Slade’s Festival Of The Red Is A Wonderful Event Full Of Great Music And Discovery
FRIDAY
Not all music festivals are created equally, and to prove my point, let’s take a quick look at my experience at Festival of the Red (FOTR) over the weekend. Contributing to Capture Kentucky has helped me discover a lot of local artists that I may not have had an opportunity to see or hear otherwise. I enjoy photography, and I’ll admit I’m a much better photographer than writer, so I’m going to give you an overview of some cool moments, and a couple of discoveries of artists that I hadn’t heard before Festival of the Red ( Friday – Aaron Boyd and Saturday – Cole Chaney).
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…)Swift Silver Provides Music For The Soul On Their Self-Titled Debut.
Swift Silver is likely a new name to many of our readers, but quite a few of you will the know the two musicians at it’s core. Anna Kline and John Looney, formerly known as Grits and Soul, have joined forces once again to bring you music that has been 10 years in the making.
The first time that I experienced the powerful duo perform together was at the very first Sweet Thing Jamboree back in early 2019. Anna’s vocal control was, is, and likely will be one of the best around. She was captivating. Plain and simple. (more…)
There’s No Place Like Home. Tyler Booth Came Home To Celebrate His Recent Signing To Sony Music
Capture Kentucky has been honored to be a small part of the Kentucky music family for nearly three years. We’ve witnessed so many great moments and seen several artists outgrow the confines of our Commonwealth. The Mountain Arts Center has become a rite of passage for artists as they climb the ranks, so on Saturday it was time for Tyler’s journey.
That room has hosted several great Kentucky artists and on Saturday night in Prestonsburg, everyone in attendance became a part of history as Tyler Booth came home for a show at the Mountain Arts Center.
What I just stated, may seem like an exaggeration, so ultimately we need to allow time be the judge and jury, but I saw so many indicators on Saturday that I’m going to simply say that I’m all-in on Tyler Booth.
See, Tyler Booth is a very special artist for Capture Kentucky, but more importantly, he’s a special young man to me on a personal level. I’ve known Tyler and his family for years and while that may cloud some folks judgment, I assure you that I do not allow that relationship to do so. Having said that, I’m going to do my best to help you see, hear and understand why this young man is destined to be a Country superstar.
Before we get to that though, we need to discuss the performances of Chelsea Nolan, and the Laid Back Country Picker. (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…)
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…)
Top 15 Performances We’re Looking Forward To At Master Musicians Festival In Somerset!
I’ve been blessed to be able to work with Master Musicians Festival. I was given the honor to be their staff photographer this year by Tiffany Finley. Many of you know Tiffany, but for those that don’t, she is the President of Master Musicians Festival. She is also an avid supporter of local music and all things Kentucky.
What makes Master Musicians Festival (MMF) so unique? The Festival is ran by ALL volunteers. That’s right. ALL volunteers. From the local roller derby tending bar, high school football teams setting up and tearing down the stages, marching bands providing golf cart rides to folks like the Don Franklin family of dealerships putting up sponsorship money, Somerset comes together and shows everyone else how it should be done.
With that army of volunteers, MMF has an economic impact of 3 million dollars. That’s absolutely incredible and astonishes me even after typing it.
This will be the 26th year that MMF has taken place and they handpick the artists. So since I’ll be there this year, I thought it would be fun to put together a top 15 list of performances that You should definitely try and take in.
There are a few tickets still left, so pick up your tickets here and enjoy the show.
