Concert Review: Healing Appalachia 2022, A Two-Day Musical Mission To Battle The Opioid Crisis In Appalachia
If you’ve been a fan of our site, you’ve likely seen us mention Healing Appalachia several times. We were able to cover the first event, and you can find our coverage from that event, here.
If you’re unfamiliar with Healing Appalachia, allow me to provide you with an overview of the mission and some reasons that this event is extremely important. Healing Appalachia is (now) a two-day music festival that takes place on the fairgrounds of the West Virginia State Fair in Lewisburg, West Virginia. The event benefits the Hope In The Hills charity. An organization that is dedicated to helping fight the opioid crisis that grips Appalachia.
In short, the day that 26 people overdosed in one day in Huntington, WV, things had to change and that was the spark needed to pursue meaningful help and eventual change. The throes of addiction are very difficult to treat, and there weren’t a lot of organizations that were focused solely on addiction. Especially in the Appalachian region of our Country, which has been one of, if not the hardest hit regions in the entire world. So with music and events as the vehicle, Hope In The Hills and Healing Appalachia were born from a tormented necessity, and that’s why Capture Kentucky made the nearly five-hour drive to shine a little light on the cause that’s near and dear to our hearts.
You can read their entire mission here.
While you’re there, we highly encourage you to donate as well. The link for that is right here.
Q+A: Jeremy Pinnell Talks All Things ‘Goodbye L.A.’ And More. Catch Him At Laurel Cove On 8/7 With Arlo McKinley
There are some amazing artists here in Kentucky that never seem to get the attention they deserve. Jeremy Pinnell sits at the very top of that list for me. You will never find a more honest artist. Even if that honesty doesn’t show himself in the best light, he’s going to let the light shine. For me, that’s a truly rare gift, and one that has consistently drawn me to Jeremy Pinnell’s music. So when the opportunity arose to interview Jeremy, I had to make it happen. I hope you enjoy! (more…)
Attack Of The Mothra…Day Two Of The Laurel Cove Music Festival in Pineville!
Friday night was fantastic, but Saturday was just as stacked with incredible artists, and judging by the size of the early crowd, everyone knew what they were in for. I can’t tell you how incredibly happy that sentence made me as I typed it. I’ve been fearful that the pandemic would push folks to find something else to do and the music might suffer a drop off in the numbers. ALL of these reservations have been washed away over the past few weeks, and the parade of familiar faces that just kept coming at me on Saturday, was exactly what my heart needed to lift the black clouds of the pandemic. Or as Jeff Cox would say, the BANDemic. I feel ya, Jeff. I feel ya.
I also want to preface this article, as I did in the recap of Friday, that I had thrown my back out a bit the previous weekend, and I thought I was fine after a chiropractor visit, but I tweaked it again on our way to the main stage, so I didn’t get to cover many folks on the Campfire Stage. So this is my apology to them.
We spent Friday night in Corbin, so after a small delay and our short trip to Pineville, Walter DeBarr was the first act we were able to enjoy on Saturday. Walter is a very intriguing artist. He can drop a song written in any style, about any subject, on any stage, but as soon as he opens his mouth, you immediately know who he is. That’s not something you can teach. That’s a God-given talent and often times a distinct voice is what sets weekend warriors apart from a true artist. (more…)
Rain Ain’t No Thang…Day One Of The Laurel Cove Music Festival in Pineville!
If you’ve never heard of Laurel Cove, I beg of you to make a trip to this hidden gem nestled in the hills of Pineville, Kentucky. It’s truly a Kentucky treasure. Also, if you see a festival in Bell County or a show at the Bell Theater, I don’t care who it is, just buy the ticket and take the ride. Your conductor is Mr. Jon Grace and he will not let you down. I make you that promise, whole-heartedly.
I work the night shift at the real job, so our day started a bit later than I wanted, but hopefully the acts I did catch, I’m able to shine a light on their talent and efforts. And if ya missed em, hopefully I can kindly nudge ya into catching a future show. That’s what we’re all about here.
I also want to preface this article, as well as the recap for Saturday, that I had thrown my back out a bit the previous weekend, and I thought I was fine after a chiropractor visit, but I tweaked it again on our way to the main stage, so I didn’t get to cover many folks on the Campfire Stage. So this is my apology to them. (more…)
SATURDAY: 10 Must-See Artists Performing At The Laurel Cove Music Festival!
