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\t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n
\n\t\u201cEarl left his door open to everybody, and I have the same attitude,\u201d Jerry Douglas says of Scruggs\u2019 influence. \u201cHe loved playing with younger musicians, which is important for any new generation to learn where [bluegrass] came from.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tOne of the key components of the festival resides in its workshops for young, aspiring musicians, which includes the Junior Appalachian Musicians showcase. JAM is a popular program offered to elementary school students around Western North Carolina.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThe most amazing thing is when I meet young musicians who completely revere Earl,\u201d Martin says. \u201cAnd we see little pieces of Earl all over the festival, whether it\u2019s attendees wearing shirts with his face on it or celebrating every time \u2018Foggy Mountain Breakdown\u2019 is played live.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe event also offered a slew of homegrown talent from across the musically-rich landscape of the region, including Town Mountain, Fireside Collective, Darren Nicholson Band, Holler Choir, Songs from the Road Band, Zoe & Cloyd, Unspoken Tradition, and Laura Boosinger.<\/p>\n
\n\tFor Town Mountain, who originated just up Interstate 26 in Asheville, the Scruggs appearance was their last local performance following the recent announcement of their impending hiatus this fall. After 20 years of perfecting their rollicking, honky-tonk sound in venues across America, the group is pulling the plug, and their fans have been offering an outpouring of appreciation in response.<\/p>\n\n\n
\t\tRelated Content<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n
\n\t\u201cThe love we\u2019ve received is humbling and amazing,\u201d Greer says. \u201cWe love to play, and we wish our last show was in Asheville. But the poetic ending for us comes from the fact that we\u2019re a road band and our last gig is on the road.\u201d (They\u2019ll wrap up their live career in October in the Philadelphia suburbs.)<\/p>\n
\n\tOn Saturday afternoon, the \u201cHealing the Hollers\u201d set put a spotlight on the upcoming one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene. The aftermath of the storm decimated large swaths of Western North Carolina and killed 108 people. One year later and there\u2019s still much to process \u2014 music plays a big part in that healing.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI ain\u2019t mad at the river\/Because it showed me what to be,\u201d Asheville singer-songwriter Lance Mills sang while backed up by bluegrass act Unspoken Tradition. \u201cBut I can\u2019t get back what it took from me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tFor Mills, the memories of Helene are raw and real. During the storm, he lost his home in the floodwaters. Thankfully, he and his family were able to find safe refuge on the roof of the house as it floated away from its foundation. Since then, they\u2019ve bounced around the area while awaiting the rebuilding process of their home, which broke ground this week.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s wonderful to get to play music with my friends,\u201d Mills says of the Scruggs set. \u201cAnd it\u2019s really good for me to express some of the tragedy and try to turn something painful into something beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tLater that evening, mandolinist Sam Bush emerged on the Flint Hill stage. For Bush, the legacy of Scruggs resides not only in his willingness to push the envelope of his craft, but his compassion for humanity through music.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cHe inspired me to have an open mind,\u201d Bush says. \u201cTo be open to all kinds of music and all kinds of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Nitty Gritty Dirt Band closed out the festival on Sunday evening with a special tribute to their groundbreaking 1972 album Will the Circle Be Unbroken<\/em>. The opus remains a melodic bridge between the old-school and the progressive realms of bluegrass and country music, whether it be within musical circles or simply as humans trying to find common ground amid turbulent times. The record itself prominently featured Scruggs, a central figure who bridged many gaps between genres and people.<\/p>\n\n\t\u201cWe can play [bluegrass], we can honor it, but I also just try to do what I do, and try to be me,\u201d says Sierra Hull. \u201cAnd try to let that part of myself shine through, without feeling like I\u2019ve got to be something else, because that\u2019s what [Earl] did. That\u2019s why I love [this music] so much.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tPresenting an all-star \u201ccast of characters,\u201d Nitty Gritty was joined by Hull (performing as Mother Maybelle Carter), Shawn Camp (Jimmy Martin), Rob McCoury (Earl Scruggs), Sam Bush (Roy Acuff), and Jerry Douglas (Norman Blake).<\/p>\n\n\n
\t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n
\n\t\u201cThere\u2019ll be guitars and fiddles\/Earl Scruggs and his banjo too,\u201d Camp rang out on \u201cGrand Ole Opry Song.\u201d \u201cBill Monroe singing out them ole Kentucky Blues.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cEarl was a hero of ours way before we met him. His virtuosity and innovation was incredibly inspiring to us as budding musicians,\u201d says the Dirt Band\u2019s Jeff Hanna. \u201cHe was always so supportive and encouraging, confident, but never arrogant. He left a huge, beautiful legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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