{"id":7700,"date":"2017-12-06T09:11:34","date_gmt":"2017-12-06T15:11:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/garyhayescountry.com\/?p=7700"},"modified":"2023-09-03T21:15:05","modified_gmt":"2023-09-03T21:15:05","slug":"music-festivals-2018-merlefest-early-lineup-announcement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/garyhayescountry.com\/?p=7700","title":{"rendered":"Music Festivals 2018: Merlefest..MORE UPDATES!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Merlefest<\/a> Announces Artist Additions to 2018 Lineup
\nTickets on Sale Now<\/p>\n

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The annual homecoming of musicians and music fans returns to the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The newest additions to the lineup join over 75 artists that have already been announced, including Kris Kristofferson<\/a>, Jamey Johnson<\/a> , Robert Earl Keen<\/a>, The Devil makes Three<\/a>, Balsam Range<\/a>and the Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble<\/a>, Mission Temple Fireworks Revival featuring Paul Thorn Band<\/a>, The Blind Boys Of Alabama<\/a>, and The Mccrary Sisters<\/a>, a Midnight Jam hosted by Town Mountain<\/a>and Jim Lauderdale<\/a>, and many more.<\/p>\n

WILKESBORO, N.C. (December 5, 2017) \u2013 Merlefest<\/a>, presented by Window World<\/a>, is proud to announce new artist additions to the lineup for MerleFest 2018, which will be held April 26 – 29, 2018: Elephant Revival<\/a>, Rhiannon Giddens<\/a>, Rodney Crowell<\/a>, and Shinyribs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Elephant Revival \u2013 Elephant Revival is a unique collection of multi-instrumentalists blending elements of gypsy, Celtic, Americana, and folk. Brought together by a unified sense of purpose, Elephant Revival communicates the importance of harmony among all living things and uses music to unite us in ways that no other medium can. Elephant Revival is scheduled to play the Hillside Stage on Friday.<\/p>\n

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Rhiannon Giddens \u2013 Singer-songwriter Rhiannon Giddens is the co-founder of the GRAMMY award-winning string band Carolina Chocolate Drops, playing banjo and fiddle. Giddens\u2019 2014 Grammy nominated solo debut, Tomorrow Is My Turn, blends gospel, jazz, blues, and country, and showcases her dazzling vocal prowess. Giddens follow-up album Freedom Highway, largely comprised of original songs, was released to widespread critical acclaim in February. She performed at the Obama White House and duets with country star Eric Church on his powerful anti-racism hit “Kill a Word.” Last year she received the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Singer of the Year and the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Bluegrass and Banjo and in 2017 won the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation \u201cgenius grant\u201d award. In 2018, Giddens will be the guest curator for the Cambridge Folk Festival. Giddens also has a recurring role on the recently revived television drama Nashville . Rhiannon Giddens is scheduled to play Saturday on the Watson Stage.<\/p>\n

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Rodney Crowell \u2013 Rodney Crowell is a multiple Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter who has written or recorded 15 #1 songs on the Country music charts. He has also won six Americana Music Awards, including the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting, and he is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. His songs have been recorded by country legends (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, George Strait), to current country chart toppers (Tim McGraw, Keith Urban) to blues icons (Etta James), and rock and roll legends (Van Morrison, Bob Seger). Crowell\u2019s latest album, Close Ties , was released in March 2017 on New West Records to critical acclaim. Rodney Crowell is scheduled to play the Cabin Stage on Friday.<\/p>\n

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Shinyribs \u2013 SHINYRIBS is the continuation of Kevin Russell\u2019s musical journey that began in Beaumont, TX when, at 14, he found his father\u2019s guitar under his bed, along with a sewing machine, a billy club and a box of comic books. Luckily he chose the guitar. Following his family\u2019s oil boom and bust migratory path he landed in Shreveport, LA where he formed his first band. Picket Line Coyotes were a Husker Du meets Elvis Costello hybrid that lived and died between the \u201cArklatexabamassippi\u201d borders much like their unfortunate animal namesake. That\u2019s what took him to Austin where The Gourds were born from those Coyote ashes. That storied band of pumpkins came to an end after 18 years of good times and hard travelin\u2019. From that point on Russell, has been riding high on the Shinyribs river of country-soul, swamp-funk and tickle. A Shinyribs show is an exaltation of spirit. It\u2019s a hip shaking, belly laughing, soul-singing, song-slinging, down-home house party. Shinyribs is scheduled to play the Watson Stage on Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor over 30 years, one of the major factors that has built and sustained MerleFest has been the quality of the artists and performances that our guests see over the 4 day festival,\u201d says Ted Hagaman, Festival Director. \u201cPeople truly feel that the festival is a great value and that is why music fans and families return year after year. We feel that the 2018 lineup again reflects the diversity and quality of performers and we look forward to another successful festival in April.\u201d The 2018 current lineup may be viewed at MerleFest.org\/lineup .<\/p>\n

