BANDS BIOS

81 Drifters
81 Drifters, named after the highway to their Asheville mountain home, are a string band weaving a tapestry of original material influenced by Roma jazz, swing, folk and Americana. Grounded in a fearlessly raw singer/songwriter approach, they bring narrative depth and powerful harmonies, with group improvisation stretching across generations and genres.

The All Y’all Country All-Stars
The All Y’all Country All-Stars are a powerhouse tribute to classic and outlaw country, delivering legendary songs with an electrifying twist. Fusing honky-tonk swing, barroom twang and southern rock fire, this rowdy local supergroup brings the golden era to life with blistering dual guitars in a no-holds-barred country revue.

The Apple Chill Cloggers
The Apple Chill Cloggers were formed in 1975 to preserve, interpret and teach the traditional style of Southern Appalachian Mountain clogging. The team performs for festivals, benefits and other events around North Carolina and beyond, inspiring audiences with high-energy clogging to live music. Bring the kids!

Bella White
Bella White is a singer/songwriter whose Appalachian lineage and bluegrass foundation shape a fresh and emotionally unguarded take on country and folk. Raised in Calgary, she writes with lyrical honesty and old-soul insight. Her voice carries both vulnerability and strength, blending timeless traditions with a modern perspective.

BIG FUR
BIG FUR cultivates an original sound that pushes southern rock, country and bluegrass to its highest dynamic peaks and most electrifying psychedelic edges. The Asheville-based unit is a slick, versatile animal of a band that pounces between genres and tones through elaborate compositions and intense improvisations to create a musical experience both exhilarating and fully immersive.

Bigdumbhick
The Bigdumbhick is Jeff Wall, a solo acoustic singer/songwriter and storyteller from the Triad with deep ties to bluegrass and roots music. He leans into “humor with a groove,” often turning without warning from laugh-out-loud moments to deeply personal, revealing stories. With a back porch sensibility, his clever originals and twisted covers leave room to think, feel and smile.

Bulltown Strutters
The Bulltown Strutters shift the party into high gear with a rambunctious mix of old-school New Orleans jazz, second line classics and new-school funk. This 20+ member Durham-based brass band dishes out hip-shaking fun with a side of sequins, feather boas and pure joy. Backed by a loyal crew of dancing fans, they turn every performance into a shared celebration. Don’t miss them leading the Saturday parade!

Calya and the Coy Dogs
Hailing from Geneva, NY, Calya and the Coy Dogs thread homespun Americana with soulful vocals, an earthy undercurrent and emotionally resonant writing. The band draws on folk, funk and jazz to create a world that moves from intimate and reflective to rhythmically expansive, always grounded and full of heart.

Cathead Biscuits
Cathead Biscuits is an old-time music project from Greensboro featuring Sam and Eli Fribush, who are also appearing at Shakori Hills with their other acclaimed projects. Rooted in traditional string-band repertoire, the group finds Sam on banjo and Eli on guitar, joined by special guests for extended jams that lean deep into groove and spontaneous interplay.

Charles Latham & The Borrowed Band
Durham musician Charles Latham is a singular antifolk voice, animating witty pastiches of vintage Americana with razor-sharp wordplay and glorious sloppiness. The Borrowed Band includes former members of Ben Folds Five, Shooter Jennings and 6 String Drag, delivering magnetic performances across a captivating blend of ballads and barnstormers.

Chatham Rabbits
Chatham Rabbits are a folk and Americana duo from the Triangle inspired by the old-time banjo traditions of the Carolinas and Virginia. Austin and Sarah McCombie craft rustic acoustic songs featuring clawhammer banjo, guitar and intimate close-harmony singing, braiding deep history with compelling originals.

Cherry Motel
Cherry Motel is an indie pop-rock project from Raleigh crafting a dynamic set of shimmering guitars, catchy hooks and honest storytelling. They mix nostalgic melodies with a fresh spark, pairing bright tones and memorable songcraft to create music built for late-night drives, crowded rooms and anyone looking to dance.

Chuwi
Hailing from Puerto Rico, Chuwi channels the powerful pulse of plena, bomba, salsa and other Afro-Caribbean forms, shaped by the color and curiosity of modern textures and ideas. Anchored by warm vocals and infectious movement, their expression carries intimate emotion and island-born themes of home. Their immersive, high-energy concert experiences feel alive, expansive and unmistakably their own. In 2025, they brought that spirit to a global stage, recording and performing alongside Bad Bunny.

