Photo courtesy of DerekMartinezPhotography.com

EOTO

Photo courtesy of Boombox

Boombox

Photo by Ryan Hawthorne

Lee Boys

Photo courtesy of Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band

Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band

Photo courtesy of Ty Brady

Sol Creech

Starting today, about two hours from Roanoke, across the state line in the mountains of West Virginia, bands from the Roanoke and New River valleys will join other regional and national bands for the Second Annual Pink Moon Festival. The festival runs through Sunday.

The back story

Pink Moon's organizer, Seth Abramson, set up the festival as a tribute to his mother, Pinky Testerman, who died in 2006.

The festival will take place on Abramson family property in the community of Rock Camp, W.Va. Testerman, and later, her son, spent summers with her grandparents on their farm. According to information at the event's website, Pinky didn't want to be mourned. Instead, she wanted a celebration.

Abramson, originally from Connecticut, now lives on the family farm. He is a performance artist and a regular at such summer events as FloydFest, All Good, Gathering of the Vibes and more. Abramson said he is honoring his mother with music, fun and his own "Giant Glowing Puppet Dragon Rodeo" show at the old family farm.

Pink Moon begins this year on what would've been Pinky's 60th birthday. Wild, improvisational electro-dance duo EOTO and multi-talented electro-rock duo Boombox will perform tonight.

The lineup

National, regional acts: EOTO, Boombox, The Lee Boys, Telepath, Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band, Archnemesis, Sol & Funk Root, Rogan Brothers Band

Roanoke and New River valley groups: The Kind, High Street, Funk Punch, Groova Scape, Triscale, Relacksachian, HopeHop, DJ Rahbee, Kerosene Willy, Boogieburg Soundsystem, The Roots Revolution, The Materia Project, Catatronic, J. The Savage, Sam Fochtman & Tobacco Apache, Option 22, The Buzztones

Fun stuff: Black light mini-golf course; a giant, glowing stick figure; a glowing, fog-breathing dragon.

The spirituality

The Lee Boys, a "sacred" steel guitar band that is funky as all get out and loaded with excellent musicians, has played a couple of FloydFests and Steppin' Out Blacksburg. The group will hit the Pink Moon stage Saturday and Sunday, with the latter performance billed as a gospel set.

Also scheduled: An "ultra-reformed, un-orthodox Passover ceremony" on Friday evening; and a "gospel bluegrass ho-down" on Sunday.

Tickets and info

Four-day passes at the gate, $65; one-day passes at the gate, $35; VIP, $85.

Check pinkmoonfestival.inticketing.com/events/120475 for advance ticket sales for Friday-Sunday.

(304) 997-4659; www.pinkmoonfestival.com, eotomusic.com, thisisboombox.com, leeboys.com, bootyband.com, telepathmusic.com; more band links at www.pinkmoonfestival.com/artists.

Directions via www.pinkmoonfestival.com/directions.