Tickets for next year\u2019s festival may be purchased HERE<\/a> or by calling 1-800-343-7857. MerleFest offers a three-tiered pricing structure and encourages fans to take advantage of the extended early bird discount. Early Bird Tier 1 tickets may be purchased from November 14 to February 18, 2018; Early Bird Tier 2 tickets from February 19 to April 25. Tickets will be sold using Tier 3 pricing at the gate during the festival.<\/p>\n

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About Merlefest<\/a>
\nMerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the son of the late American music legend Doc Watson, renowned guitarist Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including old-time, classic country, bluegrass, folk and gospel and blues, and expanded to include Americana, classic rock and many other styles. The festival hosts a diverse mix of artists on its 13 stages during the course of the four-day event. MerleFest has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs.<\/p>\n

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About Window World
\nWindow World, headquartered in North Wilkesboro, N.C., is America\u2019s largest replacement window and exterior remodeling company, with more than 200 locally owned offices nationwide. Founded in 1995, the company sells and installs windows, siding, doors and other exterior products, with a total of over 14 million windows sold to date. Window World is an ENERGY STAR partner, and its window products have earned the Good Housekeeping Seal for 10 consecutive years. Additionally, through its charitable foundation Window World Cares , the Window World family provides funding for St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital, which honored the foundation with its Organizational Support Award in 2017. Since its inception in 2008, Window World Cares has raised over $7 million for St. Jude. Window World Inc. also supports the Veterans Airlift Command, a non-profit organization that facilitates free air transportation to wounded veterans and their families. For more information, visit www.WindowWorld.com or call 1-800 NEXT WINDOW. For home improvement and energy efficiency tips, d\u00e9cor ideas and more, follow Window World on Facebook and Twitter .<\/p>\n

For more information, visit Merlefest<\/a><\/p>\n

MerleFest 2018 Announces New Additions to Lineup<\/div>\n
Early Bird Tickets on Sale Now<\/div>\n
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WILKESBORO, N.C. (January 16, 2018) \u2013 MerleFest, presented by Window World and slated for April 26 – 29, is proud to announce five additions to the 2018 lineup: The Mavericks, B\u00e9la Fleck and Abigail Washburn, Mandolin Orange, Alison Brown, and Brandy Clark.<\/div>\n
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The annual homecoming of musicians and music fans returns to the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest has already announced over 75 artists for 2018, including Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson, Rodney Crowell, Rhiannon Giddens, Elephant Revival, The Devil Makes Three, a Midnight Jam hosted by Town Mountain and Jim Lauderdale, and many more. The rest of the distinguished lineup for MerleFest 2018 will roll out over the next few months.<\/div>\n
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The Mavericks \u2013 The genre-defying Mavericks are declaring their independence and stepping out on their own with Brand New Day, the first studio album released on Mono Mundo Recordings, the label they founded in 2016. Brand New Day is the follow-up to the widely praised albums Mono (2015) and In Time (2013). Flashing the same exhilarating, beyond-category style that has defined the Mavericks, the new album introduces a collection of taut, energetic, economical songs sure to be embraced by both original fans of their top-10 albums and hit singles of the \u201890s and a new generation of listeners who have joined the party since their triumphant 2012 reunion. It is the mature and timely work of an exciting and underestimated American band that has embraced its own destiny.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThis is the first studio record on our own label, and it is an important component in the band\u2019s history,\u201d Malo says, \u201cbut the real goal was just to make a great record.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The new collection \u2013 co-produced like its immediate predecessors by the band\u2019s golden-voiced singer Raul Malo and Niko Bolas (Neil Young, Warren Zevon, Melissa Etheridge), who is partnered with the band in the new Mono Mundo imprint \u2013 features the core members of the group since their reformation: Malo, drummer Paul Deakin, guitarist Eddie Perez, and keyboardist Jerry Dale McFadden, along with auxiliary members \u201cthe Fantastic Four\u201d filling out the set\u2019s brawny sound with their signature accordion and horns. The Mavericks will play the Watson Stage on Thursday night.<\/div>\n
