East Troy hosts annual music fest Sept. 7 and 8
The East Troy Bluegrass Festival is celebrating its 26th year with a weekend lineup that once again includes two of the industry’s biggest names.
The Day 1 lineup will feature bluegrass music star David Davis and his Warrior River Boys.
Carolina Blue, nominated for the IBMA Award’s New Artist of the Year and Album of the Year, will take the main stage Day 2.
Staying true to the festival’s roots, local, emerging and popular regional bands will pepper each day’s lineup.
The two-day East Troy Bluegrass Festival, presented by the East Troy Area Chamber of Commerce, will take place Saturday, Sept. 7 and Sunday, Sept. 8 at East Troy Village Square Park, 2881 Main St.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day.
Bluegrass favorite Piper Road Spring Band will perform immediately after the festival from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at East Troy Brewery, 2905 Main St.
In addition to the musical entertainment, other festival highlights include a popular food court featuring local fare and a Marketplace featuring local crafters, artisans and farmers market vendors.
Admission is $10 per person. Children 15 and younger are admitted free.
Attendees should bring their own lawn chairs.
For more information, call (262) 642-3770 or email vanessa@easttroy.org.
David Davis and his Warrior River Boys
Alabama native and member of The Alabama Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, David Davis has traveled and preformed as frontman for the bluegrass group, David Davis and the Warrior River Boys since 1984.
He is recognized as one of the foremost practitioners of the Monroe mandolin technique.
His interest in old-time and bluegrass music grew organically from a musical family.
Davis said traditional music ran thick within his entire family.
Both his father and grandfather were players and singers.
His uncle, Cleo Davis, was the first musician, or “boy,” selected by Bill Monroe, known as the “Father of Bluegrass,” to make the Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys band in 1938.
Among the Warrior River Boys are Marty Hays playing bass, Robert Montgomery on banjo, Stan Wilemon on guitar and Phillip James on fiddle.
Carolina Blue
Carolina Blue is a Brevard, N.C. based band whose roots run deep in the tradition of Bill Monroe.
The band was formed in 2007 after the release of the album “Nothing So Blue” by Bobby Powell and Tim Jones.
Carolina Blue won the South Carolina state bluegrass championship at RenoFest in 2011. They also received their first Vocal Group of The Year Nomination at the 2018 SPBGMA Awards Show and are currently nominated for the IMBA Award’s 2019 New Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for “I Hear Bluegrass Calling Me” and Instrumental recording of the Year for “Fried Taters and Onions.”
They have appeared on the hit TV show “Song Of The Mountains” as well as “The Bluegrass Trail” series on RFDTV.
The band’s repertoire consists of original songs (including Tim Jones’ “Spring Will Bring Flowers,” which was recorded by 2014 IBMA entertainers of the year Balsam Range), many bluegrass favorites, and gospel too – all done in the traditional style.
Band members are Bobby Powell on guitar and vocals, Timmy Jones on mandolin and vocals, Reese Combs on upright bass and vocals, James McDowell on banjo and vocals, as well as American and Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Champion, Aynsley Porchak on fiddle, who is recipient of the 2018 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Momentum Instrumentalist Award.
