Performers
for information on Gathering Place performers go to the Gathering Place page
Gate to main stage opens
4:30pm
Main Stage
Performers
Stillhouse Junkies
Stillhouse Junkies is a one-of-a-kind creative project born out of the collective passions of three individuals with very different musical backgrounds. With chops and stylistic leanings ranging from classical to West African, blues, bluegrass, and swing, Fred Kosak, Alissa Wolf, and Cody Tinnin came together around a shared goal of bringing sounds and grooves to their fans that fall outside of easy genre distinctions. With all three band members trading lead vocal, songwriting, and arranging duties, Stillhouse Junkies paint with a rich tonal palette that pays homage to their musical heroes while forging a unique artistic path.
Dave Eggar
Dave Eggar is regarded as one of the finest cellists on the planet. That cello solo you hear in the intro to Coldplay’s first #1 single “Viva La Vida” is Dave’s performance.
On the Billboard Top 200 #1 album, the debut solo album by Zayn Malik, Mind of Mine, Dave plays and arranged the music.
Rhonda Vincent
Rhonda Vincent is a firecracker of talent that powers one of the hottest bands in any genre of music today. From humble beginnings in the tiny town of Greentop, Missouri, Rhonda’s musical heritage traces back 5 generations of the Vincent family. Her dad would pick her up from school each day, and they would sing and play till dinner. After dinner, friends came over, and they would sing and play till bedtime. She began her professional music career singing in her family’s band The Sally Mountain Show. It was an immediate “on the job training,” as they had a TV show, radio show, and made their first recording when Rhonda was 5 years old. She picked up the mandolin at eight, the fiddle at twelve, and learned a valuable life lesson as a teenager performing with her family at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. While they were playing in the pouring rain to empty seats, and what they thought, no one listening — a week later they received a call from Hal Durham, general manager of the Grand Ole Opry at the time, and who just happened to be listening with his family around the corner. Mr. Durham loved what he heard and invited the Vincent family to appear on the Opry.
Acoustic Arbor
Stage Schedule
Momma Molasses
Based in Bristol, V.A. , Momma Molasses has toured throughout the Southeast, as a breakout D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) musician. Her music interlaces influences from Classic Country, Appalachian Folk, Western-Swing, Swamp-pop, Bluegrass, and Old-Time music into a uniquely timeless sound. Her rolling contralto voice scales over homespun finger-picked guitar, in haunting lamentations. Warm, rich, and passionate her songs embrace, and captivate listeners, soothing well warn hearts with vulnerable lyricism.
Empty Bottle String Band
The Empty Bottle String Band formed for a one time gig at a local farmers market in East Tennessee, but the group’s shared love of old time music and dance from the Appalachian mountains kept them picking and growing together as friends and as a band. The group has performed across the Appalachian region and along the east coast. Their music is sure to delight audiences and keep their toes tapping the whole show through.
Town Branch Bluegrass
For many years, Town Branch has played many great venues in the area including the Carter Family Fold, Lays Hardware, Gathering in the Gap, Wilderness Road Heritage Festival, M.E.C.C. Home Craft Days, Papa Joe Smiddy Labor Day Festival, as well as many churches and private events.
Members of Town Branch include Brandon Elkins, Jack Bonham, Shirley Smith, Peggy Ely and Rod Griffith. All band members are from Lee County, Virginia.
Katie and the Holler Dogs
Hailing from the old coal camp hollers of St. Charles, Virginia, Katie and The Holler Dogs consists of fearless leader Katie Bledsoe on lead vocals, guitar, and mandolin, her young and talented sister Cassie Bledsoe on guitar, mandolin, and vocals, and their big ol’ ugly daddy Earnest Bledsoe on lead guitar and whatever else the song calls for.
From the earliest childhood influences of the acapella harmonies that rang through the girls’ papaw’s Primitive Baptist Church, Katie & the Holler Dogs have woven a beautiful musical tapestry that combines shades of honky tonk, country, bluegrass, and punk into some of the most pure, honest sounds you will ever hear.
Throughout a Holler Dogs set you will experience a roller coaster ride of hand clapping, foot stomping joy. It’s been said that when the stars align and the moon is right, that their vocal harmonies will bring a tear to a glass eye. Come experience it for yourself and you just might agree.