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Happy summer!
And what a crazy summer it has been … 100 Miles of Wreckage hit number 11 on the national Americana radio charts (and 16 on the international roots music charts!), we’ve gotten to visit some fantastic radio stations and play some great shows, we performed at the CMA Festival & Fan Fair in Nashville, shot a music video with an acclaimed director, and we even got to make our debut on the Grand Ole Opry!
It’s hard to put the whole Opry experience into words. To know that you’re about to play where so many legends of country music have played before is pretty mind-blowing. And everything about the place was just incredible. From the minute we walked in and saw this sign in the lobby:
 To the quotes on the dressing room walls:
 And then, walking out and seeing a sold out crowd of 4400 people, being introduced by Little Jimmy Dickens, and playing on that circle of wood that once graced the stage of the Ryman … wow.
You can listen to the archives of our performance online – we come on about 45 minutes into the broadcast.
So, June 17, 2011 … the day The Black Lillies debuted on the Opry. Hopefully it was the first of many performances to come there!
Video Shoot
Also in June, we shot our first “official” music video!
We’ve done some live videosin the past, but this was the first time that we had a director who had a storyline in mind, a full professional crew, makeup artists and hairdressers and costumers and the whole nine yards. David McClister, our director, even won the CMT/USA Today Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year (for The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young”) while he was shooting our video! David had tremendous vision for this one, and we’re really excited with the results. We’ll have details on the premiere really soon, but for now we can tell you that the song is “Two Hearts Down” and there’s kind of a Day of the Dead theme going on … dancing skeletons and fire and a definite Appalachian Gothic kind of vibe.
Upcoming Festivals:
You definitely want to try to attend one of the festivals we’ll be playing this summer! We’re returning to some of the places we loved last year, and we have a brand new (to us) festival coming up as well.
First up is Pickathon in Portland, Oregon August 5-7. We had an incredible time here last year and can’t wait to return. A beautiful setting, great people, laid back vibe, good (local) food and beer, and just a lot of fun. This festival is known for finding up-and-coming acts who you may not know but you’ll almost certainly love. They’ve got some big names, too – Mavis Staples is headlining this year! It’s even a good one for families, as they put a lot of effort into programming and activities for kids. Weekend and single day tickets are available.
The next festival is a new one for us, but one that sounded so great that we’re actually flying back from the Northwest so we can make it (then leaving immediately afterwards to pick up our tour again in Colorado!). Stillwell ShineFest 2011 is at Fontana Village Resort in North Carolina August 19-21 – in the middle of the Smoky Mountains on a gorgeous lake, with cabins available to rent (or campsites, a lodge … lots of options depending on how much you like to commune with nature or be pampered in luxury!). It’s a festival that honors the music and essence of the Smokies, including a traditional favorite … moonshine! We’ve heard nothing but great things from people who have attended the festival in the past, and we’re thrilled to join Matt Stillwell, Blackberry Smoke, and a great lineup of country and Americana songwriters for what is sure to be a very fun weekend. Tickets start at just $40 and are available now.
September 2-4, you’ll find us back in Pagosa Springs, Colorado for Four Corners Folk Fest. Keb’ Mo’, Los Lobos, Infamous Stringdusters, Punch Brothers, Jackie Greene … the list goes on. There’s no shortage of fantastic music and just like Pickathon and ShineFest, the setting is absolutely amazing. This is another festival that’s great for the whole family – in fact, kids under 12 are free. Plan to camp and get ready for a good time. Tickets on sale now. Then we head back toward home and hit a festival that is near and dear to our hearts … Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, September 16-18 in Bristol Tennessee and Virginia. It’s the only festival we know of where you can watch a show with one half of your body in one state and the other half in another! We’ve got a lot going on at this one … in addition to two Black Lillies performances, you’ll see a lot of familiar faces popping up in other shows throughout the weekend. Tom and Jamie are playing a reunion show with the everybodyfields, Trisha Gene will be up on stage with the Naughty Knots, and Cruz is leading the festival’s closing performance – the “All-Star Carter/Rodgers Revival” featuring Darrell Scott, Carrie Rodriguez, Langhorne Slim, Danny Barnes, Michelle Malone and more. You’ve never seen Carter Family songs performed quite like these! Weekend passes are only $40. Upcoming Shows
We may be coming to a town near you soon! Here’s what’s coming up in the next few weeks:
Tonight (July 6) – Seaside Summer Concert Series, Seaside, FL (free show)
Thursday, July 7 – Brothers Bar, Jacksonville AL
Friday, July 8 – WorkPlay, Birmingham AL (co-bill with Michelle Malone)
Saturday, July 9 – Uncle Slayton’s, Louisville KY
Sunday, July 10 – Theatre at Lime Kiln, Lexington VA
Friday, July 15 – Nightfall at Miller Plaza, Chattanooga TN (free show)
Thursday, July 21 – Sunset Concerts, Southern Ill. Univ, Carbondale IL (free show)
Friday, July 22 – BroadRipple Park, Indianapolis IN (free show)
Saturday, July 23 – House Concert, Indianapolis IN (email for details)
Thursday, July 28 – Woodlands Tavern, Columbus OH
Friday, July 29 – Doc’s Music Hall, Muncie IN
Purchase tickets via the venue links above. We hope to see you at one (or several!) of the shows!
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Of course, we’re always open to house concerts, too. If you want to host one, email our manager, Chyna.
Thank you for your support! |