Coyote Rodeo
Coyote Rodeo is an Asheville experimental bluegrass group plugged into the evolving edge of jamgrass. Featuring members of The Kind Thieves, Dr. Bacon and Into the Fog, the band pairs thoughtful songwriting and invigorating musicianship to explore the outer reaches of the acoustic landscape.

Daniel DeLorenzo Trio
Pittsboro-based guitarist and composer Daniel DeLorenzo leads a swinging jazz trio grounded in rich artistic history. The agile ensemble moves easily between carefully crafted originals and enduring jazz classics. Their approach emphasizes expressive improvisation and tight-knit interplay, with tunes built around strong melodic and rhythmic motifs.

Donna the Buffalo
From Cajun to country, reggae to roots-rock, and zydeco boogie to freewheeling improv, Donna the Buffalo channels the best of American music into something joyful, soulful and unmistakably their own. Upbeat grooves, heartfelt lyrics and memorable hooks fuel a spirit of celebration that moves both hearts and feet. Socially conscious and endlessly danceable, they helped found the GrassRoots Festival 35 years ago outside Ithaca, NY, to support local causes and share the sounds of their musical family from around the world. The group features multi-instrumentalist Tara Nevins, guitarist Jeb Puryear, and keyboardist Dave McCracken.

Donnie Deneil
Donnie Deneil is a Raleigh-based singer and artist crafting electronic R&B infused with smooth vocals and irresistibly laid-back flow. Known for a captivating stage presence, he mixes earnest emotion with beats perfect for swaying under the stars. Warm, fluid delivery complements an atmosphere where layered textures and passionate storytelling naturally meld.

El Khat
El Khat is a junkyard band creating raw, electrifying Arabic tunes drawing from Yemeni heritage. Based in Berlin, they perform on homemade instruments built entirely from recycled metal, plastic and wood. Skittering drums, jagged organ, searing desert guitar and hypnotic melodies collide in a joyful clatter that feels fiercely adventurous, ancestral and utterly uncompromising.

Electro Lust
Electro Lust is Asheville’s electro-funk renegade supergroup, blending electronic music with soul, funk, R&B, hip hop and world influences to unleash sweat-soaked soundtracks made for late nights and loud rooms. Featuring Grammy-winning talent from the city’s vibrant music scene, they fuse pulsating beats with a heavy-funk feel for explosively ecstatic performances.

Eli Fribush Experiment
Based in Greensboro, Eli Fribush Experiment is an exploratory collective led by the renowned saxophonist, producer and multi-instrumentalist. Drawing from jazz, funk and soul, their sound is spontaneous and expressive, built on deep rhythm and dynamic interplay. Guided by an ethos of improvisation, the group is known for live shows that move minds and feet. Also catch Eli exploring old-time tunes with Cathead Biscuits at Shakori Hills.

E’Lon JD
E’Lon JD is a bass player and producer whose music draws together funk, jazz, and rock into a genre-bending take on progressive soul. Driven by melody and groove, he brings thoughtful writing and masterful musicianship to the stage. Through powerful, commanding performances, he sheds light on the things we think but don’t always say.

fescue
Steeped in bluegrass and old-time Appalachian styles, fescue is an indie folk trio from Danville, VA taking traditional grassroots songcraft into the new age with tales of love, loss, and reflection. Winners of the Fall 2025 Shakori Hills Band Contest, their pickin’ and grinnin’ draws from a wide range of influences, shaping heartfelt originals alongside well-loved favorites.

Greylan Hall & The Nasty Kings
Greylan Hall & The Nasty Kings unleash fiery performances forged in blues and rock, with sparks of country, jazz, funk and fusion. Based in Durham, the passionate quartet features Greylan on majestic guitars, Jacob Seyle on heated Hammond B-3 organ, Mark Voller supplying the bedrock low end and Ethan Prindle delivering thundering drums.

Haley Ellis
Haley Ellis is a banjo virtuoso blending the heartfelt storytelling of folk, the introspective edge of indie and the timeless spirit of Americana. Her unadorned melodies and raw vocals provide a quiet intensity, pairing disarmingly honest songwriting with a gritty, intimate presence.

Heavy Bone and the Good Time Zydeco Band
Bringing the infectious energy of Louisiana zydeco to Shakori Hills, Heavy Bone and the Good Time Zydeco Band keeps dance floors moving with accordion-driven jams, funky rhythms and Creole spirit. Based in Ithaca, NY, they blend tradition with frenzied flair, delivering an irresistible sound that turns every show into a celebration.

