Photo Courtesy of The Artist Farm
Get ready for a weekend of lively bluegrass, craft beer and cool mountain air. The Infamous Stringdusters return to Devils Backbone Brewery in Roseland, Virginia on October 9-11 for the 6th year of The Festy Experience.
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains during peak leaf-changing season, The Festy is surrounded by pristine beauty that fosters a general air of celebration. There will be no shortage of refreshments, as Devils Backbone Basecamp Brewpub and Meadows will be filling up festival goers’ Kanteens with their own craft brews throughout the weekend.
The Infamous Stringdusters are one of the fastest rising innovators in bluegrass today. They bring expert musicianship and songwriting together with an adventurous spirit of improvisation to create one of the most unique sounds on the scene. The Dusters helped found the festival in 2009 through the efforts of Justin Billcheck and Michael Allenby while they were working on their album, “Things That Fly” in nearby Charlottesville, Virginia.
The Festy started out organically in the region, so there has always been a very strong local focus across the board. This of course includes the music, with many outstanding local favorites scheduled to host this celebration of the Appalachian spirit.
Chamomile & Whiskey, as well as Lord Nelson, were both formed by Nelson County natives and now get the chance to hold down their home field among bluegrass stars from around the region and country. There is a huge wealth of talent from neighboring Charlottesville, including Ragged Mountain String Band, Carl Anderson, Erin & The Wildfire, Devon Sproule, Gallatin Canyon, Nathan Moore, and Love Canon.
The Festy isn’t just confining itself to the region though, with sought after acts such as The Shook Twins and Fruition coming all the way from Portland, Oregon.
With the Dusters headlining Friday and Sunday, you definitely do not want to overlook the all-star schedule at the main stage on Saturday. After the harmonic beauty of The Shook Twins at noon, things take a wild turn with The Larry Keel Experience, one of the rowdiest flat-picking parties around. Sure to be a crowd favorite, the beloved Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt will bring with them the stories that made them legends. Then it is finally time for the King of Newgrass to take the stage for the main event. Sam Bush has earned himself iconic status as a revolutionary mandolin player and songwriter over a storied career that even includes a few Grammy Awards. One can expect “more fun than a barrel of monkeys,” from one of the liveliest entertainers in bluegrass history.
So there you have it. The intimate venue that happens to be a fully operating brewery, the incredible bluegrass and Appalachia-inspired lineup, and the beautiful mountain surroundings that will reflect those strumming sounds right back to where they originated. Godspeed to The Festy Experiencers!
Written by Richard Oakley
The Festy Experience 2015 Schedule
Thursday
*At 9pm on Thursday Cabinet will play a PledgeMusic Campfire Set that originally was private but will now be open to the public. The performance will take place at The Festy grounds. See the Facebook event for details.
Friday
Blue Ridge Outdoors Main Stage
2:30 pm – Carl Anderson
4:30 pm – Gallatin Canyon
7:30 pm – The Infamous Stringdusters
8:45 pm – Nathan Moore Solo
9:15 pm – The Infamous Stringdusters
Skyline Tent
3:30 pm – Chamomile & Whiskey
6:00 pm – The Rigs
10:30 pm – Cabinet
Devils Backbone Stage
5:30 pm – Troutsteak Revival (x2)
Saturday
Blue Ridge Outdoor Main Stage
11:00 am – A Kitan Welcome
12:30 pm – The Shook Twins
3:00 pm – The Larry Keel Experience
5:30 pm – Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt
8:30 pm – Sam Bush Band
Skyline Tent
11:30 am – Erin & The Wildfire
1:30 pm – The Falco Brothers
4:15 pm – Love Canon
7:30 pm – Brett Dennen
10:30 pm – Down North
Devils Backbone Stage
2:30 pm – Ragged Mountain String Band
4:15 pm – Jeremy Garrett
Sunday
Skyline Tent
10:30 am – Garretgrass Gospel Hour
12:30 pm – Devon Sproule
2:00 pm – Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line
3:30 pm – Shook Twins
5:15 pm – Fruition
7:00 pm – The Infamous Stringdusters
Devils Backbone Stage
1:30 pm – Tara Mills (x2)
4:45 pm – Erin & The Wildfire (x2)
9:00 pm – Lord Nelson
Visit the website for tickets and more information.