Market Square
Phone:336-349-1099 /
Press Release
Market Square announces National Bluegrass Recording Artists Performing.
The Boxcars and Balsam Range:
The City of Reidsville & Market Square are excited to announce national bluegrass recording artists, The Boxcars and Balsam Range, will be rounding out our concert season, Saturday, September 28, at 7p.m. at Market Square.
Bluegrass music is a part of our history here in Rockingham County and what better way to close out the season. Both of these artists have been nominated for multiple Bluegrass Music Awards through the International Bluegrass Music Association. The awards ceremony will take place the week of the concert in Raleigh. Among Balsam Range’s nominations are“Entertainer of the Year”, “Vocal Group”, two “Song of the Year” nods – “Any Old Road (Will Take You There)” and “Papertown” –“ Album of the Year” (Papertown), “Gospel Recorded Event” and “Recorded Event” (band member Buddy Melton for “What’ll I Do” with Terry Baucom). The Boxcars have been nominated for “Instrumental Group of the Year”. The individual musicians have been nominated in the following categories:“ Instrumental performers of the Year”, Ron Stewart, Banjo & Fiddle; Mandolin, Adam Steffey.
Opening the show will be BALSAM RANGE, a group of five outstanding acoustic musicians and singers from Haywood County, North Carolina, who creatively blendBluegrass, Folk, Gospel and Jazz into a new American acousticmusicexperience. For their band name, they thoughtfully and respectfully adopted the name of a majestic range of mountains that surround part of their home county…where the Smokies meet the Blue Ridge…the BALSAM RANGE. The band is composed of members, Tim Surrett, who delivers entertaining MC work as well as seasoned lead and harmony singing, and Buddy Melton is one of the most gifted tenor voices in bluegrass and Americana today. His range and tones largely give BALSAM RANGE its identifying sound, and his stellar fiddle playing supports the band’s programs equally. Caleb Smith has been called “one of the top young guns of guitar.” Caleb also delivers ballads with a perfectly toned, believable tenderness. Darren Nicholson is one of the most gifted mandolin players and harmony singers ever to come from the Southern Mountains.Marc Pruett plays traditional three finger banjo in intuitive and powerful ways that blend and compliment the influences in the band of jazz and bluegrass…country and gospel…and swing and old-time.
Headlining is THE BOXCARS. THE BOXCARS, who were previously honored as the 2011 IBMA Emerging Artist and Instrumental Group of the Year,released in April of this year, IT’S JUST A ROAD, displaying the band’s versatility with a variety of elements that include Swing, Old Time, Gospel and quite possibly the finest Bluegrass heard anywhere.
The band is comprised of five players, who could individually play with anyone they wish, but they chose THE BOXCARS. It’s rock solid, masterful, delicious Bluegrassrooted in tradition and flavored with contemporary finesse.
“There’s no grand scheme,” says Adam Steffey, “We’re just five guys who play what we like. There’s not a lot of fanfare. After all, what’s wrong with just playing Bluegrass?”
From the classic Carter Family’s “Coal Miner’s Blues,” to the modal sound of the Gospel song “When Sorrows Encompass Me Around,” to the original tracks from banjoist Ron Stewart and guitarist/singer Keith Garrett, this third release from THE BOXCARS is a pleasing collection, brimming with outstanding musicianship and harmony.
According to Judy Yarbrough, Market Square Manager, “This is going to be a great show, and we are super excited to have these groups perform for our community. They are leaving theInternational Bluegrass Music Association awards to travel here. This concert will be sure to delight bluegrass fans and more! We have been really fortunate to get such great performers at Market Square, year after year. Country artists Justin Moore and Josh Thompson have both performed here and now they are touring together nationally this year. Steep Canyon Rangers performed three years ago, and this year they won an Emmy. Local music artist Lesha P performed this year at Local Spotlight and she is singing with Fantasia.
THE BOXCARS and BALSAM RANGE will be at Market Square, Saturday Sept. 28. The concert begins at 7 p.m., is free and open to the public. Remember your chair!