IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC is moving indoors. Hurricane Ian is expected to bring heavy wind and rains to Raleigh this weekend. Thanks to some extraordinary work from our partners at the City of Raleigh we are moving the entire event indoors. All of the Street Stages will run as scheduled in the Raleigh Convention Center. The performances originally scheduled for Red Hat Amphitheater are being moved to Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.
There are 100+ bands performing on the five stages and areas in the Raleigh Convention Center on Friday and Saturday. Admission to the Raleigh Convention Center is free. There will also be food, beverages, Shop Local vendors, the Black Friday Market, exhibits and lots of space for open jamming. All are welcome. Friday and Saturday night in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium is completely SOLD OUT. No more tickets are available for those performances.
This year marks the 10th year that PineCone has served as the official local host for IBMA in Raleigh. To celebrate this milestone we’re bringing back a few of the artists who played that first year and at least one who’s played every year that IBMA has been in Raleigh.
Jerry Douglas is one of the heroes of Raleigh’s signature event. He’s an incredible connector in the music community and has played with everyone from Allison Krauss to pop superstar Halsey. Jerry says he always looks forward to coming to our city to play. “Raleigh’s the first place that I remember (bluegrass music) being so lovingly embraced by a city,” said Jerry during the 2020 virtual festival. “They just rolled out the red carpet and have been so nice to us through the years. North Carolina is the cradle of bluegrass civilization as we know it.”
This year he’s bringing The Jerry Douglas Band which was nominated for a Grammy this year for their record with John Hiatt. We’re expecting Jerry to welcome a few special surprise guests for his set on Friday night. 10 years ago he was joined by Sam Bush and the late Tony Rice, last year it was Odessa Settles and Edgar Meyer. Jerry always delivers and we can’t wait to welcome him back.
The Infamous Stringdusters played that first year in Raleigh. They’re back with a couple of Grammy nominations under their belt including one for their most recent record “A Tribute to Bill Monroe.” That one should also be one of the frontrunners at the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards this year. The ‘Dusters are playing Saturday night.
Also on Saturday night Dom Flemons and Shultz’s Dream pay tribute to bluegrass pioneer Arnold Shultz. Shultz was a legendary Black fiddler and guitarist who Monroe frequently cited as a major influence. Dom is working on a band that will recreate the sound that Bill Monroe heard in the years when he and Shultz knew each other. Dom will be joined by Brian Farrow from the group Ganstagrass, Dante Pope formerly of the Crossrhodes and IBMA Award winning banjo player Tray Wellington. Tray’s debut album “Black Banjo” is out now on Mountain Home Records.
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway is one of the hottest bands touring today. Molly was the first woman to win IBMA’s coveted Guitar Player of the Year Award. Her new band features Kyle Tuttle on banjo, fiddler Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Dominick Leslie on mandolin and bass player Shelby Means.
Peter Rowan was a member of Bill Monroe’s band The Blue Grass Boys in the late 1960s. Around that same time he formed “Old and in the Way” with Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, John Kahn and Richard Greene (later replaced by Vassar Clements). That band’s self-titled debut is still one of the best-selling bluegrass albums of all time. Peter is coming to Raleigh with a new bluegrass band that plays Friday night.
Sierra Hull grew up coming to IBMA events in Nashville and for the last decade in Raleigh. She’s the reigning IBMA Mandolin Player of the year and a rising star in bluegrass and Americana music. She’s bringing a new band to the festival this year.
Dan Tyminski is arguably the most recognizable voice in bluegrass. He’s bringing a red hot band to Raleigh this year that features Maddie Denton (fiddle), Jason Davis (banjo), Grace Davis (bass) and Gaven Largent (dobro).
Balsam Range is a Raleigh favorite. The band has cleaned up at the IBMA Awards having piled up a record 13 Awards. That includes the coveted Entertainer of the Year in 2018. Della Mae played that first Raleigh festival a decade ago. They’re back with a fresh batch of songs and will be playing Saturday night. We’re also excited to have Twisted Pine play the mainstage for the first time. Their performances last year as a part of the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble was one of the highlights of the week. They’re all graduates of the Berklee College of Music and bring a unique take to the music.
IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC is September 30 and October 1st. PineCone is the official local host for the event and serves as the festival producer. We work with our friends at The City of Raleigh, the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, Raleigh Convention Center and IBMA to bring this largely free public event to life each year. This is the 10th Anniversary of IBMA in Raleigh and we’re looking forward to telling you all about the scores of performers from all over the bluegrass world.
