RW3: ‘Tri-fection’ achieved!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who came out for Rooster Walk 3. What a weekend – rain, sun, lots of fun and a ton of awesome music!
We’re pleased to report that Rooster Walk 3 broke records for attendance and fan response at Blue Mountain Festival Grounds. We had a boatload of people come out to share the experience and no real problems or incidents. … You guys rock!
We need to toss out a couple more thank yous to all of our sponsors, staff and volunteers who make the whole thing possible. A special thanks to logo designer Johnny Selman for his awesome work this year (forgot to thank him at the festival).
If you all are feeling it, we just might do this thing again! Got any plans for Memorial Day weekend, 2012????

Video Series: Lonesome River Band

The Lonesome River Band will play Friday night at Rooster Walk 3. Their set begins at 8 p.m. Friday-only tickets are just $15 at the gate!!!

Lonesome River Band to replace Folk Soul Revival at RW3

MARTINSVILLE, VA. – The Lonesome River Band, one of the most popular and influential bluegrass bands of the past three decades, is a late addition to the Rooster Walk 3 lineup.

Lonesome River will perform a 90-minute set beginning at 8 p.m. Friday night. They were added to the schedule after another band, Folk Soul Revival, withdrew from the festival due to the imminent birth of guitar player Daniel Davis’ first son.

“Though we are sad to lose Folk Soul Revival, we are thrilled to announce the addition of Lonesome River Band this Friday night at Rooster Walk 3,” said festival organizer Johnny Buck. “Band leader Sammy Shelor is, literally, one of the best banjo players in the world, and things worked out perfectly with their touring schedule. It’s a drastic understatement to say we feel incredibly lucky to add a band of this quality and national repute at such a late stage in the planning process.”

The change will lead to some additional shuffling in Friday’s schedule. The Lonesome River Band will perform from 8-9:30 p.m. Travis Elliott will follow at 9:35, then Sanctum Sully will hit the stage at roughly 10:30. The Kings of Belmont will remain the last band of the evening.

Folk Soul Revival expressed regret about the move on its Facebook page Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, FSR will be unable to participate, due to the emminent (sic) birth of Daniel’s son,” the statement read. “We encourage everyone to still attend, and we offer our sincere apologies to the fans, the promoters, and to anyone who may be affected by our cancellation. We hope you understand, and can appreciate the importance, and reasons behind our decision. Thanks.”

Festival organizers were aware of the pregnancy and thought contingency plans were in place that would have allowed FSR to participate no matter what.

“Again, we’re disappointed that Folk Soul Revival won’t be playing at Rooster Walk, because they are an awesome band,” said Buck. “However, we certainly understand Daniel’s desire to be with his wife as they await their first child.”

Originally, FSR was also scheduled to perform Saturday night at Rooster Walk. Festival organizers had not solidified Saturday’s schedule as of Wednesday afternoon.

In all, more than 20 bands will perform at Blue Mountain Festival Grounds near Martinsville, Va., this weekend. Progressive bluegrass superheros The Infamous Stringdusters will headline the festival with a Saturday night set. Other bands scheduled to perform include The Mantras, the Jesse Chong Band, Sanctum Sully and the Lizzy Ross Band.

Single-day tickets are available for Friday at $15 each and for Saturday at $35 apiece. Weekend passes can be purchased for $50, while VIP weekend passes are $125.

For more information, visit www.roosterwalk.com or email roosterwalk@gmail.com

Things to remember about Rooster Walk

A few key things to keep in mind before you hop in the car and head to Blue Mountain this weekend…

TICKETS AT THE GATE

• $35 for a Saturday-only ticket
• $15 for a Friday-only ticket
• $50 for a weekend pass
• $125 for a VIP weekend pass
• RVs: Buy your RV pass in advance HERE to ensure entry to the festival!
• Camping is $20 per vehicle. (So carpool to save money. Even if you have 10 people in one vehicle, it’s still just a $20 flat fee … NOT $20/person)

NECESSITIES

• Bring cash! We will NOT have an ATM on site, and none of our vendors can take credit cards. YOU WILL NEED CASH if you want to buy stuff (food, merch, arts, crafts).
• Prepare for primitive camping. We do not have showers or running water. Please pack accordingly.
• Bring trash bags and cups
• Bring bug spray