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B\u00e9la Fleck and Abigail Washburn \u2013 With one eye on using the banjo to showcase America\u2019s rich heritage and the other pulling the noble instrument from its most familiar arena into new and unique realms, B\u00e9la Fleck and Abigail Washburn\u2019s second album Echo in the Valley is simultaneously familiar and wildly innovative. Echo in the Valley is the follow up to B\u00e9la and Abigail\u2019s acclaimed, self-titled debut that earned the 2016 Grammy for Best Folk Album. This time around, the mission was to take their double banjo combination of three finger and clawhammer styles \u201cto the next level and find things to do together that we had not done before,\u201d says B\u00e9la. \u201cWe\u2019re expressing different emotions through past techniques and going to deeper places.\u201d The results are fascinating, especially considering their strict rules for recording: all sounds must be created by the two of them, the only instruments used are banjos (they have seven between them, ranging from a ukulele to an upright bass banjo), and they must be able to perform every recorded song live. Fleck and Washburn will play the Watson Stage on Friday night.<\/div>\n
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Mandolin Orange \u2013 Mandolin Orange’s music is \u201claced with bluegrass, country and folk…often wistful and contemplative without being somber, and always firmly grounded in the South” (WNYC). The Chapel Hill, N.C. duo has built a noteworthy catalog of recordings and performances since their founding in 2009. Their live shows are filled with vibrant chemistry, effortless instrumentation, and breezy, fluid harmonies that continue to win over local and far away fans. Recent performances include Red Rocks Amphitheater, Telluride Bluegrass, Newport Folk Festival, Bonnaroo and Pickathon, with 2018 performances in support of the Avett Brothers at PNC Arena and Josh Ritter at the Ryman Auditorium. Hailed by No Depression as \u201cone of the most talented acts making music today,\u201d Mandolin Orange\u2019s most recent album “Blindfaller” debuted #3 on Billboard\u2019s Bluegrass Album Chart, was featured on NPR\u2019s Heavy Rotation and made Rolling Stone\u2019s \u201c40 Best Country Albums of 2016.\u201d<\/div>\n
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“The musical tapestry of ‘Blindfaller’ is delicately woven with lush threads of acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, violin and pedal steel, all ever-present without ever overplaying. However, it’s the vocal interplay of Frantz and Marlin that is the band’s most distinctive calling card” (Rolling Stone). Lean in to the album and you\u2019ll understand why. You\u2019ll hear the way it magnifies the intimacy at the heart of the North Carolina duo\u2019s music, as if they created their own musical language as they recorded it. Mandolin Orange will play the Watson Stage on Friday night.<\/div>\n
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Alison Brown \u2013 Alison Brown has taken an unlikely path in establishing herself as one of the most critically acclaimed banjoists in the world. A former investment banker (she has a bachelor’s degree in History and Literature from Harvard and an MBA from UCLA), she toured with Alison Krauss and Union Station and Michelle Shocked before forming her own group, The Alison Brown Quartet. She has recorded 10 critically-acclaimed solo albums, received 4 Grammy nominations, a Grammy award and the Banjo Player of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association. Alison has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, NPR’s All Things Considered and in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. She was personally requested to play at the inauguration of Harvard\u2019s first female president, Drew Faust, and was a recipient of Irish America Magazine\u2019s \u201cStars of the South Award\u201d for her efforts towards the \u201ccultivation and preservation of Irish music.\u201d In 2014 she was awarded the prestigious United States Artists fellowship for excellence in music. Alison and her band have performed at a long list of music festivals in the US and abroad including The Newport Folk Festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, MerleFest, Rochester Jazz Festival, Celtic Connections (UK), Verbier Festival (Switzerland), Country Gold (Japan). Alison is also co-founder of the internationally recognized Compass Records Group, which has been called by Billboard Magazine \u201cone of the greatest independent labels of the last decade.\u201d She currently serves on the board of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce and on adjunct faculty of Vanderbilt\u2019s Blair School of Music. Alison Brown will play the Hillside Stage on Saturday and the Watson Stage on Sunday.<\/div>\n
