Kentucky Artists Take The Show On The Road To Denver For Appalachia On The Rocks
Kentucky music is no longer a secret and people all across the country are taking notice. You may ask, “What makes you say that?” Glad you asked. Because we have been invited to be involved in tons of Festivals and shows in several different states in just the past year.
First we made it out to Iowa for Hinterland. An event that featured three Kentuckians in Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, and Wheeler Walker, Jr. (Review here)
We then invaded Nashville for three shows.
We partnered up with Whiskey Soldier during the SEC Tournament for a Kentucky Takeover show with artists like Tyler Booth, Senora May, Jericho Woods, and Timmy Dunn. (Review here)
Lastly, we saw Tyler Childers make his debut at both The Grand Ole Opry and his Ryman debut in support of Margo Price. (Review here)
As Tyler Childers fame continues to reach new heights every day, he continues to be presented with larger opportunities and he recently sold-out the most acclaimed venue in the United States, perhaps even in the world, at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver. (Review here)
With that taking place, Darren Byrd approached me to give him some input as he put together an event to give all those traveling Kentuckians something to do while in Denver. The event was to be called ‘Appalachia On The Rocks.’ (more…)
My Old Kentucky Home…In Denver. Tyler Childers Plays To A Sold-Out Crowd at Red Rocks
What if I told you that a young man by the name of Tyler Childers played to about thirty people at the Moonshiners Ball, just 2-1/2 years ago? Would you believe me? Well, ya should, because I was there.
That show was my first time seeing Tyler perform. He was all by himself, kicked back, sitting in a chair, singing away at a, if I remember correctly, 2pm set. He had on torn-up jeans, muddy boots and was wearing a “Hawaiian Shirt.”
I thought to myself, “Does this fella deserve the hype that my friends have heaped upon him?” Now I had listened to his first album, as well as a few soundboard recordings from live shows, but I was internally skeptical. All that skepticism was flushed away though as soon as the man opened his mouth.
Since then, Tyler has grown so quickly, that his new album, Country Squire, debuted at the number spot on the Billboard charts and earned him a spot on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. (more…)
Unforgettable. Day Three At Kickin’ It On The Creek
The last day of Kickin’ It On The Creek has a strange effect on ya. You have been anxiously awaiting the experience for months, or all year if this wasn’t your first time on Ross’ Creek.
When you wake up on the last day, you’re met with many waves of emotions.
- Excitement, knowing what’s headed your way.
- Joy, as you recount all the wonderful memories you’ve already made.
- Guilt, what did I do to deserve to be here?
- Inspired, you want to hug as many necks as possible and tell your friends you love them.
- Thankful, for every conversation and bear hug you have already been given.
- And finally, peace. You were likely greeted with a “welcome home” by a Roberts family member when you arrived, now you know exactly what that means and you absolutely can not wipe the smile off your face.
I’ll start the performance part of this article by saying, Abe Partridge is out there. I think Abe should have a t-shirt emblazoned with the latter half of that sentence. That is totally a compliment by the way and definitely correct. Ask Abe, he’ll tell ya.
Abe’s stories and Appalachian styled art were definitely a welcome addition in 2019 and if he makes it back again, I hope to have ’em as my camping neighbors again. Good Alabama folks right there! (more…)
Welcome Home. Day One At Kickin’ It On The Creek
Kickin’ It On The Creek (KIOTC) is the music festival that you never knew you needed to attend. Now you may ask, “What are you talking about? It can’t be any different than every other music festival.” That’s where you’re wrong and if you choose to believe that and close this article now, it is 100% your loss.
Now don’t get me wrong here as we get started, large festivals have an importance and they serve their purpose well, but with these articles, I want to show you that what I say is the Gospel truth. I’ve covered festivals of all sizes and I assure you with everything in me that there is no equivalent to KIOTC.
Things like overpriced food, overpriced drinks, camping fees, large crowds where you stay sweaty and you’re not even entirely sure if it’s even your own sweat, long walking distances, expensive parking and so on…those things don’t exist at Kickin’ It On Creek.
Literally everything, outside of Mother Nature, that you can find wrong with a festival, is non-existent at Kickin’ It. Why is that? The answer is simple, Kickin’ It On The Creek is about the music, the community, the fellowship, and not the bottom line.
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And They’re Off! The Inaugural Railbird Festival At Keeneland
Lexington, Kentucky has never seen anything like the inaugural Railbird Festival. Over the last few decades, Lexington has had some great success in cultivating talent that goes on to become household names. What Lexington has not had, is a true destination festival. Unlike Louisville that hosts the Forecastle Festival and several Danny Wimmer Productions. That all changed when AC Entertainment (Promoters of Forecastle and Bonnaroo) partnered up with Keeneland.