Høly River
Høly River is a mystical duo creating experimental music they call “Earth folk,” interlacing worldly instrumentation, harmonium-soaked melodies, and soaring vocal ballads. Carried by moonlit dance beats and ancestral roots, their celebratory sound drifts through drone pop atmospheres. It draws inspiration from flora, fauna, soil, stars, and humanity’s need for reconnection with itself.

Huzzah
Huzzah is a Triangle-area seven-piece ensemble bringing hot jazz to life with vintage instruments, a tight horn section and string-centric arrangements echoing the early swing era. Drawing from Tin Pan Alley, vaudeville, blues, jug band and western swing, they play early 20th-century dance tunes defined by improvisation and richly layered textures.

Isaac Hadden
Isaac Hadden is a young genre-smashing guitarist and vocalist from Asheville, known for his cutting-edge playing and animated stage presence. Fronting a heavy-hitting funk-rock group, his high-energy performances are fueled by tight, dynamic improvisation. Balancing a soulful touch with virtuosic firepower, his musicianship and passion routinely bend brainwaves.

Jim Lauderdale
Singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale helped shape the Americana movement of the 1990s, first as one of Nashville’s most successful tunesmiths and later through a stylistically restless run of acclaimed albums. His work spans hard country, pop, roots rock, blues, folk, R&B and bluegrass, marked by stirring vocals and eclectic composition. Along the way, he has collaborated with influential artists including Ralph Stanley, Robert Hunter and Donna the Buffalo.

Jonathan Scales Fourchestra
Asheville-based steel pan innovator Jonathan Scales is a classically trained composer pushing the instrument into new territory. His mind-bending creations blend tight frameworks with Latin rhythms and explosive bursts of funk. Driven by high-octane interplay, the joyously inventive music veers from searing intensity to quieter, focused moments.

JULIA.
JULIA. is a funky five-headed beast from Raleigh splicing greasy vintage feels with heavier, exploratory grooves. Drawing on classic funk, rock and hip hop influences, they move from slick passages into jam-style instrumentals that push into psychedelia. Fueled by raw live chemistry, the band brings an intergalactic spirit to the stage through extraterrestrial melodies and wildly eclectic vocals.

Lance Scott
Lance Scott is an acclaimed bassist and producer from Durham who combines a deep reverence for the gospel and soul of the Black church with a passion for modern jazz, rap and R&B. A multiple Grammy nominee for his work with Nnenna and Pierce Freelon, he creates intricate aural journeys full of visceral emotion and infectious energy.

Las Montañitas
Las Montañitas is a cumbia ensemble from Asheville tracing the psychedelic traditions of Peruvian chicha and Andean rhythms. With vibrant motion and expressive instrumentation, they fuse dance-floor heat and cross-cultural spirit into sets that feel immersive, joyful and deeply alive. Their music invites listeners into a world that’s both ancient and electrifyingly present.

Leah Song
Leah Song of Rising Appalachia is a storyteller, musician, poet and activist. She weaves Appalachian folk, Celtic balladry, Southern soul and global roots into songs shaped by themes of resilience, mythology, grief and creative ritual. Her work reflects a deep study of folk music across the Americas, expressed through vocals, banjo, guitar, dance and spoken word.

Lemon City Trio
Lemon City Trio is a soul jazz organ trio formed in Miami from a shared love of soul music and New Orleans funk. Propelling the traditional format in new directions, they range from edgy fusion to dreamy space rock, with cinematic guitar lines and slinky Cajun-tinged rhythms. Their playing unfolds as a journey across styles and textures, grounded in groove and exploration.

Lila Iké
Lila Iké channels the heart of contemporary Jamaica through a fearless fusion of reggae, soul, and R&B. Raised in Manchester Parish and sharpened by Kingston’s creative spark, her voice carries both fire and finesse. Staying true to her foundation and embracing global sounds, she explores love in all its forms, addressing profound personal and social truths that transform pain into growth.

Living Arts Collective
Durham’s Living Arts Dancewave is a safe and sacred space in which to move, express and heal within the warm embrace of community. Facilitated by Aubrey Griffith-Zill & Bru Roze, it’s a continuous free-form dance journey that ebbs, flows, builds and releases based on the energy of the audience and performers. All are welcome. Come as you are.

Lonesome Joy
Born in the sweaty dive bars of East Nashville, Lonesome Joy is a keys-fueled rock ‘n’ roll revival driven by groove, grit and vintage soul. With Wurlitzer, Rhodes and organ stacked high, they bridge classic tones and modern songwriting with funky fire and rhythm to burn. Their rowdy sound pairs roots-rock and R&B into a rafter-rattling live show.