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Brandy Clark \u2013 The Nashville, Tennessee-based Clark received her first of an impressive six career GRAMMY nominations in 2013 in the Best Country Song category for co-writing the Miranda Lambert No. 1 hit \u201cMama\u2019s Broken Heart.\u201d Her talent as a storyteller has quickly propelled her into critical acclaim as one of Nashville’s best tunesmiths. Subsequently writing songs for Sheryl Crow, The Band Perry, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Billy Currington, Darius Rucker, and Kacey Musgraves to name a few. In 2015, Brandy independently released her own debut album 12 Stories, which embraced by music lovers and critics alike and was subsequently nominated for two GRAMMYs including Best New Artist and Best Country Album. 12 Stories went on to be named “Best Album of 2013” by The Boston Globe, New York Magazine, NPR, The New York Post, and more. Brandy also won the 2014 CMA Song of the Year Award for \u201cFollow Your Arrow,\u201d which she co-wrote with Shane McAnally and Kacey Musgraves, and was also nominated for a CMA New Artist Of The Year that same year. 2016 brought the release of her sophomore album Big Day In A Small Town, which also garnered two GRAMMY nominations for Best Country Album and Best Country Solo Performance (“Love Can Go To Hell”) and once again topped critics’ “Best of” lists including NPR, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, among others thus cementing Clark as one of country music’s most talented artists, beloved by fans, critics, and fellow entertainers alike. Famed music critic and author, Ann Powers, calls Clark, \u201ca storyteller of the highest caliber.\u201d Brandy Clark will play at the Watson Stage on Friday.<\/div>\n
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WILKESBORO, N.C. (March 20, 2018) \u2013 MerleFest, presented by Window World, is pleased to announce the return of the beloved Midnight Jam and the start of the Barn Dance. Following tradition, the well-known, fan favorite Midnight Jam will take place on Saturday night, prefaced by the Barn Dance. The legendary music festival is an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans; this year\u2019s festival is scheduled for April 26-29 in Wilkesboro, North Carolina at Wilkes Community College.<\/div>\n
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The Midnight Jam is one of MerleFest\u2019s most cherished traditions. This very popular after-hours hootenanny gathers many performers from the festival for impromptu artistic collaborations and one-of-a-kind superstar jams that have become legendary in the festival\u2019s history.<\/div>\n
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For MerleFest 2018, noted songwriter Jim Lauderdale and North Carolina\u2019s own Town Mountain will host the Midnight Jam, presented by renowned music website BGS at the Walker Center, is set to start at 10:30 p.m. and will run well past midnight. The 2018 Midnight Jam will feature a very special Doc Watson Tribute; in addition to Lauderdale and Town Mountain, the Midnight Jam will host a wide array of talent, including performances by Buddy Miller, Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, John Cowan, Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz of Mandolin Orange, Bryan Sutton, and many more. A separate ticket is required and available for purchase by four-day, three-day and Saturday ticket holders. Town Mountain will also host the Saturday Night Barn Dance, another Merlefest moment not to be missed; the lively and loud event starts at 7:45 p.m. on the Dance Stage.<\/div>\n
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\u201cMany years ago, Tony Rice and a few others came up with the concept and started the Midnight Jam,\u201d remembers Steve Johnson, MerleFest artist relations manager. \u201cFrom there the Midnight Jam has become a highlight of the MerleFest weekend, bringing together unique configurations and surprising ensembles of musicians gathered at the festival. You never know who may walk out from behind the curtain to take the stage on Saturday night in the Walker Center.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Jim Lauderdale is a multi-Grammy award winner and  “songwriter’s songwriter,” who has written\/co-written many modern classics for iconic artists. As a solo artist, since 1986 up until now, he’s created a body of work spanning 29 albums of imaginative roots music, encompassing country, bluegrass, soul, R&B and rock, as well as helping pave the way for the current Americana movement. Jim has written songs and worked with some of the finest artists in traditional and modern music, including Robert Hunter, Ralph Stanley, Elvis Costello, George Strait, Buddy Miller, Lucinda Williams, John Oates, Solomon Burke, Lee Ann Womack, Old Crow Medicine Show, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Blake Shelton, the Dixie Chicks, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, and Gary Allan among others. He also co-hosts a weekly radio show on SiriusXM with Buddy Miller, “The Buddy & Jim Show,” and is the co-host of Music City Roots, the weekly live and radio, podcast and PBS series. In 2016 the Americana Music Association honored Jim during the 15th Annual Americana Awards and Honors with the WagonMaster Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by George Strait.<\/div>\n