RULES

• No dogs
• No open containers
• No fireworks
• No glass
• No weapons

FREE SHUTTLE

• Rooster Walk, in conjunction with the Martinsville-Henry County EDC, will offer a free shuttle service on Friday and Saturday. The shuttle will transport festival goers on a continuous loop from Blue Mountain to the Dutch Inn to Martinsville High School’s parking lot.
• We will have two shuttles running continuously. Expect them to arrive at one of the three shuttle stops roughly every 40 minutes.
• IF YOU NEED A HOTEL ROOM: We’ve partnered with the Dutch Inn for a special room rate. Just tell the hotel attendants when you check in that you’re here for Rooster Walk. They will hook you up with a $60/night rate, plus they will donate $5 back to our scholarship fund for each room booked.

Video Series: The Infamous Stringdusters

For those of you who “don’t like bluegrass,” all we’re asking is 6 minutes, 49 seconds of your time. …

The Infamous Stringdusters will headline Rooster Walk 3 with a Saturday night set on the Creekside Stage. The Dusters, nominated for a 2011 Grammy, have played coast to coast and made several tours of Europe. These guys are some of the best in the business. You don’t wanna miss this band!

Video Series: Rob Cheatham & GUNCHUX!

If you saw them late night at Rooster Walk 2, you know about this up-and-coming act from Charlottesvile.

GUNCHUX! is an indie-country-rock band that features Rob Cheatham’s perfectly crafted verses and a enough sick-nasty jams to fill all of America’s hands. Forming in the fall of 2008, Gunchux has been “taking the town by storm,” according to the C-Ville Weekly. With a mixed feel between 80s Replacements moodiness and Summer Teeth-ish Wilco honesty, Rob Cheatham and GUNCHUX! appeal to the rock kid in all of us.

These boys will bring it on Saturday, May 28th, from 4:05-5:20 p.m at Rooster Walk. They’ll play on the Blue Mountain/Bassett Stage. The band is sponsored by the New College Institute. For a full schedule, click here!

Band members: Robert Cheatham (guitar), Adam Long (guitar), Chad Bassett (bass), Tucker Titus (drums).

Lizzy Ross Q&A

Rooster Walk organizer Johnny Buck recently sat down for an in-depth interview with Chapel Hill siren Lizzy Ross. The 23-year-old singer/songwriter is currently in the studio with her band working on an album that’s expected to drop in mid-June.

The Lizzy Ross Band will perform at Rooster Walk 3 in Martinsville, Va.,  from 3-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 28th. Lizzy will also take part in a songwriter’s workshop the same day beginning at 1 p.m.

A 2009 graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ross has a unique perspective on the music industry. A philosophy major with minors in music and entrepreneurship, she is conscious of the artistic requirements, as well as the business side, of her current line of work.

In this wide-ranging interview, the Anapolis, Md., native who draws favorable comparisons to  Grace Potter and Janis Joplin discusses a childhood addiction to singing, Bruce Springsteen’s penchant for railroad songs and her efforts to channel other great female vocalists without trying to imitate them.

Rooster Walk: When did you start singing?

Lizzy Ross: I was always singing. When I was little, I wouldn’t talk to people, I would sing and they would tell people that I was the little mermaid. I just sang all the time. I got in trouble in school for singing all the time without realizing I was doing it. It was just no filter between my brain and singing out loud, and finally I figured out how to control myself like everybody else does. There’s always that annoying kid in class that’s humming all the time, and you’re like, “Oh my God.” But yeah. I started to sing publicly probably high school musicals, stuff like that.

RW: When did you realize, or when did someone tell you, that you had a special voice compared to other girls your age?

LR: I don’t know. I can remember being really little, like riding the train up to New York to see my dad, and I was doing that thing that I did where I was singing without realizing it and there’s a dude a couple seats back and I was with my stepmom, and he came up to her and he told her, I was probably like 5 or 6, he said, “You need to get this girl voice lessons. I’m a casting director. I work casting Broadway plays and you need to teach her how to do this.” Which, I think, you can interpret very badly (laughs) I think, but he was saying there’s something here if you develop it. It could be something.

