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Local efforts are underway to help Oklahoma tornado victims. Find out how you can help here .
The Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival bringing the big and local acts to Martinsville
For the Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival, progress has been slow and steady. But even as the festival grows its lineup, it sticks with some longtime favorites. In its first year, a passel of local and regional bands filled the lineup at the Blue Mountain Festival Grounds, near Martinsville. Charlottesville’s Kings of Belmont and Ashveville, N.C.’s Sanctum Sully were on the bill. This time around, in its fifth year,
Sudden closing of Growler’s American Grill in Roanoke riles some bands’ schedules
National touring acts are scrambling to find other options in the wake of Growler’s American Grill and Venue’s closing over the weekend, even as tickets for upcoming concerts at Growler’s remain on sale at the website inticketing.com. On Wednesday, the Ana Popovic show scheduled for Thursday and the Hayseed Dixie show scheduled for May 25 were still live at inticketing.com. Growler’s owner Barry Caldwell said in a phone call Wednesday
Out & about: Jonathan Scales Fourchestra to play Martin's Downtown
Jonathan Scales came to steel drums late — his freshman year at Appalachian State University, in Boone, N.C. But once the young sax man was introduced to the pans, he was hooked. “It became what I was most comfortable on, instantly,” the Asheville, N.C.-based Scales said in a phone conversation last week. “So even from day one, I wanted to just drop saxophone and play steel pans forever.” [ Listen
Nikki Hill brings her raw energy and vintage style to Roanoke
Roots rocker Nikki Hill may be coming late to the party, but she’s already making a big impact. Hill, 28, only got started a couple of years ago. Before that, she was a “music nerd” with cool taste in vintage clothes mashed up with punk rock looks. She did some harmony singing with a North Carolina honky-tonk band, but nothing serious. But one day at home in Chapel Hill, N.C.,
Micah Davidson passionate about putting on festivals
There are all kinds of ways to make a life in the music business, and not all of them include playing music. Micah Davidson, who grew up in Roanoke, is a good example of that. Today , Davidson is hanging out at a farm near Charlotte, N.C., where he is producing the North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival. It’s a side gig from his regular job as a booking agent
Top Tickets: Big week on Kirk Avenue
UPDATE: Rutledge will be playing at Sidewinder's tonight, filling in for the Katelyn Marks Band show, which was cancelled. Get show info and more via http://blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch/?p=16291. TONIGHT Bonnie Bishop New York Times music critic Jon Pareles wrote that “Not ’Cause I Wanted To,” which Bishop co-wrote with Al Anderson, is his No. 1 song of 2012. The song is on Bonnie Raitt’s latest album, “Slipstream.” Bishop herself is a heckuva
Top Tickets: Celebrating bluegrass, funk, jazz
FRIDAY-SATURDAY HoustonFest With Gene Watson, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Blue Highway, The Boxcars feat. Adam Steffey, Sierra Hull, Ron Block, Lonesome River Band and more The 2010 death of young banjo phenomenon Houston Caldwell has inspired some of bluegrass and country music’s best pickers to donate time and talent at this event, which raises money for the Galax Fire Department. This, the third version of the event, has no
Former Roanoker Ben Bullington sees 'silver lining' in cancer diagnosis
Ben Bullington had spent much of his adulthood in Montana, living the life of a small town doctor who picked guitar, sang, wrote and recorded folk and country songs. Life was good for Bullington, 57, who grew up in Roanoke and graduated from North Cross School, but he found he liked living best in the wide open spaces out west. And with a family to raise, he had no interest
Brantley Gilbert rocks a sold out civic center
George Jones, a true master of honky-tonk music, died Friday. As many people noted on the social networks, he was the guy who sang “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes.” As many people noted on the social networks, nobody is going to fill his shoes. Later Friday, 7,537 people filled the Roanoke Civic Center for a triple-bill headlined by Brantley Gilbert, a guy who says he plays country music. But these
Big bands come to the rescue for Girls Rock Roanoke
Hannah Shaw practically grew up on a rock ’n’ roll tour bus. The 25-year-old came into the world when her father, Styx guitarist Tommy Shaw, was a member of Damn Yankees, along with guitarist Ted Nugent. “He really was ‘Uncle’ Ted to me, and he continues to be to this day,” Hannah Shaw said in a phone conversation last week. These days, she’s back on the road, with “The Midwest
Country legend George Jones had devoted fans in Salem, Roanoke
