Sweetgrass Music Festival

The second annual Sweet Grass Music Festival will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 2-3, 2014 at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., across from the beautiful Charleston Harbor.

Visitors can expect an awesome weekend full of warm weather, hot bluegrass pickin’ and fun for the whole family. Not to mention a few picturesque sunsets over the USS Yorktown resting on Atlantic waters.

The music begins at 2:30pm, on Friday, May 2 with world class bluegrass bands Subject to Change, Common Ground, Barefoot Movement, Adkins and Loudermilk, and the Lonesome River Band playing until 10pm that evening. All bands are performing 90-minute sets.

An amazing line-up of artists will take the stage on Saturday, May 3. Music begins at 11am., with an hour-long set by Common Ground, followed by two (afternoon and evening) one-hour sets from the Grass Cats, Flatt Lonesome, Nothin Fancy, and Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out. The group Grasstowne will be performing one 90-minute set at 4pm.

This year’s lineup is simply nothing short of spectacular.

Five-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Male Vocalist of the Year Russell Moore (1994, 1997, 2010, 2011, 2012) fronts IIIrd Tyme Out, one of the most popular bands in bluegrass history. The band is celebrating 20 years together and has garnered over 50 industry accolades since their inception in 1991, including being named the IBMA’s Vocal Group of the Year seven consecutive years (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000.)

The Lonesome River Band just celebrated its 30th anniversary and features longtime band member and five-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Banjo Player of the Year Sammy Shelor (1995, 1996 (tie), 1997, 1998, 2012).

Grasstowne is led by veteran bluegrass Grammy nominee Alan Bibey (three-time SPBGMA Mandolin Player of the Year in 2007, 2009, 2010, and three-time IBMA award winner) as well as four of the finest young musicians in bluegrass today.

Bibey plans to offer a free mandolin workshop at the festival on Saturday, May 3 as well.

Dave Adkins, labeled “The Voice,” has joined forces with Edgar Loudermilk, singer of bass and tenor alike, to form Adkins & Loudermilk. It’s powerful! Loudermilk has performed with Rhonda Vincent, Marty Rabon and Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out, while Adkins formed Dave Adkins and Republik Steele, before joining forces with Loudermilk in early 2014. Don’t miss this hot new band!

Johnson City, Tenn., band “The Barefoot Movement” have been making waves in the folk world since 2011. Last year brought the release of a new album, cross country touring, and all manners of shoeless excitement. From foot-stompers to emotional ballads, and everything in-between, this band offers something for everyone.

Songwriter and mandolin player Russell Johnson started The Grass Cats with original members Tim Woodall (bass) and Chris Hill (fiddle) in 1997. Johnson’s soaring tenor compliments Woodall’s richly textured lead vocal and Hill adds the third part harmony that is such a big part of the Grass Cats’ vocal arsenal. Rick Lafleur on banjo and Alan Mullen on guitar provide the drive.

Flatt Lonesome is a young, new group of pickers fresh to the scene. While deeply-rooted in bluegrass music’s historic classics, they also have an energetic flair for country sounds, progressive jams, and soul-stirring gospel music while never forsaking their traditional essence.

Nothin’ Fancy formed as a bluegrass band in 1994 to compete in the East Coast Bluegrass

Championship in Crimora, Va. Since their auspicious debut, they have grown in popularity. They released eight full length albums and one CD single; played the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.; played the Lincoln Center in New York City; rocked the Birchmere in Alexandria, Va; hosted their own festival in Buena Vista, Va., since 2001; and won SPBGMA’s “Entertaining Group of the Year” three consecutive years (2008, 2009, 2010).

Common Ground is one of Charleston’s longest running bluegrass groups with over 15 years combined musical experience. Blending the traditional sounds of banjo, acoustic guitar and bass gives them a unique sound unrivaled in the low country. The band also features the grassroots harmonies that bluegrass is known for. Covering a multitude of traditional music, Common Ground also compose their own original tunes.The band is led by Laura Macon and Melvin Cumbee.

The Subject To Change bluegrass band was formed back in 2000 by founding member Mickey Sellers. This is a high energy band, who takes pride in performing traditional style bluegrass music.

The event promises to offer lots of food, beverages and fun for the whole family.

Friday tickets are $25 a piece, while Saturday tickets are $35 each. There is a special combo package for $50 which is good for both days of the festival and the first 50 sold receive a voucher for a free T-shirt. Children under 12 will be admitted for free. The festival will be held rain or shine. In the event of rain, the festival will be held under the big tent. Bring a chair, but no recliner-types please. No coolers or pets please.

A portion of the proceeds from the festival will go to the non-profit Carolina Studios in Charleston, S.C., where students learn how to create, arrange, and record music through a software program that is also teaching them valuable computer skills.

Click here for a full schedule of events.