We are pleased to announce the lineup for the 2024 Summer Concerts. Some tried and true favorites are returning and we have a few new additions this year. We hope to see you at one or all the concerts. Bring your friends and family and enjoy some great bluegrass music!
May 11 Lone Mountain Band
May 25 Barker Brothers Band
Jun 08 The Gladson Family
Jun 22 Jimmy Wilson & Friends
Jul 13 Brush Fire – NEW
Jul 27 Marshall Brown Band – NEW
Aug 10 Grizzell & Friends
Aug 24 Just Us
The concerts are held May through August on the second and fourth Saturdays. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the music starts at 7 p.m. Admission is $10, children under 12 are free. Hot dog and barbecue sandwich plates, homemade cobbler, ice cream and root beer floats will be available for purchase.
Go to www.brasstowncommunitycenter.org or check our Facebook page.
The center is a non-profit, and all proceeds from the concerts and facility rentals are for maintenance and upkeep of the building. The Brasstown Community Center is a 501C3 charitable organization. Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated! Checks can be sent to Brasstown Community Civic Center, PO Box 111, Brasstown, North Carolina 28902.
The Brasstown Community Civic Center is proud to be a part of the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina. Visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com to find festivals, concerts, jam sessions, and plenty of singing and dancing to the Traditional Music of Western North Carolina.
Saturday, May 11, 2024 – Lone Mountain Band
Bobby Burns and Diana Phillips
An annual favorite, The Lone Mountain band is a seasoned group, much appreciated at the Brasstown Community Center! They are kicking off our Summer for us this year.
Bobby Burns was born into a musical family. He plays many instruments, but with the band plays mostly the mandolin and sometimes the fiddle or guitar on selected tunes. Bobby has played in professional bands since his teenage years. He is a full time luthier and repairman. Bobby sings lead and harmony vocals and does most of the MC work for the band.
Diana Phillips was trained as a classical pianist. While in college in Virginia she was exposed to Bluegrass music and fell in love with it. After school she moved back to Chattanooga where she teamed up with former classmate Bobby Burns. In addition to her skills on the bass fiddle, Diana is an excellent singer and songwriter.
Saturday, May 25, 2024 – Barker Brothers Band
Left to right: Scott and Jeremy Barker
The Barkers Brothers Band is next in our Summer Concerts lineup.
Delivering music that is “born out of the mountains,” the Barker Brothers draw from the depths of five generations of acoustic traditions, to bring a touch of their past to the present. Foot stomping and heartwarming, the Barkers honor an authentic Appalachian heritage of old-time and gospel
music combined with a riveting mix of high energy bluegrass and back road Americana designed to keep you on the edge of your seat while taking you back to a simpler time in life.
Jeremy Barker minored in Appalachian studies at East TN State University and has gained regional recognition for his extraordinary vocal prowess and seasoned command of the flattop guitar. Scott Barker effectively draws mellow harmonics from the mandolin and adds to the powerful harmony that resounds throughout their performance.
Saturday, June 08, 2024 – The Gladson Family Band
Photo from left to right: Juliet, Lemuel, Todd, Lindy, and Harlen Gladson
We are pleased to welcome back the Gladson Family Band who made their debut concert with us last year.
The Gladson Family Band from Knoxville, Tennessee, plays traditional bluegrass and gospel music. Performing fiddle tunes, breakdowns, and nostalgic songs of the past, they are sure to entertain crowds of all ages. The band consists of Todd and Juliet, paying guitar and singing, their children Harlen on banjo, Lindy on the fiddle, and Lemuel on a mandolin.
Saturday, June 22, 2024 – Jimmy Wilson & Friends
From left to right: Jonathan Jones, Daniel Wilson, Jerry Hensley, Jimmy Wilson, Greg Fleming
Jimmy and his friends all love bluegrass music and have played most of their lives. Jimmy and Daniel Wilson (father and son) were part of the Wilson Family Band for many years and both live in Brasstown, NC. Greg Fleming of Otto, NC has been playing bluegrass mandolin since 1996 and is an accomplished player. Jonathan Jones of Robbinsville, NC plays a mean banjo and Jerry Hensley from Ellijay, GA has been playing fiddle for 40 years.
These local, and seasoned, players are sure to entertain us with the bluegrass heritage music we all love. Come join us in welcoming this group of friends to the Brasstown Community Center!
Saturday, July 13, 2024 – Brush Fire
The last time this group performed for us was in 2018 – we are pleased to welcome them back!
Brush Fire was founded in 1977 in Newnan, Ga. Their vocals and instrumental work, enthusiastic performances and varied repertoire keeps creating demand for their brand of bluegrass. Mike Fleming has played guitar with the group since its inception. He also contributes lead and harmony vocals and by default serves as emcee for their shows.
Kerry Warbington joined the group in 1989 on banjo and vocal harmonies. He is well known in bluegrass circles for his creative and solid banjo playing. Hiawassee resident Robert Brewer plays the upright bass and sings lead and tenor in the trios and quartets. Jeff Partridge is the newest member of the group. As a longtime friend of the band he has previously served stints in the lineup and is currently playing mandolin and adding lead and harmony vocals to the music.
Saturday, July 27, 2024 – The Marshall Brown Band
This band is new to us, so let’s make sure they get a nice Brasstown welcome!
The current touring Marshall Brown Bluegrass Band consists of Asheville based musicians John Duncan, Zeb Gambill, Jacob Brewer, and Marshall Brown. Each of these musicians has a unique background of musical influences, but they share a love of traditional bluegrass music. Their influences span from first-generation bluegrass musicians, like Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers, through the 1960s with acts like the Kentucky Colonels and Red Allen, up to Tony Rice and The Bluegrass Album Band.
The Marshall Brown Bluegrass Band highlights instrumentation as well as the emotionally charged harmonies of traditional bluegrass music. Join them as they play traditional bluegrass songs and originals off Marshall Brown’s debut album, “Another Day”.
Saturday, August 10 , 2024 – Grizzell & Friends
Photo clockwise: Larry Lengacher, Will Potts, Peyton O’Neal, Kenny Ensley, and Bradley Grizzell (center)
Bradley Grizzell has been with us before but with a different group. This time he is bringing his freinds with him. This is the next to the last concert of the season, so don’t miss it!
Bradley plays guitars and does most of the vocals. Joining him on stage are: super mandolin bluegrass player Kenny Ensley, hard driving banjo player Larry Lengacher, professional bass player Will Potts, Peyton O’Neal on lead guitar.
They all enjoy bluegrass music and look forward to entertaining us on a Saturday night!
Saturday, August 24, 2024 – Just Us
Band members (from left to right): Blake Atkins, Stacy Wilson, Teresa Wilson and Brent Womac
To close out the Summer Concert Series, we have brought back a fan favorite – Just Us!
This is an exciting band based out of East Tennessee that was formed in September of 2006 and features a unique blend of bluegrass, country and contemporary bluegrass. They take pride in their strong vocals, tight harmonies and solid picking.
Stacy Wilson plays guitar and sings lead. He is also an accomplished banjo, mandolin and bass player. Teresa Wilson plays bass and sings tenor. She is also married to Stacy and has become his finest accomplished bluegrass student.
Blake Atkins is Stacy and Teresa’s son and he plays banjo and sings harmony vocals. He started playing bass at 13 and joined the band in 2009 playing rhythm guitar and singing harmony vocals. Brent Womac is the newest member the band and plays lead guitar. Brent comes from a blues background and can play any style of music well.