Magoo
Magoo is a progressive bluegrass quartet from Denver bridging the adventure of newgrass with the depth of tradition. Known for wide-roaming improvisation, fiery solos and soaring vocal harmonies, they craft expansive acoustic music full of dynamic shifts and melodic interplay. With a spirit of curiosity and deep respect for bluegrass history, Magoo brings both precision and spontaneity to the stage.

MEGABITCH
MEGABITCH is an alt-rock quartet from Carrboro immersed in dreampop and experimental bedroom pop. Their songs reflect candid explorations of love, loss, queerness and desire, built on hazy vocals and synthy beats. Shaped by indie-groovy rock textures that pull from grunge and disco, they move fluidly between confrontation and release.

OC3ANS
OC3ANS is a genre-blending band from Wilmington combining pop hooks and rock edge with hip hop influence. Fronted by American Idol standout Brooke Renshaw, they serve up charged originals and inventive covers with lift and propulsion. Their upbeat music is kinetic and built to keep people moving.

Old Sap
Hailing from Asheville, Old Sap delivers cowboy-sweet folk rock and eclectic Americana energized by honky-tonk guitars, irresistible melodies, fireside harmonies and sparkling flourishes. Guided by evocative, funny and heart-wrenching lyrics, they invite you to lay down your troubles, lose your shoes and dance in the grass to long-forgotten prairie dreams.

Orquesta GarDel
Orquesta GarDel is a Durham-based, thirteen-member powerhouse playing classic, edgy and funky modern salsa built on the New York–Puerto Rico sound of the 1970s. Replicating the full impact of a Nuyorican salsa dura ensemble, the band features a stacked lineup of horn players, percussionists and dynamic coro singers, all driven by hurricane-force rhythms.

Paperhand Puppet Intervention
Come explore the wild, wonder-full and whacky world of Paperhand Puppet Intervention. North Carolina’s imaginative puppeteering troupe uses cardboard, papier mâché, trash and a variety of puppetry styles to promote social change, peace and hope for a better world. Their giant puppets and masks return for the Happiness Parade on Saturday, and this year they also present “A World of Wonder” in the Cabaret Tent on Sunday. Let the magic begin!

The Peach Candy Nut Boys
The Peach Candy Nut Boys are a psychedelic rock band from Boone fusing elements of jazz and punk into a wild, genre-bending sound. Bonded by a mutual love of weird riffs and complex harmony, their songs swing from hushed tension to full-throttle intensity, with live performances renowned for both power and precision.

Photon
Formed in Denver, Photon is an electronic progressive jazz house trio creating improvisational instrumental soundscapes. Orbiting a space-themed retro aesthetic, they build extended forms shaped by discovery and thrust. Their contemplative dance journeys are propelled by infectious beats and virtuosic storytelling.

Possum Monorail
Possum Monorail is a Chapel Hill-based roots band playing acoustic Americana drawn from a wide range of traditional styles, from Appalachian fiddle tunes and bluegrass to blues, country and swing. Deeply knowledgeable and highly engaging, the group combines expert musicianship with a love of sharing the history and nuance of American roots music. Catch them leading their own set and playing for the Square Dance, driving the rhythm that keeps dancers moving.

Preston Frank
Preston Frank is a legendary Louisiana accordionist whose blazing bayou boogie and time-honored zydeco style draw from over half a century of playing. His trademark swamp groove blends Cajun, funk and soul into smooth, flowing Creole tones that instantly make you move. Grounded in heritage and joy, he remains a vital force in keeping alive the sounds of zydeco and Creole French.

Raistlin Brabson & Up Jumped Trouble
Raistlin Brabson & Up Jumped Trouble is an old-time string band from Southwest Virginia steeped in Appalachian fiddle traditions and classic hard-driving country. With momentum as motivation, they honor their local lineage while leaning into a powerful rhythmic pulse, making music built to carry dancers across the floor.

Ranford Almond
Bringing the soul from Greensboro is Ranford Almond, a young singer/songwriter with a raspy, fresh voice impossible to forget. Sweet Appalachian acoustic fingerpicking synthesizes with energetic electric guitars in folksy, melodic tracks bursting with lyrical maturity and emotional depth.

The Rattletraps
The Rattletraps are a rowdy eight-piece from Chapel Hill tearing through roots rock, country and blues with driving backbeats and low-down feels. Seasoned by bar fights, dead-end jobs and the streets of New Orleans, their soaring saxophone solos, howling steel guitar riffs and gritty harmonica deliver blistering anthems with a cynical bite.

