Things are getting busier here at True North Towers with lots of exciting tour activity happening over the next few weeks! Evie Ladin & Keith Terry are halfway through their UK run, with five gigs yet to go, finishing up at Edinburgh TradFest. The duo has been wowing audiences with their hugely entertaining blend of Appalachian roots, Americana and body percussion at several sold out shows including a triumphant main stage performance at Crossover Festival last weekend. Please get out to support them if you can – check out the remaining Evie & Keith tour dates here.
Then the sensational Jake Blount and his band arrive to kick off their UK tour, running from 19th May to 5th June and culminating with performances at Fire in the Mountain festival. Award-winning Americana-folk artist Jake is a renowned young musician based in Rhode Island, USA, whose debut solo album Spider Tales was released in 2020 to widespread acclaim. An exceptional banjoist, fiddler and soulful singer, Jake is one of the relatively few African-American artists on the old-time/bluegrass and Americana scene, and his work puts a spotlight on the major but often overlooked contributions that Black, Indigenous and LGBTQ artists have made to American folk traditions. He’s also a compelling and superb performer, and his band is absolutely exceptional too. Find out more about Jake and check out the ticket links on our Jake Blount tour page here.
Also coming up in late May/early June is a short tour by the superb Americana-roots duo Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno. We have just a handful of regular gigs planned in addition to a couple of big festivals (Bluegrass Omagh in Northern Ireland and Fire in the Mountain in Wales), so don’t miss your chance to see this lovely duo if they’re performing in your neck of the woods. Based in North Carolina, Vivian and Riley combine influences including traditional folk, contemporary Americana, old time, bluegrass, Cajun and acoustic country. Vivian’s evocative voice and rock solid rhythm playing are complemented by Riley’s sweet harmonies and exquisite musicianship on guitar, fiddle and clawhammer banjo. Their 2021 debut album was produced by acclaimed Grammy-winning Cajun musician Joel Savoy, and picked up stellar reviews across the board. There’s more about the tour and ticket links on our Vivian & Riley tour page here.
As well as all that good stuff, we’re also sending Canada’s finest bluegrass heroes, The Slocan Ramblers, to Bluegrass Omagh in Northern Ireland at the end of May (more about that at our previous blog post here) and then stunning Colorado bluegrass & roots trio Stillhouse Junkies will be arriving for their long-awaited tour in mid-June. But more news on that next time! Meanwhile, please do get out there and support live music if you can. Check out these tour pages and ticket links and book your tickets early to help grassroots promoters and artists stay in business. Please share tour and gig news with your music-loving friends to help spread the word. We really, really can’t do it without your support.