RW: Did you get voice lessons as a kid?

LR: No. I never did. Although I would like to because I think there’s a lot to learn. I just don’t seem to have the money or the time to do it. Mostly the money. I would love to though.

RW: You grew up in Maryland but went to college at UNC-Chapel Hill, which is still kind of your “home base.” Any particular reason you went with the Tar Heels?

LR: I had checked out a number of schools, and I had some friends down here. I have family down here, and I came down to check it out and visit. I really like it and, you know, when everything rolled around and the options came up it was clearly the most fantastic place in terms of the place itself, the people, the weather, the classes, what I wanted to study. I wanted to study philosophy and they have a really good program at UNC. And (low) tuititon man, it was a great combination. Definitely not being in debt from school has enabled being able to do something as silly as playing music. I appreciate that.

RW: You were a philosophy major then? Did you have a minor?

LR: I minored in music and entrepreneurship.

RW: Was that because you knew you wanted to do the music thing as a career?

LR: You know, I’m not really sure what it was. I think that I did the entrepreneurship program because I had a couple friends in the program, and I liked the professors. I just started taking the classes, and then I realized that I pretty much had finished the minor without realizing it. The same thing happened with music, sort of. I was about three classes away, and I realized that I only had to take (making up examples) women and opera and music theory level three, and I would be done. I think they were kind of innate interests that came together in these strangely conspicuous ways and have now congealed into my life.

RW: Your music minor, was this performance? Vocal training?

LR: I wasn’t singing. I was actually playing the guitar. A lot of it was theory and the performance elements were guitar.

It’s been incredibly heartening and inspiring to have the success that we have had. People have treated us really well and received us really well, and we have a lot fun. So we’re encouraged and looking forward to continuing to soldier on and keep putting our guts and our hearts and our souls into what we’re doing. There’s nothing quite as rewarding as actualizing something that you creatively imagined and hearing it.

RW: Why guitar and not voice?

LR: One of the hard things I’ve encountered when looking for vocal lessons was that there aren’t as many people who teach my vocal style. A lot of people teach classical or Broadway style, and that’s very much not how I sing. And so in the department I knew it was going to be really classically focused curriculum and that was the opposite of a lot of things I was doing vocally. I also just wanted to learn more about the guitar. I felt like my strengths on the guitar, compared to my vocal strengths, could use some beefing up. The other thing is vocals come really naturally, and guitar gives me an opportunity to think more about how the sounds are made and the process behind getting sound to come out of an instrument and understanding the theory behind it, because to sing something all I have to do is hear it, but to play something, there’s more examination in that. That yielded a greater knowledge for me.

RW: And you graduated from UNC in May of 2010?

LR: I actually graduated in December of 2009 because I wanted to get the heck out of there and start playing music. (Laughs)

RW: Once you graduated, was that really the first time in your life you were able to be a full-time musician. I know you were playing on the side during school, but you’ve been at it full time as a career, haven’t you, since you graduated?

LR: Yeah. I had been playing in a band, and I started my own project around October (2009). And by the time I graduated in December, we were pretty much ready to go in January. So I started hitting it pretty hard, first doing solo stuff and as the band got its legs more and more, we started to branch out and grow more and now we’re getting ready to release a full band album, which is really exciting.

RW: Talk to me a little about these past 18 months out of school, on the road. What has it been like?

LR: In some ways, it stills feels the same (as school). You have to apply the same amount of pressure to yourself to get things done. The entrepreneurial aspect is you that you’ve gotta kick your own butt a little bit to make things happen. But it’s been really fun. It’s been incredibly heartening and inspiring to have the success that we have had. People have treated us really well and received us really well, and we have a lot fun. So we’re encouraged and looking forward to continuing to soldier on and keep putting our guts and our hearts and our souls into what we’re doing. There’s nothing quite as rewarding as actualizing something that you creatively imagined and hearing it.

RW: What are some of the highlights or moments in time in this last year-and-a-half of touring, whether it’s a particular gig or particular road trip, are there any memorable events from your time with the band or playing with the band so far?

