouts paradise. Be sure and stop by the NRG on your way to or from the fest, and make a pilgrimage to nearby Oak Hill, the town that Hank Williams, Sr. died in.
Go online at https://whizzbangersball.com/
Mountain Grrl Experience
The fourth annual Mountain Grrl Experience is set for June 22-24 in downtown Pikeville, Ky. Check out 27 female music acts, 22 interactive workshops and an art exhibit with 40 women artists.
. Enjoy such touring acts as Jocelyn and The Sweet Compression, host band – Coal Town Dixie, Bek and The Starlight Revue, Chelsea Nolan, Bee Taylor, Brit Taylor, Emily Jamerson, and a slew of who’s who in female-fronted bands including The Ditch Lillies, Stoner Creek Shakedown, Them Lasses, MotherCreek, The Mountain Laurels and many more. There’s also streets full of local food, crafts and more. New this year is a Friday night Square Danace at 6 p.m. at the Mountain Top Media State at the Appalachian Wireless Arena. Go online at https://www.mountaingrrlexperience.com/ for more info
The Fly In Fest – Skydiving and Picking Old and in the Way
Over at the Robert Newlon Airpark on the banks of the Ohio, and just north of Huntington, the uniquely set Fly In Festival (at the home of the Tri-State Skydivers and this grass runway general aviation airport), hosts a national act bluegrass and old-time fest on July 25-27.
Hosted by the world-class old-time band The Bing Brothers with Jake Krack, the Fly In Fest features a Lonesome River Band reunion, the red-hot Appalachian Road Show, Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hills Hustle, an all-star tribute to the late, legendary bluegrass artist – singer and fiery flat picker Tony Rice, and some jam festival approved grooves from The Settlement.
This picker’s festival also features the Clark Kessinger fiddle contest and the Robin Kessinger flatpicking contest during the day as well as the always-fun Ohio River kayak float.
Go online at https://flyinfestival.com/ for more information. And if you’ve got vacation to burn … come to the Fly In Cafe a week early as the Appalachian Blues Fest runs July 19-20 at the Fly In festival grounds.
Little Sandy Shakedown
If you’re looking for a hot, new bluegrass and country festival, head over to Eastern Kentucky where the Ohio River city of Greenup where up-and-coming singer/songwriter Jayce Turley and friends are hosting the Little Sandy Shakedown July 19-20. They’ve reeled in such top shelf touring acts as El Dorodo (members of Tyler Childers’ band) and nationally touring jam-grassers Dark Moon Hollow and a couple dozen more bands and rising regional artists to boot including Tim Goodin, Cody Meece, Hancock and Shouse, Corduroy Brown, Ginger Wixx, Lance Rogers, Emily Jamerson, and of course Jayce Turley and Cardinal Point.
Music starts at 5 p.m. on Friday and noon on Saturday. Head over to https://www.facebook.com/littlesandyshakedown/ for more info and snag tickets here …https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/the-pump-house/LSS24
18th annual Nelsonville Music Festival
If you’re jonesing for even more eclectic and international music, the 18th annual Nelsonville Music Fest (July 26-28) at Snow Fork Center is what I call the Goldilocks of fests. And what Billboard Magazine calls “one of the best-kept secrets of the U.S. music festival circuit.”
Curated by Tim Peacock, his team of music taste-makers at Stuart’s Opera House, and aided by the greater Athens’ community, the 18th annual Nelsonville Music Festival (NMF24) is set to run Friday through Sunday, July 26-28 at the Snow Fork Event Center in Nelsonville, Ohio. NMF includes three days of music featuring more than 50 eclectic performances across 3 stages, camping, a ton of kids’ activities, artisans, and funky and downhome regional food and beverage vendors. And all of that is presented leaving no trace or guilt as a Zero Waste fest.
This year’s lineup includes sweeps across all genres with headliners such as Australian rocker Courtney Barnett, the sweet sunny Cali soul of Thee Sacred Souls, and to kick off the fest on Friday, the Grammy-laden Atlanta hip hop veteran Killer MIke, who swept the 2024 Grammy’s winning best rap album for ‘Michael,’ while his song “Scientists and Engineers” won best rap song and best rap performance. Some of other acts include: Amyl and The Sniffers, The Felice Brothers, The Deslondes, La Lom, Sheer Meg, Indigo de Souza, Bonnie Prince Billy, The Nude Party, Eileen Jewell, John Vincent III, Sean Kuti and Egypt 80, The Heavy Heavy Bob Mould, The Local Honeys, Suss, Yasmin Williams, and playing the fest (every year since its inception) iconic folk songwriting hero Michael Hurley. Get tickets at https://nelsonvillefest.org/tickets/
4848 Festival – A Mid-Summer’s Night’s Trip
Trip the lights and jam fantastic as the veteran festival production company – AllGood Presents is back at Snowshoe Mountain flying high for the epic 4848 Festival set for Thursday through Saturday, July 18-20.
Located in the heart of the top of mountain Village, 4848 delivers a funky mix of festival favs including the iconic band – The Flaming Lips and Wayne Coyne and company (who twice played All Good Fest) bringing the Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots 2024 Tour to Snowshoe celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the release of the masterful Grammy-winning album.
Don’t get there late as 4848 comes wailing out of the gates with a Thursday bill that includes Grammy Award-winning Cali grasser Molly Tuttle segueing into the soul-slathered sounds of St. Paul and the Broken Bones, into the infectious late night jam of Tauk Moore- NY-based rock-fusion act TAUK with vocalist Kanika Moore of Doom Flamingo.
Start training now for the dance-fest of grooveable, jamming bands that also includes: Greensky Bluegrass, Spafford, Saxsquatch, old-school regional favs, Rasti Rafiki, The Hip Abduction, The Grey Boy All-Stars, blues smoker, Cris Jacobs, California Honeydews and C&W hot newcomer, Lydsay Lou.
Find out more about the three days of live music, crowd performers, craft beer, food and craft vendors, scenic-lift rides, Festival Express Shuttles, Split Rock pools, zipline, climbing wall and Shavers Lake activities near the base camp that include: swimming, paddle boats, canoes, kayaks, plus hiking and mountain biking trails by heading online at https://www.4848festival.com/