Ric Robertson & Friends
Singer, multi-instrumentalist and all-around polymath Ric Robertson is a true original, merging the mountain music of his North Carolina upbringing with the jazz and funk of his New Orleans home. The result is a gonzo vision of innovative Americana, built around a boundlessly creative repertoire inspired by the fragility of our inner lives and the small moments packed with meaning that surround us.

Richie Stearns
Richie Stearns expands the boundaries of convention with his spooky, mantra-groove banjo style that feels both ethereal and thoroughly down home. Drawing from a time-worn songbook, he is a longtime lynchpin of the American roots music revival as a member of beloved bands including Donna the Buffalo and The Horse Flies.

Rising Appalachia
Rising Appalachia is an Americana and world folk ensemble led by sisters Leah and Chloe Smith. Rooted in Appalachian traditions and informed by Irish and other global influences, their expansive work carries heartfelt storytelling and a deep sense of community into a rich sonic journey. They merge art and activism through poetic vocals, eclectic instrumentation and creations shaped by human connection and shared experience. Don’t miss Leah also appearing at Shakori Hills with her project Leah Song.

Ryan Montbleau Band
Boston-based singer/songwriter Ryan Montbleau delivers eloquent, soulful lyricism and a restless spirit of exploration. His music moves fluidly through a mix of literate Americana, folk, rock, R&B and funk, with sprawling, unpredictable pieces guided by focused craft and a keen gift for melody. Grappling honestly with doubt, pain and a world on edge, he remains vulnerable and cathartic, insisting on hope, joy and our limitless capacity for growth and love.

Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars
Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars is a New Orleans-born ensemble bringing together early jazz, R&B, second line rhythms and Calypso flair into a rich sound made for motion. Steeped in the city’s musical heritage, they swing and sway with vintage spirit. Propulsive, joyful and wildly alive, their performances are equal parts storytelling, celebration and Crescent City swagger.

Sam Fribush Organ Trio
Greensboro-based organist Sam Fribush blends old-school soul-jazz with wah-wah funk, hip hop beats and sultry B3 ballads, riding the Hammond organ tradition with deep-pocket swing and gospel-tinged harmonies. The fiery trio channels the golden era of groove and leaves the dancefloor scorched. You can also catch Sam digging into old-time sounds with Cathead Biscuits at Shakori Hills.

Scuba Jerry
Scuba Jerry celebrates the legacy of the Jerry Garcia Band with heart-stirring vamps, exploratory improvisation and a feel-good vibe. Shining down from Ithaca, NY, they channel the joy and connection of Garcia’s enduring influence, bringing an uplifting, sun-soaked spirit to his legendary catalog. Their gigs are deeply heartfelt yet endlessly danceable.

Shirlette Ammons
Durham-based poet, musician and producer Shirlette Ammons uses hip hop to channel painful histories and visionary futures, making interdisciplinary art that joins music, poetry and film. A Black queer Southern truth teller, she explores race, gender and sexuality through lyrics marked by verbal virtuosity, playful brutality and deep soul.

The Slys
The Slys are a groove-driven funk collective from central NC built on relentless propulsion and chill lo-fi beats. Drawing from ’70s instrumental funk, they lean into modern, jazz-informed approaches that favor rich texture and interplay. Featuring members of Big Something, Delvon Lamar Organ Trio, Sam Fribush Organ Trio, and Mellow Swells, they bring rhythmic fire and elastic force.

The Sun Pups
The Sun Pups are an indie folk duo from Durham creating funk-tinged pieces that unfold at their own pace. Made up of Lexi Sunrise and River James, their gorgeous tunes are shaped by intimacy and restraint, yet remain ready to move. Unhurried and attentive to small details, their uplifting work feels naturally inviting.

Yet to Be Gold
Led by prolific songwriter Gregor Sayet-Bone, Yet to Be Gold crafts lyrically vivid folk-rock exploring the human experience with raw honesty and poetic depth. Featuring Jeb Puryear of Donna the Buffalo on guitar, their style blends introspection with expressive instrumentation, creating an immersive journey through storytelling and melody.

Zac Richey
Zac Richey is a maestro of classical acoustic guitar, skillfully interpreting compositions by the greatest guitarists through the ages. He transcends time, guiding listeners on a captivating journey from the Baroque period to the modern era, with a particular emphasis on Brazilian and Spanish styles. His beautiful and virtuosic playing won the 2012 Appalachian Guitarfest Competition and 2015 UNCSA Artist Showcase.