Here at Capture Kentucky, we do our best to shine a spotlight on as many Kentucky artists as we can. We do occasionally step outside the borders of our great Commonwealth, and this weekends Laurel Cove Music Festival is a prime example of why that is an exception.
The majority of the artists performing on Friday and Saturday reside here with us in Kentucky, but there are a few folks that we’re gonna make honorary Kentuckians for the weekend.
(more…)FRIDAY: 10 Must-See Artists Performing At The Laurel Cove Music Festival!
Here at Capture Kentucky, we do our best to shine a spotlight on as many Kentucky artists as we can. We do occasionally step outside the borders of our great Commonwealth, and this weekends Laurel Cove Music Festival is a prime example of why that is an exception.
The majority of the artists performing on Friday and Saturday reside here with us in Kentucky, but there are a few folks that we’re gonna make honorary Kentuckians for the weekend.
(more…)Music Is Medicine. Arlo McKinley, El Dorodo, And Cole Chaney Helped Us All Heal On The Fallsburg Summer Stage.
Fallsburg, Kentucky. A place that I had never set foot in before Saturday. Situated along Highway 23, near Louisa, Fallsburg has taken a major step forward in improving its tourism. As the Fallsburg Summer Stage was finally living up to its’ name by hosting a two-day music festival with some of the best musical talent around, but there was so much more to this little gem. Nestled in a beautiful valley, smack dab in the middle of an RV park, Fallsburg shined like the gem it is. Lots of space for parking and camping, but it was the music that brought on the smiles. There were wine tours and tastings with a shuttle. Several vendors on-site, including the always delicious Hillbilly Hibachi, the Bent Strings Beard Company, and the art of Jimbo Valentine. You could even attend their Haunted House once the music was finished. They gave you a lot of options and if you didn’t have a good time, that’s on you!
I was unable to attend on Friday night, but I was able to make it on Saturday and thankful to be able to bring y’all along with me. Friday was headlined by Cincinnati’s Buffalo Wabs & the Price Hill Hustle, along with Sean Whiting, and Nolan Taylor. While Saturday featured Cincinnati’s Arlo McKinley, Huntington’s El Dorodo, and Ashland’s Cole Chaney.
Cole Chaney was up first with an acoustic performance. You may have seen my article where I reviewed Chaney’s ‘Mercy’, his debut album. If not, you can read that here. Cole is one of the brightest young stars that Kentucky has to offer. His journey may have just begun, but rest assured it’s gonna be one heckuva ride, and on Saturday, he came to make a statement. Because he knew the enormous amount of talent to follow.
Die Midwestern. Arlo McKinley Delivers A Hauntingly Beautiful, Yet Painful, Collection Of Truth
Cincinnati, OH – For many Kentuckians, the name Arlo McKinley is immediately recognized as a stellar songwriter that is able to deliver like few others can even imagine. Arlo’s transparency is his secret weapon and his ability to be brutally honest is the reason why so many relate to his stories.
If you aren’t familiar with Arlo or his music, then allow me to introduce you to your new favorite artist. I am not kidding.
When you speak of an artist that has “paid their dues,” Arlo is the perfect embodiment of that sentiment. McKinley is a Cincinnati native that has made his own way. He’s played nearly every imaginable venue from Cincinnati to Huntington to Lexington to Nashville. He’s even been involved in several shows that Capture Kentucky has been a part of.
(more…)You Wanted The Best And You’ve Got It! The Best Photos From Capture Kentucky: 2019 Edition!
We did it!! Another year on the books as 2019 a tremendous year for Capture Kentucky. We helped shed some light on many of the deserving Kentuckians that occupied many different stages. We took in shows in Colorado, Tennessee, and of course Kentucky. 2020 will have us checking off another bucket list item, so stay tuned for that one!
We’re truly lucky and blessed to have several of the best photographers around contribute to Capture Kentucky. Folks like Thomas R. Biggs, Estill Robinson, and Mike Howard are flat-out amazing and I can not tell you just how lucky we are to have them as contributors. We may tell some pretty good tales, but our bread and butter are our photos here. So, I truly hope you the last year of work, and we look forward to continuing our goal, which is shining a deserving spotlight onto Kentucky artists. AND to help break the stereotypes that Hollywood can kiss my butt for.
Enjoy!! (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…)