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Raw, soulful, and with plenty of swagger, <\/a>Town Mountain<\/a> has earned raves for their hard-driving sound, their in-house songwriting and the honky-tonk edge that permeates their exhilarating live performances, whether in a packed club or at a sold-out festival. The hearty base of Town Mountain’s music is the first and second generation of bluegrass spiced with country, old school rock \u2018n\u2019 roll, and boogie-woogie. It’s what else goes into the mix that brings it all to life both on stage and on record and reflects the group’s wide-ranging influences \u2013 from the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia and the ethereal lyrics of Robert Hunter, to the honest, vintage country of Willie, Waylon, and Merle.<\/div>\n
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The Bend Bulletin\u2019s Brian McElhiney says Town Mountain, \u201chas serious country and rock\u2019n\u2019 roll DNA.\u201d Town Mountain features guitarist and vocalist Robert Greer, banjoist Jesse Langlais, mandolinist Phil Barker, fiddler Bobby Britt, and Zach Smith on bass. Town Mountain is working on their sixth studio album and was recently recording in Echo Mountain Studios with Producer Caleb Klauder. The forthcoming album will be full of new original material and released later in the year.<\/div>\n
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MerleFest\u2019s lineup reflects the diversity and quality of performers who are the hallmark of the festival. MerleFest is known for its unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented music from the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, Americana, blues, country, Celtic, Cajun, cowboy, zydeco, rock and many other styles that the late Doc Watson referred to as \u201ctraditional plus.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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MerleFest Announces 2018 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest Finalists<\/div>\n
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WILKESBORO, N.C. (April 3, 2018) \u2013 Today, the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contestannounces the 2018 finalists that will perform at MerleFest. The final round of the competition will take place Friday, April 27; first place winners will receive $600 cash and a Friday night performance slot on the Cabin Stage. Now in its 26th year, CASC is an extraordinary opportunity for songwriters to have their original songs heard and judged by a panel of Nashville music industry professionals, under the direction of volunteer contest chairperson, Grammy-winning singer\/songwriter Jim Lauderdale. MerleFest, presented by Window World, spans from April 26-29 in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, at Wilkes Community College.<\/div>\n
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The following twelve talented writers were selected from over 1021 entries and will compete Friday, April 27 on the Austin Stage:<\/div>\n
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Bluegrass:<\/div>\n
Frank D. Ray (Hillsboro, Missouri) \u2013 \u201cFalse Hearted Love\u201d<\/div>\n
James Woolsey (Petersburg, Indiana) \u2013 \u201cLights of Home\u201d<\/div>\n
Vickie Austin (Fall Branch, Tennessee) \u2013 \u201cCan\u2019t Hold On To Much\u201d<\/div>\n
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Gospel\/Inspirational:<\/div>\n
Andy Owens (Boone, North Carolina) \u2013 \u201cThe Truth of Love\u201d<\/div>\n
Beth lee (Black Mountain, North Carolina) \u2013 \u201cSacred Song\u201d<\/div>\n
Bob Hight (Greensboro, North Carolina) \u2013 \u201cHeaven Will Be Mine\u201d<\/div>\n
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Country:<\/div>\n
Amanda Fields, Tom Buller (Nashville, Tennessee) \u2013 \u201cWhiskey Ain\u2019t Got Nothing on You\u201d<\/div>\n
Cliff Westfall (Highland Park, New Jersey) \u2013 \u201cMore and More\u201d<\/div>\n
Marie Bradshaw (Centerville, Utah), Daniel Young, Kiki Jane Sieger (North Salt Lake, Utah) \u2013 \u201cThese Walls (May Never Come Down)\u201d<\/div>\n
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General:<\/div>\n
Bryan Smith (Dayton, Virginia) \u2013 \u201cNothing Left\u201d<\/div>\n
Zander Melidis (Clawson, Michigan) \u2013 \u201cBorn Again\u201d<\/div>\n
Cliff Ritchey (Markleville, Indiana) \u2013 \u201cHoney Baby\u201d<\/div>\n
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This year\u2019s competition will be judged by 2018 festival headliner and Grammy-award winning artistRodney Crowell; acclaimed vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Marlin of Mandolin Orange; and previous CASC winner Johnny Williams of the Jeanette Williams Band. All finalists will also get to take part in a songwriting mentoring session with Lauderdale, Marlin, and Williams.<\/div>\n