Let’s be honest, horses and bourbon are what most folks associate with Kentucky. Music though, isn’t too far behind in terms of exports. Kentucky has produced artists like John Michael Montgomery, Montgomery Gentry, Sundy Best, Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, and of course our newest favorite son in Tyler Childers. Who happened to be one of the headliners at Railbird.
So where else could a classy festival that shines a light on horses, bourbon and music? My answer as a Kentuckian, is nowhere. Keeneland is the ultimate location that has plenty of room to grow with this festival.
Having said all that, we’re incredibly honored that we were given the opportunity to cover this festival and put our own little spin on the who, what and why Railbird is hopefully here to stay.
JJ Grey And Mofro, Jonny Lang, And Marc Broussard At The PNC Pavilion In Cincinnati, OH
There’s no better way to spend a warm Summer night, than taking in some of the best talent in the world. I truly enjoyed taking these photos and I hope you enjoy them!
Marc Broussard:
Jonny Lang:
JJ Grey & Mofro:
Ashley McBryde Delights Prestonsburg Alongside Nicholas Jamerson At The Mountain Arts Center
Tonight’s near-capacity show at the Mountain Arts Center saw Ashley McBryde bringing her Girl Going Nowhere Tour into East Kentucky along with Prestonsburg’s own Nicholas Jamerson. It is always good to be back at one of my favorite venues in east Kentucky, well for that matter not just Kentucky but just about anywhere. In my opinion, you would be hard-pressed to find a better thousand seat venue than the Mountain Arts Center. Beautiful building, top-notch staff and incredible sound and lights! But enough of that, let’s talk about tonight’s music.
As I said earlier Nicholas Jamerson is from right here in the city of Prestonsburg, he’s covered a lot of miles since he left Prestonsburg all those years ago to be back home and performing on this stage tonight. I’ve had the pleasure to photograph him several times both as a member of the successful duo Sundy Best and as a solo artist. I commented to someone recently that this show was the best I’ve heard him sound in a long time, he (more…)
Cinder & Smoke Fest! We Went To Jackson And It Was Hotter Than A Pepper Sprout!
The Cinder & Smoke Fest is our baby here at Capture Kentucky. It was an idea that was born as an opportunity to showcase some of the great artists that we feature here. A way to bring our articles to life, if you will. Last year, it was held in Lexington at Proud Mary BBQ. We had a great first year and we loved the location, the people, the food and everything about Proud Mary. The decision to move Cinder & Smoke was made to allow us the freedom to move to a ticketed event, as Proud Mary BBQ prefers to simply have an open door policy.
Enter Shawn & Crystal Hatcher. They were the gracious hosts for the 2019 version of the Cinder & Smoke Fest. They own Thatcher’s Downtown, a very cool restaurant in Jackson, Kentucky. Thatcher’s isn’t your normal little hometown restaurant. They serve breakfast, often have doughnuts, coffee, beer and barbeque. They also host live music and have been very supportive in providing a venue and wanting to grow their restaurant, as well as a music scene in their hometown. So the decision to move Cinder & Smoke to Jackson was made much easier. (more…)
Cutting Every Rug And Killin Every Jug With Ian Noe, Devon Gilfillian and Daisy Helmuth At The Burl
Sometimes an article needs time to simmer. Seeing Ian Noe at his CD release, processing what we experienced and turning that into an article has taken me a few days. It was one of those nights that will be talked about for years to come.
I made a Facebook post on my personal page before the show that accurately described how the night felt. “Good morning to all the good people!! Today is the day we get to send off our next star out into the world! Come to The Burl and be a part of history with Ian Noe tonight!!” I often call The Burl our Mother Church. While the Burl was never an actual church like the Ryman in Nashville was, it does feature a lovely stained glass above the stage and it’s hosted what has felt like several religious experiences over the years. I mean, just look at the scene before the show.
Now I’m not slighting Daisy Helmuth or Devon Gilfillian, both were fantastic, but this article will mainly focus on Ian and his night. (more…)
Music Rules! Our Recap Of The Music Rules Fest At The Jenny Wiley Amphitheatre
The Music Rules Fest is a partnership between the Mountain Arts Center and Capture Kentucky. It is an event that I am incredibly proud of and that’s exactly why this article has been so difficult for me to write.
The City of Prestonsburg now has control of the Jenny Wiley Amphitheatre, which is located in the gorgeous Jenny Wiley State Park. They have allowed the Mountain Arts Center to run the venue as a sister venue to the 1044 seated theatre at the MAC.
The city has begun a remodel of the venue and there are plans to further improve the amphitheater. Restoring it to it’s once prominent place in the community.
The Music Rules Fest was developed to be a genre-less music festival that promises good music for good people. A simple concept that we felt could grow and become a tradition while growing into a Kentucky destination music festival. (more…)