This week’s Pickin’ in the Plaza is a special double-header! Award-winning singer-songwriter Donna Hughes will share the bill with Big Fat Gap, whose June 4 performance was postponed due to weather. Big Fat Gap will kick off the evening at 6 p.m., followed by Donna Hughes at 8:40 p.m.
Hughes has written more than 500 songs during her impressive career. Last year alone, she produced and released two albums, From the Heart and Fly. She also has albums produced by Tony Rice (Gaining Wisdom) and J.D. Crowe (Hellos, Goodbyes & Butterflies), both on the Rounder Records label. Her original songs have been recorded by numerous artists through the years, including “My Poor Old Heart,” which was recorded by Alison Krauss & Union Station on their Grammy winning album Lonely Runs Both Ways. Kruass performed the Hughes-penned tune at the CMA Awards Show in 2005. Numerous other artists have recorded Hughes’ original songs such as: The Seldom Scene, (“Sad Old Train” from the album Scenechronized), Kati Penn, (“Never Gonna Change” from the album My Turn To Cry), Nu-Blu (“Nights” from their album Nights), Darren Beachley (“Scattered To The Wind” from his album I Love You To The Moon & Back), and The Snyder Family Band (“Little Bluebird” from their Comin’ On Strong album). Hughes was a finalist in this year’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at Merlefest, and she is nominated this year for a Carolina Music Award in the Country Female category.
Big Fat Gap is a bluegrass band based in Chapel Hill that recently released their debut album, Shackled and Chained, produced by Andrew Marlin of Mandolin Orange. Current Big Fat Gap members include Mile Andrews (bass, lead vocals), Jamie Griggs (guitar), Bobby Britt (fiddle), John Hill (mandolin, vocals), Chris Roszell (banjo), John Garris (multi-instrumentalist). Former members/extended family of the band includes Andy Thorn, Jon Stickley, Chris Heaney, Robert Mitchener, Greg Humphries, Joe Troop, Jeff Stickley, Ryan Cavanaugh, Rex McGee, Nate Leath, Clay Jones, Michael Holland, Andrew Marlin, Emily Frantz, and Jed Willis. Members and former members of Big Fat Gap have played with a wide-ranging list of musicians, including Sam Bush, Emmitt Nershi Band to Leftover Salmon, Steep Canyon Rangers, Shannon Whitworth Band, Town Mountain, Acoustic Syndicate, Mandolin Orange, Hammer No More the Fingers, and just about every indie rock band in Chapel Hill.
The event is rain or shine, but should severe weather cause a cancellation at the primary event site of City Plaza, it will be posted here and at PickinInThePlaza.com, and the live music performances will be moved indoors to Deep South The Bar at 430 S Dawson St in Raleigh – just 2 blocks from City Plaza.
