Tag: Black Lillies

MerleFest Announces Finalists for Chris Austin Songwriting Competition

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The finalists for MerleFest’s annual Chris Austin Songwriting Competition have been announced. This year, the event will be judged Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale of the Milk Carton Kids, Cruz Contreras of The Black Lillies, and Radney Foster. Jim Lauderdale will host the competition and Mark Bumgarner will return as emcee for the finalist contest taking place at MerleFest’s Austin Stage on Friday, April 26 at 2:00 p.m.

From its first incarnation in 1993, the competition has seen the likes of Gillian Welch, Tift Merritt, and Martha Scanlan rise to the top of an always competitive field of up-and-coming songwriters. Legendary songwriters have presided over the competition from the start as judges, too. Darrell Scott, Hayes Carll, and Guy Clark have all taken a turn at judging the CASC.

This year’s Chris Austin Songwriting Competition Finalists each fall into one of four categories:

Bluegrass:
Wyatt Espalin (Hiawassee, GA): “Light Coming Through”
Anya Hinkle (Asheville, NC): “Ballad Of Zona Abston”
James Woolsey (Petersburg, IN) and David Foster (Petersburg, IN): “Sugar Ridge Road”

Country:
Hannah Kaminer (Asheville, NC): “Don’t Open Your Heart”
Andrew Millsaps (Ararat, NC): “Ain’t No Genie (In A Bottle Of Jack)”
Shannon Wurst (Fayetteville, AR): “Better Than Bourbon”

General:
Wright Gatewood (Chicago, IL): “First”
Alexa Rose (Asheville, NC): “Medicine For Living”
Bryan Elijah Smith (Dayton, VA): “In Through The Dark”

Gospel/Inspirational:
Ashleigh Caudill (Nashville, TN) and Jon Weisberger (Cottontown, TN): “Walkin’ Into Gloryland”
Kevin T. Hale (Brentwood, TN): “We All Die To Live Again”
Russ Parrish (Burnsville, MN) and Topher King (Savage, MN): “Washed By The Water”

All three finalists in each category will have the chance to perform their songs for the judges on MerleFest’s Austin Stage before category winners are ultimately decided on Friday.

Net proceeds from the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest support the Wilkes Community College Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship. Since its inception, the scholarship has been awarded to 91 deserving students.

In addition to the songwriting competition, MerleFest’s band competition will take place on the Plaza Stage on Saturday the 27th from 11:00 a.m to 3:30 p.m. Judged by members of The Local Boys and emceed by Mark Bumgarner, the competition’s winners will be announced at 4:00 p.m on the Plaza Stage. The winning band will head over to the Cabin Stage, where they will perform to an enthusiastic MerleFest audience from 6:35 to 7 p.m.

This year’s band competition finalists include Shay Martin Lovette (Boone, NC), Pretty Little Goat (Brevard, NC), None of the Above (Piedmont Triad, NC), Brooks Forsyth (Boone, NC), Alex Key and the Locksmiths (Wilkesboro, NC), Massive Grass (Wilmington, NC), Redleg Husky (Asheville, NC), and The Mike Mitchell Band (Floyd, VA).

Photo of Milk Carton Kids: Joshua Black Wilkins

Hey New York, Get Off Your Ass and Go See Some Live Music in August

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Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (opener Preservation Hall Jazz Band) // August 4 // Celebrate Brooklyn at Prospect Park Bandshell

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros are uniquely a musical vagabond community that spreads their diverse and positive sounds wherever they go. Given the fact that they premiered all new songs at their SXSW appearance this year, expect to hear what’s next for the group at this performance in the Park.

Sarah Jarosz // August 4 // King’s Theater

The venue is as much of a gem as the performer, in this case. The rehabilitated and preserved King’s Theater in Brooklyn provides the fittingly important backdrop for Sarah Jarosz’s musical prowess.

Father John Misty (openers Angel Olsen and Summer Moon) // August 5 // Central Park Summer Stage

I Love You, Honeybear is a compatible musing from J. Tillman as his indie rock and folk persona Father John Misty. Lie back in the snug Central Park Summer Stage and be transported far away from the city noise.

Caitlin Canty // August 5 // Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 3)

Fresh off of winning the Telluride Troubadour contest this year, the Boston native is already making a name for herself with her haunting ballads.

Milkdrive // August 6 // Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 3)

On tour for their latest album, Places You’ve Not Been, Milkdrive hits the LES with their rousing, modern take on classic bluegrass. All members of the band are equally talented on their acoustic strings with the Austin locals often swapping instruments.

Justin Townes Earle // August 7 // Music Hall of Williamsburg

The fifth studio album from Earle, Single Mothers (whose companion album, Absent Fathers, followed), feeds the fire of his alt-country blues and showcases a voice that makes you really feel every note pushed through.

Willie Nelson & Family with Old Crow Medicine Show // August 12 // Celebrate Brooklyn at Prospect Park Bandshell (BK)

Talk about a mammoth line-up! Taking on the beautiful Prospect Park Bandshell, legend Willie Nelson will be performing long-standing tourmates OCMS.

Cricket Tell the Weather // August 14 // Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 3)

Heavy in classic bluegrass with gracefully plucked banjo and rich flat-picked guitar, Cricket Tell the Weather should have lots of new material to share, heading into the studio this summer to record their second album.

The Black Lillies // August 18 // Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 2)

If you prefer a bit more edge with your twang, the Knoxville-based Black Lillies deliver powerful harmonies over a backbone packed with drums, harmonica, and steel guitar.

Gabriel Kahane // August 23 // Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 2)

Come out and support Brooklyn local Kahane who has varied collaborations from Elvis Costello to string quartets such as Brooklyn Rider and Kronos Quartet. Everything is on the table with Kahane’s inventive music so expect to hear a melding of classical, jazz, indie, and folk.

Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers (opener Andrew Combs) // August 28 // Bowery Ballroom

Representing California's free-wheeling music with folk, rock, blues, pop, and country all blended in a pot, Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers are hitting a stride with the more apt group collaboration on their April release, Loved Wild Lost. Plus, Andrew Combs. Win-win.