| vol. 1, no. 3 | Fountain Express |
6 November 2005 |
Grass Cats & Nashville TN Recording Artists Headline Long Weekend of Music in Fountain
The Grass Cats' concert on Saturday night headlines this coming weekend's music at Fountain General Store. Also coming to town for the first time are Nashville, TN recording artists Billie Joyce and Toni Catlin for a Friday night concert.
Formed in 1997 and based out of Raleigh, the Grass Cats have become one of the top bluegrass acts in the country. Two of their five CDs have made Bluegrass Unlimited's annual Top 10 lists.
"We're really fortunate to have this band in Fountain," said Alex Albright, Fountain General Store proprietor. "If you want a seat, you'd better get here early."
The four original Cats are Tim Woodall, Russell Johnson, Greg Miller, and Chris Hill. In 2000, Robin Burke joined as bassist.
Miller's guitar drives the band, and his baritone vocals are featured on their most recent hit, "Your Only Friend," Bluegrass Unlimited's #7 song of the year in 2005.
Woodall has been playing banjo for 30 years, and he has co-hosted the popular and influential Pinecone bluegrass show on WQDR sing 1989. He also plays bass, guitar, and pedal steel guitar as a studio musician.
Johnson is known for his "high lonesome vocals," his stage comedy, and his fine mandolin picking. Eight of his original songs have made bluegrass hit charts, and his "Bluegrass Man" was the number one song in the nation for two months in 2003.
Hill began playing fiddle when he was 7. He's accompanied several bluegrass legends, including Ralph Stanley and Mac Wiseman, and for 6 years he played with regional favorites Al Batten and the Bluegrass Reunion.
The Grass Cats' Nov. 12 concert begins at 7:30. General admission is $7; reserved seats are $10.
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Billie Joyce and Toni Catlin have both recently completed tours of Europe, and they are traveling in the region to promote their CDs. Their Friday night concert will be two separate performances.
A native of Saskatchewan, Joyce began performing when she was 5; at 17, she was traveling across the U.S. and Canada with her own country rock band. Before relocating to Nashville to further her music career, she worked as a guard in a maximum security prison and as a counselor in a home for battered women.
Joyce, an Indie Pride "best songwriter of the year" in 2003, sings original songs that sometimes blur the boundaries between blues, rock, and country music. Her newest CD, One Willing Heart, has just been released.
Catlin grew up in the Adirondacks, where she sang for guests at a resort owned by her parents. She has performed her American roots and folk songs since then for audiences throughout the U.S., Europe, and Central America.
Catlin has opened recently for artists such as Shawn Colvin, Steve Earle, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. She is a regular participant in Girls with Guitars, the popular monthly singer-songwriter showcase held in Nashville.
Catlin is completing work on her second CD.
The Joyce/Catlin concert on Nov. 11 begins at 8 p.m. General admission is $6; reserved seats are $8.
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The long weekend of music in Fountain kicks off on Wednesday night with a free open mic, hosted his week by Just Us.
Just Us is an acapello jazz-singing trio comprised of Dorothy Higgs and Debbie Hunter of Rocky Mount and Bernadine Williams of Sharpsburg. Their father, bluesman George Higgs, usually accompanies them on a song or two.
The Nov. 9 open mic begins at 7:30; signups start at 7:00.
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On Thursday, Marshall Stephenson returns to Fountain to host his popular monthly bluegrass jam.
Stephenson, who also hosts the "Bluegrass Train" radio show on Sunday nights (98.5 radio, 7-10 p.m.), has been promoting bluegrass in eastern North Carolina since the 1960s and has performed alongside a long list of country and bluegrass legends.
In addition to singing a variety of bluegrass, gospel, and classic country songs, he plays mandolin and guitar and enjoys accompanying the accomplished as well as the beginner musician.
"That's what it's all about," Stephenson said, "getting the music in the hands of the younger generation, and it's places like R.A. Fountain that are making that possible."
Stephenson has released several CDs, including his latest with the Dixie Mountain Boys, Pure Roots of Bluegrass.
The free bluegrass jam on Nov. 9 begins at 7 p.m. and usually lasts until about 10 p.m.
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The 5-day run of live music in Fountain concludes Sunday afternoon with the Marlboro Boys' monthly concert.
One of the region's most popular bluegrass gospel bands, the Marlboro Boys are named for their home church, Marlboro Free Will Baptist in Farmville.
"They're a big band with a big sound," said Albright, "great Sunday afternoon entertainers."
The Marlboro Boys are Steve Sutton, banjo; Bobby Harper and Joseph Sutton, guitars; Reed Kennedy, bass; Tim Shelton, mandolin; Tim Tyner, dobro; and vocalist Jason Tyson.
Opening for the Marlboro Boys will be Melody Brown, a singer-songwriter from Zebulon who has recently released her first CD, A Voice 4 Him.
The Marlboro Boys' Nov. 13 concert begins at 3:30 p.m. Admission is free.
R.A. Fountain, General Store and Internet Café, is located in downtown Fountain, at the intersection of US 258 and NC 222. Its family atmosphere does not permit smoking; alcohol is not served.
For further information, phone 252-749-3228 or visit our home page.
Toni Catlin photos available at tonicatlin.com/index1.htm
Marlboro Boys photo at R.A. Fountain
This week's calendar:
Wed Nov 9 -- Open Mic hosted by Just Us -- 7:30 -- FREE
Thu Nov 10 -- Bluegrass jam hosted by Marshall Stephenson -- 7:00 -- FREE
Fri Nov 11 -- Billie Joyce & Toni Catlin -- 8:00 -- $6 general admission / $8 reserved
Sat Nov 12 -- Grass Cats -- 7:30 -- $7 general admission / $10 reserved
Sun Nov 13 -- Marlboro Boys, with Melody Brown, opening act -- 3:30 -- FREE
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Listen to 3 Songs from Mike Hamer's New CD, Love Dust, available from R.A. Fountain for $10.
"Love Dust"
"Rosalie"
"Wonder Why They Call It Blue"
Visit our secure e.store to hear samples from over 30 regionally produced CDs.
Money to New Orleans Musicians
Thanks to some extra donations, we sent $300 to the Musicians' Relief Fund at Tipitina's Foundation in New Orleans, to help purchase instruments for victims of Hurricane Katrina and to find homes for those still displaced.
Mark your calendars
Nov. 17 -- Melody Brown -- 7:30 -- $3
Nov 18 -- Russ Varnell & the Too Country Band -- 8:00 -- $5 general admission / $8 reserved
Nov 19 -- Big Medicine -- 7:30 -- $5 general admission / $8 reserved
Nov 20 -- The Turners -- 3:30 -- FREE
(Bluegrass gospel from Arkansas! Another get-here-early show.)
Details on our events page.
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