LR: That’s a great question cause it seems like one of the things with having a band is you have a group of people who really love music. If you’re lucky, it’s a group of people who are really dedicated to working together and making music together and being creative. You’re hanging out a lot and you’re working hard together a lot, so that, combined with this strange environment, where you’re hustling and trying to make things happen, yields a lot of funny, funny, sometimes fantastic, sometimes awkward, sometimes terrible kinda moments. I know Rooster Walk, which is funny because you’re actually asking me this question, we met Big Fat Gap, which they’re good friends of ours now, and we play with them a lot. They were in the same town that we were in, but we met them at Rooster Walk last year. I think I was falling asleep at midnight or something,  and I must have heard someone, but we were out camping, and I heard someone. I got up and was like, “What’s going on. What is this noise. I just want to go to bed,” and I ended up staying up until like 5 in the morning, hanging out and talking with these guys in Big Fat Gap. The whole band did, and we had so much fun.

RW: I’ve seen a lot of different attempts from people trying to describe the band’s kind of music. How would you describe the genre or style of music you guys produce?

LR: I think I’ve come to Americana as our sort of primary title which is sort of a cop out, because what is Americana really? I don’t know … Bruce Springsteen singing about railroads? But what we do to specify that is we say rock and roll, jazz and country. Those all have strong American elements in them. Our rhythmic heritage comes form New Orleans jazz. A lot of the stuff we do melodically comes from country-slash-bluegrass styles. My vocal style is soul, and you put it all together and you get rock. Therefore you’ve got Americana. We’ve got to come up with something that’s less than twenty words to describe that.

RW: Your voice has been described as being similar to Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Grace Potter, several others. Obviously you have your own distinctive voice but do you feel one of those is more accurate than any of the others, or is there one that I didn’t even mention that you feel is more…

LR: I don’t know. It’s funny. It’s hard to make these comparisons because I always feel really prideful or something comparing myself to these famous artists because they’re really great musicians. I certainly learned a lot from all of those people. There are elements of their vocal styles I like to incorporate into what I’m doing. Grace Slick has such a powerful, almost wall of sound, that she pushed forward with such great force and Janis Joplin had such a raw quality. People will say sometimes Joni Mitchell with such clear high notes, I feel like there are small parts of each of those people’s vocal styles that I learned from and try to incorporate into what I’m doing, but I don’t really know. I think it just kind of depends on the song. We have different material. If I’m singing a very quiet song, a song like “Needle and Thread,” maybe I’ll try to go more in a direction that would be of Joni Mitchell or Nora Jones. If we’re singing a really wild, loud song like “Bones,” you’re gonna get more like Janis Joplin, Grace Potter, Grace Slick. I don’t know. I just try to learn from the way that all of those ladies used their amazing voices. Patty Griffin is really a great singer too, and, I think, someone who inspired me a lot and continues to.

RW: In certain songs do you find yourself trying to kind of channel or imitate a certain vocalist?

LR: The re-creation thing is always really hard because generally, when you try to imitate or recreate something, it doesn’t sound good. It’s like a cheap imitation, so there’s got to be a way to assimilate pieces of those styles that you love into what you’re doing and incorporate it so that it feels fresh and it also touches on the timeless classic sort of motifs of music that everybody responds to. But yeah we try to do that in certain ways, but we don’t try to make carbon copies.

Editor’s Note: For more information on Lizzy and her talented band, visit www.lizzy.net. There, you’ll find free song downloads as well as a link to buy her current solo album, “Traces.”

Arts at the Rives Theatre Workshop Stage

Programs for Saturday, May 28th at Rooster Walk 3.

10-10:30 a.m. – Yoga
Join Allison Wilkie, the yoga instructor and fitness director of Chatmoss Country Club, as she leads you through a stretch of exercises that will get you ready for another awesome day of festival goodness.

11:05-11:35 a.m. – Honey Bee Where Are You?
“Honey bee, where are you?” is a serious question being asked around the world today. Honey bees are extremely important, but they are becoming extinct! Join Patrick County author Martha Scott as she reads her rhyming children’s book that explores life inside a honey bee colony. The book also gives ideas about how people of all ages can help these tiny, fuzzy insects continue their fight for survival.

