MerleFest, presented by Window World and slated for
April 23-26, 2015, has added Willie Watson and The Steel Wheels
to its 2015 lineup. Additionally, The Steel Wheels will host the Midnight Jam.
The
four-day event, an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans, will
once again take place on the campus of Wilkes Community College in
Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest
is known for its unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented music from
the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music,
Americana, blues, country, Celtic, Cajun, cowboy, zydeco, rock and many
other styles that the late Doc Watson referred to
as “traditional plus.”
Folk singer and multi-instrumentalist Willie Watson can be murderous, bawdy or lustful, sometimes in
the course of a single song, with a sly sense of humor that cuts to the
quick. Many fans first discovered Watson and his music when he was an
original member of Old Crow Medicine Show, a
quintet of like-minded souls that specializes in a traditional American
string band sound. Watson recorded and toured with the group for over a
decade before leaving to go solo in 2011. He released his debut solo
album, “Folk Singer, Vol. 1,” produced by David
Rawlings, early in 2014 on Rawlings' and associate producer Gillian
Welch's Acony Records.
The Steel Wheels are renowned
for their raw energy and chemistry
on stage, where they cluster tightly around a single microphone to
adorn Trent Wagler's unmistakable tenor with bell-clear four-part
harmonies complemented by Eric Brubaker's fiddle, Brian Dickel's upright
bass and Jay Lapp on the mandolin and guitars. The
band’s own brand of acoustic Americana roots music reflects styles of
the past yet boldly embodies the strength of powerful original
songwriting. The Steel Wheels are selling out venues from coast to coast
and appearing at many of the top festivals in the
U.S. and Canada. This will be the third MerleFest appearance for the Steel Wheels.
The
Midnight Jam, one of the more anticipated events at MerleFest, is the
Saturday after-hours hootenanny that has produced artistic
collaborations and one-of-a-kind superstar jams that
have become legendary in the festival’s history.
Steve
Johnson, artist relations manager for MerleFest, said, “The MerleFest
Midnight Jam is the place to be for great late night music at the
festival. We are incredibly excited to have
The Steel Wheels and The Bluegrass Situation co-hosting the event.
Additionally we expect a great lineup of music for the Midnight Jam,
which will include artists like Willie Watson, Scythian and New Country
Rehab, and we definitely expect some of the MerleFest
fan favorites like Jim Lauderdale, Peter Rowan and many others to make
an appearance as well.”
As
in years past, the Midnight Jam will take place in the Walker Center; a
separate ticket is required and available for purchase by 4-day ticket
holders and Saturday-only ticket holders.
The theater capacity is 1,130, so tickets are limited.
The current MerleFest 2015 lineup is viewable at
www.MerleFest.org/lineup - additional artists will be announced in the coming months. Stage schedules
are also posted on the website.
Tickets for MerleFest 2015 are now on sale and may be purchased at
www.MerleFest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857.
An Early Bird discount is now available through April 22, 2015. Fans are encouraged to take advantage of the extended early bird discount.
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