The city of Salem had planned to give a key to the city to George Jones on April 20, when he was to play his final concert at Salem Civic Center. When Jones was hospitalized in Nashville, Tenn., on April 18, the city had to put that plan on hold. But the concert was almost immediately rescheduled for May 9, and Salem civic facilities manager Carey Harveycutter said he was
Kip Moore rides into town with ‘Beer Money’
When Kip Moore takes the Roanoke Civic Center stage tonight to open for Brantley Gilbert, he will be in familiar surroundings. It will be Moore’s third trip to the Roanoke Valley in the past year. Exactly a year ago, he opened at Salem Civic Center for Billy Currington. In October, he opened for Eric Church at Roanoke Civic Center. And both times, he played a song called “Beer Money,” which
Top Tickets: It’s an Americana Friday night
TODAY-SUNDAY Vinton Dogwood Festival With Rich and Andy, Fusion Band (tonight), Stone Canyon Band (Friday), The Farm, Rutledge (Saturday), Exonerated (Sunday) and more The town of Vinton has been bringing people together this time of year since 1956. This year as always, there is plenty of live music on the bill, including up-and-coming country act The Farm. And of course, there are plenty of carnival rides and lots of fair
FloydFest 12 finalizes acts, includes The Lumineers & DJ music
FloydFest has finalized its live music lineup and thrown in a couple of new twists. Headliners include acts new to the festival, such as Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Lumineers, John Butler Trio, Gogol Bordello and Blitzen Trapper, along with returning favorites Old Crow Medicine Show, Brandi Carlile, Yonder Mountain String Band, Railroad Earth and Hot Tuna. Acts that are farther down the bill bring plenty of energy,
Out & About: A$AP Rocky
In the hip-hop world, the best calling card is a mixtape. Rakim “A$AP Rocky” Mayers’ “Live.Love.A$AP” brought him major attention. His first major label release, “Long.Live.A$AP,” elevated him to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard pop chart, and it remains in that publication’s R&B/Hip-Hop top 10, 13 weeks after its release. Tonight , the Harlem, N.Y., based Rocky hits Radford University’s Dedmon Center Arena, powered by the success of
Finale of Down by Downtown a genre-spanning night, musically
The Roanoke Valley has developed such a nice music scene over the past three years that it is nearly impossible for a music lover to complain that there is nothing going on. A variety of genres is represented just about every week, and today will be the same — amplified, even. Down by Downtown, in Roanoke, has staged a wide selection of acts in a festival that began Wednesday and
Down by Downtown 2013: A celebration of music and culture
Down by Downtown keeps growing. An event that started with a handful of places is about to enter its fourth year with 11 Roanoke nightspots and a couple of outdoor stages. The action begins on Wednesday at Kirk Avenue Music Hall with the Newton Awards, the Roanoke music scene’s celebration of the people who make it work. Afterward, acts will perform at Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill, The Blues BBQ
McFerrin gets friendly with a sold-out crowd
Singer Bobby McFerrin brought a lot of musical surprises to Jefferson Center on Friday night. The biggest one came when he asked if anyone had a request. That left the door wide open for someone to request “Don’t Worry Be Happy,” the 1988 a cappella song that brought him international fame and a No. 1 hit. Instead, a woman walked up to the stage and asked for the Beatles’ “With
Reverend Horton Heat won't be pigeonholed
Reverend Horton Heat frontman Jim Heath is content with his career. After 28 years bringing an unabashed celebration of sex, booze and hard living to venues across the country, Heath and his band have cultivated a diverse and loyal fan base. Heath, 52, is feted by peers and loved by fans for his ability to make his guitar cry the blues and wail rock ’n’ roll with blistering, reckless abandon.
Top Tickets: Gypsy, genius & rockabilly
TONIGHT Frank Vignola and Vinnie Raniolo If you love gypsy jazz music — the hot swing of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli — then you need to catch this act. Vignola, who for years was a Les Paul sideman, is an acoustic guitar beast, and his sidekick, Raniolo, can go note-for-note with him. You'll hear such Reinhardt chestnuts as "Nuages," but the pair also play a hyper-speed version of "Flight
1. Afternoon downpour turns downtown to a torrent
2. Match is found for DNA at 2005 homicide scene
3. Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli: Star CEO discussed taxes
4. U.S. Forest Service makes example of ATV rider in Bland County
5. Fire causes $15,000 in damage to Roanoke County house Monday
6. Handful of people at meeting protest 28.5% pay increase for Roanoke City Council
7. Baseball draft slight motivates Virginia Tech's Andrew Rash
8. Roanoke College recreation center namesake Bast dies at age 98
9. Report faults development proposal for old Blacksburg Middle School site
10. Former Virginia Tech receiver Danny Coale works to prove himself NFL-worthy after being released by the Dallas Cowboys
THE ROANOKE TIMES
