Bluegrass

Bluegrass Day

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will premier Bluegrass Day, set for Saturday, June 9th at the 2012 Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, June 1 – 10. Bluegrass Day will feature three distinguished bands will celebrate the uniquely-American tradition and ever-evolving genre on the Dollar Bank Stage. Del McCoury Band, Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band and Greensky Bluegrass will be perfirming on the main stage on June 9th. Regional and local bluegrass musicians will join the effort on a secondary stage with other activities being planned. On June 8th, you can also catch the sensational Carolina Chocolate Drops string band.

All concerts are free to the public and take place on the Dollar Bank Stage in Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh. The line-up of musicians represents just one facet of the multi-disciplinary Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, which celebrates its 53rd year in downtown Pittsburgh this summer. Additional daily music acts will be announced in the coming weeks, along with other Festival attractions.

Saturday, June 9th – "Bluegrass Day" featuring:

Del McCoury Band
For fifty years, Del McCoury's music has defined authenticity for bluegrass fans and a growing number of fans only vaguely familiar with the genre. McCoury is a living link to the days when bluegrass was made only in hillbilly honkytonks, schoolhouse shows, and on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Yet he and his band, including sons Ronnie and Robbie, remain a commandingly vital presence today. Americana music icon Richard Thompson, who saw his 1952 Vincent Black Lightning turn into a bluegrass standard when McCoury brought it into the fold, has said, "I think that's the best bluegrass band, period. That's it."

Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
A GRAMMY Award winner and six-time nominee, Peter Rowan is a bluegrass singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades. From his early years playing under the tutelage of bluegrass patriarch Bill Monroe to his stint in Old & In the Way with Jerry Garcia and his subsequent breakout as both a solo performer and bandleader, Rowan has built a devoted, international fan base through his continuous stream of original recordings, collaborative projects, and constant touring.

Greensky Bluegrass
Defining bluegrass for a new generation, this hard-working Michigan quintet has been performing upwards of 175 shows per year for 11 years all across America. The band is unquestionably a team of friends traversing the country making music they enjoy. Jambase.com has said, "Greensky Bluegrasshits timeless targets with deadly accuracy while simultaneously veering off the tried and true highway."

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