The lineup for our 2025 Down Home Concert Series represents some of our favorite artists in traditional music as well as a few once-in-a-lifetime experiences, including Della Mae and Laurie Lewis teaming up to celebrate 100 years of Hazel Dickens and the 2025 North Carolina Heritage Awards.

To buy tickets for any Down Home Concert, we strongly urge you to call the PineCone box office at 919-664-8333 for substantial savings on fees.

Tickets are available here or by calling the PineCone Box office at 919-664-8333. Buying tickets by calling PineCone will save you substantially on fees. You can also avoid most fees by visiting the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts box office in person. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, excluding holidays.

Members get a discount on tickets to all our Down Home Concerts, and it’s never too late to join. Visit our membership page for info on membership levels, benefits, and what your support means to PineCone’s mission.

We can’t wait to welcome you at a show! Read on to see what’s in store …

2025 Down Home Concert Series Lineup

FRI, JAN 10
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

FRI, JAN 31 (<– note new date)
Iris DeMent

FRI, FEB 21
The Steel Wheels

FRI, FEB 28
BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet
50th Anniversary Tour

FRI, MAR 7
Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius

FRI, MAR 21
Willie Watson

SAT, APR 12
Scythian

FRI, MAY 16
Della Mae with Laurie Lewis and Alice Gerrard
Celebrating 100 Years of Hazel Dickens

SAT, JUN 7 (2:30 p.m.)
2025 North Carolina Heritage Awards

All shows take place at the AJ Fletcher Opera Theater in the Martin Marietta Center in downtown Raleigh at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

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Let’s take a closer look at these artists.

FRI, JAN 10: The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

Born over a decade ago at a distillery on the Tennessee side of the Smoky Mountains, the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys have spread their brand of bluegrass far and wide – to festivals across the country, European venues, and recently on the Grand Ole Opry stage. Their music is rooted in reverence for and deep knowledge of bluegrass and country music traditions, but their songwriting speaks to modern times. Entertaining and engaging, the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys put on a high-energy show beloved by audiences across generations.

FRI, JAN 31: Iris DeMent

Through music, Iris DeMent is “workin’ on a world” (to borrow the title of her most recent album) that’s brighter and more just with every note. Her one-of-a-kind voice and powerful songwriting first was revealed on her landmark debut, Infamous Angel, which recently marked its 30th anniversary and included songs like “Our Town,” “Let the Mystery Be,” and “Mama’s Opry” that are now considered Americana classics. She received the Americana Music Association’s Trailblazer Award in 2017 and was a favorite duet partner of John Prine, on his song “In Spite of Ourselves” and many others. DeMent’s music comes straight from the heart, and it finds its full power in front of a live audience.

FRI, FEB 21: The Steel Wheels

We can’t always control what happens to us, but we can control what we make of it. Virginia folk-rock band The Steel Wheels creates songs to get us through the aftermath and into a brighter tomorrow, including on their latest album, Sideways. “As a band,” says frontman Trent Wagler, “our aim is to make music that acknowledges the pain and difficulty of the moment, but takes a step back to look at the harmony we can create through all that life throws at us.” Harmony, both musical and universal, is at the core of the Steel Wheels’ sound. And you can see it in their actions, too. Their Red Wing Roots Music Festival in the Shenandoah Valley uplifts up-and-coming acts alongside big names in Americana music, pays tribute to beloved music pioneers, offers learning opportunities for young musicians, and celebrates the natural world that inspires their sound.

FRI, FEB 28: BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, 50th Anniversary Tour

Let the good times roll with the Louisiana flavors of BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet. Now celebrating 50 years as a band, this Grammy-winning group has blended the sounds of their Acadian heritage with jazz, blues, rock, zydeco, swamp pop, and more for a stew as flavorful as the food in the Cajun tradition they champion.

FRI, MAR 7: Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius

Tim O’Brien’s remarkable journey in roots music began when he saw Doc Watson performing on TV. From there, he was hooked on old-time and bluegrass music, and he’s made a career applying his songwriting and instrumental skills to both. His songs have been covered by Nickel Creek, Kathy Mattea, Garth Brooks, and many others, and his collaborations have included albums as part of Flatt & Scruggs tribute supergroup the Earls of Leicester, with his sister Mollie O’Brien, and as a duo with Darrell Scott. A founding member of Hot Rize (as well as their friends Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers), O’Brien has also found time for his own projects, including numerous solo albums, guest appearances, and an album of grassed-up Bob Dylan covers titled Red on Blonde. More recently, the two-time Grammy winner has been touring with his wife, mandolin player Jan Fabricius, for shows featuring simple instrumentation, sweet harmonies, and songs that Doc — an innovator who also honored tradition — would be proud of.

FRI, MAR 21: Willie Watson

Willie Watson has spent the last couple decades as a professional musician, releasing albums and touring as a founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show, contributing to projects from Gillian Welch and David Rawlings and The Watkins Family, and even making two solo albums. But he calls his latest, self-titled album his debut. Why? Because in a new phase of life and career he’s stepping up with his own original songs, even as he continues to honor the traditional songs and sounds he’s always loved. Watson is a one-of-a-kind singer and showman, a channeler of folk traditions who brings all the folks in his audiences along for the ride.

SAT, APR 12: Scythian

Scythian pulls together a blend of Celtic, Eastern European, and Appalachian traditional music into an unforgettable show. The quartet’s onstage energy is matched by its musical prowess, a phenomenon Nashville’s Music City Roots described as “what happens when rock star charisma meets Celtic dervish fiddling.” Led by brothers Alexander and Danylo Fedoryka, the band’s sound stems from their classical training and love for bluegrass and Ukrainian folk music, with folk-rock and even Cajun flavors added by the band’s other members. The buzz around Scythian’s sets spreads like wildfire at festivals they attend, and at their own shows they transfix fans old and new with their enthusiasm and earnest love for music.

FRI, MAY 16: Della Mae with Laurie Lewis and Alice Gerrard, Celebrating 100 Years of Hazel Dickens

Join us for a special evening celebrating 100 years of Hazel Dickens, a pioneer in bluegrass and an inspiration to generations of women in traditional music. Grammy-nominated all-woman string band Della Mae will lead this tribute, joined by California bluegrass icon Laurie Lewis and by Alice Gerrard, Dickens’ partner in the landmark duo Hazel & Alice.

SAT, JUN 7 (2:30 p.m.): 2025 North Carolina Heritage Awards

The North Carolina Heritage Award is the state’s highest honor for folk arts. This biennial awards show draws a large and enthusiastic crowd to recognize and honor distinguished award recipients, who range from acclaimed musicians to folks who quietly practice their art in family and community settings. Five honorees share the inspiring stories of their lifelong dedication to craft through live on-stage interviews, documentary film presentations, musical performances, and a display of artwork. Full of music, art, and community, this uplifting afternoon will leave you feeling proud to call North Carolina home.