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The first round of the CASC takes place in Nashville, Tennessee, where applicants were narrowed down to 12 finalists representing four categories: bluegrass, country, general, and gospel\/inspirational. The first-round judges included Grammy-nominated bassist and Watson family collaborator T Michael Coleman; noted artist Ken Tizzard, bassist of The Watchmen; former CASC winner and critically-acclaimed songwriter Aaron Burdett; and 2018 MerleFest performer CJ Lewandowski of The Po\u2019 Ramblin Boys.<\/div>\n
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Net proceeds from the contest support the Wilkes Community College Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship. Since its inception, the scholarship has awarded over $41,000 to deserving students. To learn more details about the contest, visit www.MerleFest.org\/CASC<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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The complete 2018 lineup may be viewed at www.MerleFest.org\/lineup<\/a> and is now available on the MerleFest mobile app.<\/div>\n
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Tickets for the festival may be purchased at www.MerleFest.org<\/a> or by calling 1-800-343-7857. MerleFest offers a tiered pricing structure and encourages fans to take advantage of the early bird discount. Early Bird Tier 2 tickets from February 19 to April 25. Tickets will be sold using Tier 3 pricing at the gate during the festival.<\/div>\n
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About Chris Austin<\/div>\n
Chris Austin, from Boone, North Carolina, worked as a sideman for Ricky Skaggs for three years, singing and playing guitar, banjo, mandolin and fiddle. During that time, he was discovered by executives at Warner Bros. who offered him a recording contract. While releasing singles including \u201cBlues Stay Away from Me,\u201d \u201cI Know There\u2019s a Heart in There Somewhere\u201d and \u201cOut of Step,\u201d Austin also developed his songwriting skills, as evidenced in \u201cSame Ol\u2019 Love,\u201d recorded by Skaggs in 1991. On March 16, 1991, Austin\u2019s life was cut tragically short when the private plane carrying him and six other members of Reba McEntire\u2019s band, as well as her tour manager, crashed near San Diego. Pete Fisher, then of Warner Songs and former general manager of The Grand Ole Opry, and Kari Estrin, previous \u201cPickin\u2019 for Merle\u201d video associate producer, initiated the songwriting contest to honor Austin\u2019s memory.<\/div>\n
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About MerleFest<\/div>\n
MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the son of the late American music legend Doc Watson, renowned guitarist Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including old-time, classic country, bluegrass, folk and gospel and blues, and expanded to include Americana, classic rock and many other styles. The festival hosts a diverse mix of artists on its 13 stages during the course of the four-day event. MerleFest has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs.<\/div>\n
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About Window World<\/div>\n
Window World, headquartered in North Wilkesboro, N.C., is America\u2019s largest replacement window and exterior remodeling company, with more than 200 locally owned offices nationwide. Founded in 1995, the company sells and installs windows, siding, doors and other exterior products, with a total of over 14 million windows sold to date. Window World is an ENERGY STAR partner, and its window products have earned the Good Housekeeping Seal for 10 consecutive years. Additionally, through its charitable foundation Window World Cares<\/a>, the Window World family provides funding for St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital, which honored the foundation with its Organizational Support Award in 2017. Since its inception in 2008, Window World Cares has raised over $7 million for St. Jude. Window World Inc. also supports the Veterans Airlift Command, a non-profit organization that facilitates free air transportation to wounded veterans and their families. For more information, visitwww.WindowWorld.com<\/a> or call 1-800 NEXT WINDOW. For home improvement and energy efficiency tips, d\u00e9cor ideas and more, follow Window World on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Merlefest Announces Artist Additions to 2018 Lineup Tickets on Sale Now The annual homecoming of musicians and music fans returns to the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The newest additions to the lineup join over 75 artists that have already been announced, including Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson , Robert Earl Keen, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":23451,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t