New festival brings 'a mountain of Blues' to the Blue Ridge Mountains
Three-day Black Mountain Blues event to present 100 hours of music by 46 bands
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 14, 2024
Grammy Award-nominated blues artist Sugaray Rayford will be among the headliners, July 12 - 14, when the White Horse and LEAF Global Arts present the inaugural Black Mountain Blues festival downtown. Courtesy photo
Three days of live music performed by a diverse lineup of 46 acts and hundreds of artists will fill downtown Black Mountain, Friday, July 12 through Sunday, July 14, as a collaboration between a pair of local nonprofit organizations introduces a “mountain of Blues” to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The inaugural Black Mountain Blues festival, presented by the White Horse and LEAF Global Arts, will offer more than 100 hours of music in multiple local venues, from the Monte Vista Hotel to Bush Farmhouse.
Headlined by Grammy Award-nominated artist Sugaray Rayford, the distinctive blend of blues and reggae of Corey Harris, “Steady Rollin’” Bob Margolin and others, the festival showcases a wide variety of Delta, Memphis, Chicago, Texas, Piedmont and Female Blues. Performances by 2024 International Blues Challenge winner Piper and the Hard Times, Mac Arnold & Plate Full of Blues and regional acts like Andrew Scotchie, Ashley Heath & Her Heathens and Spiro Nicolopoulos touts the culture of the genre while highlighting a range of talent in a first-of-its-kind event for Black Mountain, according to organizers.
“Blues is the foundation of most modern music that you listen to,” White Horse Director of Operations Zach Hinkle said. “This is a true blues festival, in the sense that our goal is to really celebrate it and showcase true blues artists at some of the great venues right here in our town.”
The lineup, cultivated by artist curator, resident LEAF artist and International Blues Challenge finalist Melissa McKinney, brings some of the biggest names in the genre to town, Hinkle continued.
“Some of these artists have massive followings,” he said. “Many people may be here specifically because they love Sugaray Rayford, or Corey Harris, or Melody Angel, but this festival will also give them an opportunity to see and hear some other artists they may not know.”
Corey Harris’ distinctive blend of reggae and blues will open the inaugural Black Mountain Blues festival, July 12 - 14, in downtown Black Mountain. Courtesy photo
Hinkle credits McKinney with assembling a lineup that represents a “beautiful mix of keepers of the flame and a fun new guard that is staying true to old school traditions.”
“Probably half of these acts are coming from out of town, while the other blues artists are from within around 100 miles of us,” he said. “Ticketed customers will see emerging stars in the genre and established old school acts like Bob Margolin. It’s going to have a blend of singer-songwriters and ass-kicking blues bands that will get you out of your seat.”
While McKinney will be among the artists performing in the festival, her experience on the board for AVL Fest, which will return, Aug. 1-4, for its second year, strengthens credibility to the inaugural Black Mountain Blues event, according to Hinkle.
“Having an artist curator who was just a finalist at the International Blues Challenge and speaks the language of artists is huge,” he said. “Melissa called these artists as a founder of this festival and put her stamp on it, which is meaningful. All credit goes to her for putting together an amazing lineup.”
The weekend event will open Friday afternoon, with a VIP concert at the White Horse. The RailYard, Foothills Grange and Monte Vista Hotel will each host multiple shows while The Town Pump Tavern ends the first day with Blues Jam hosted by Aaron “Woody” Wood. Saturday shows will kick off after 11 a.m., while gospel influenced blues by Reggie Headen and Datrian Johnson & the Family Tree herald the arrival of the event’s final day of shows.
Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Melody Angel will be one of 46 acts performing, July 12 - 14, in the inaugural Black Mountain Blues festival in downtown Black Mountain. Courtesy photo
A Vendor Village featuring arts and crafts, food, drinks and other merchandise will be set up along Richardson Boulevard and Sutton Avenue, east of N.C. 9.
Tickets for the festival, which range from $50 for a day pass to an $80 three-day pass and a $180 VIP Access Pass, are available at blackmountainblues.org. The passes allow access to each participating venue, according to Hinkle.
The event will also mark the introduction of the Black Mountain Blues Society, the first such organization in Western N.C. The group seeks to establish Black Mountain as a regional nucleus for the genre.
“My hope is that the establishment of the Black Mountain Blues Society will lead to a resurgence of the blues in this neck of the woods,” Hinkle said. “Blues fans need a home and maybe Black Mountain and the White Horse can become that home.”