Noon – 12:30 - Kids Painting with Redbeard
Jonathon Blake (seen above) has been a fixture at Rooster Walk since Day 1, painting live performance art as the bands perform. Blake’s reputation as a performance painter is well established along the East Coast, and now he’s going to share some of his tips with kids at the festival. The result of the workshop will be a group-made painting.

1:05-1:45 – Songwriters workshop
We’ve brought together two accomplished young songwriters to discuss their craft. Rob Cheatham, the face of Rob Cheatham & GUNCHUX!, is one of Charlottesville’s most well regarded songsmiths. Lizzy Ross’ work has been drawing critical acclaim since she hit the scene in Chapel Hill, N.C. roughly three years ago. You don’t want to miss this set!

1:50-2:30-  Kids’ Creek Walk
Put on your water shoes and join Robin Jensen of the Virginia Museum of Natural History as leads a guided walk along – and into – beautiful Snow Creek. Children will learn about macroinvertebrates and aquatic ecosystems as well as the importance of protecting their environment.

3:35-4:05 p.m. - Guitar workshop
Two guitar masters from different disciplines will combine forces for a very special guitar workshop. Jamal Millner brings a jazz background and classical training, while John Garris has been playing bluegrass since he was old enough to hold the guitar. Both are incredible musicians.

4:15-5 p.m. – Tie Dye
Follow our group leader step-by-step as you tie dye your own Tshirt! Buy a Rooster Walk shirt from the Merchandise Tent or bring your own. Fun for the whole family and very reasonably priced.

5-5:30 p.m. – Kids Drum Circle
Bring your budding musician for the chance to play on bongo drums of various shapes and sizes. Led by Martinsville native Jeff Sharp, kids will try their hand at keeping a beat and making some music for all to enjoy.

6 p.m. – Joe Washrag Memorial Duck Race
Once, there was a band. A band so skilled that their every song was a perfect soundtrack to the incredibly popular duck race at Rooster Walk. … Though Joe Washrag has disbanded, their spirit lives on in the form of tiny plastic birds floating down Snow Creek, with great prizes awaiting the quickest finishers.

The Official Rooster Walk 3 Band Schedule

Friday, May 27 (Gates open at noon)

4:00 – Levi’s Gene Pool - Blue Mtn/Bassett Stage

4:50 – Mainstreet Moonshine - Creekside Stage

5:50 – Poverty Level feat. Sammy Shelor - Blue Mtn/Bassett Stage

6:55 – Relacksachian - Creekside Stage

8:00 – Sanctum Sully - Blue Mtn/Bassett Stage

9:20 – Travis Elliott - Creekside Stage

10:25 – Folk Soul Revival - Blue Mtn/Bassett Stage

Late Night – The Kings of Belmont - Creekside Stage

Saturday, May 28 (Gates open at 8 a.m.)

11:00 – Pan United Youth

Movement Steel Drum Orchestra - Creekside Stage

11:35 – Martinsville Community Jazz Ensemble - Blue Mtn/Bassett Stage

12:45 – Mariana Bell - Creekside Stage

1:45 – Big Fat Gap All-Stars - Blue Mtn/Bassett Stage

2:55 – Lizzy Ross Band - Creekside Stage

4:05 – Rob Cheatham & GUNCHUX! - Blue Mtn/Bassett Stage

5:30 – Folk Soul Revival - Creekside Stage

7:00 – Jesse Chong Band - Blue Mtn/Bassett Stage

8:40 – Infamous Stringdusters - Creekside Stage

10:20 – Jamal Millner & Comrades - Blue Mtn/Bassett Stage

Late Night – The Mantras - Creekside Stage

Video Series: Kings of Belmont

This is just a taste. An excerpt. A teaser, if you will .

The Kings of Belmont always brings the hype, but this year’ll unveil the hypest of the hypeness. And that’s no hyperbole.

The KOB will perform the late-night set Friday on the Creekside Stage. With a full-on lights show and sure-to-be-fired-up crowd, it should be an epic ending to the evening. … So you better get your tickets now if you don’t already own ‘em. Otherwise, you’re just spending extra money at the gate!