The Blue Ridge Music Center announced four artists appearing as part of the annual Deep Roots, Many Voices summer concert series hosted on Saturdays in the outdoor amphitheater. The venue will welcome back two longtime fan favorites, Amythyst Kiah and the Steep Canyon Rangers, and showcase two groups appearing on the Music Center stage for the first time and representing American roots music traditions from other areas of the country, Melissa Carper who was influenced by Texas and western swing traditions, and the influential rhythm and soul brass band of New Orleans legend, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
Music Center favorite Amythyst Kiah will kick off the season at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 24. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children 12 and younger.
With a style that cuts across genres, the Tennessee native brings an unforgettable voice and unique sound to her music. Her songwriting explores the vast expanse of her inner world: her deep-rooted affinity for Eastern philosophies and spiritual traditions, a near-mystical connection with the natural world, the life lessons learned in her formative years as a self-described “anime-nerd mall goth.”
With her new release Still + Bright, Kiah pushes into new emotional and musical terrain while exploring the struggle and joy of true self-discovery. “With all of my music, I’d love to leave people with the feeling that it’s okay to go off the beaten path and to structure your life in a way that feels right to you,” Kiah says. “I always hope that my music will be a part of the healing process for anyone who might need it.”
Kiah appeared (along with Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell) on the album Songs of Our Native Daughters. She earned a 2020 Grammy nomination for Best American Roots Song for “Black Myself,” which was featured on the album.
Melissa Carper will make her debut on the Music Center stage at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 31. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children 12 and younger.
Born into a music-loving family, Carper was immersed in the music of Hank Williams Sr., Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and other greats. Learning to play upright bass in her Nebraska school, she also performed and sang with her family’s country band. Listening to Jimmie Rodgers recordings had a defining impact on her music. “He combined country and blues and jazz,” Carper recalls. “All of those elements, and the rawness of those recordings…I can’t quite put a finger on it, but I was obsessed.”
Carper’s most recent release, Borned In Ya (2024), takes its name from a quote by the late Ralph Stanley. The record showcases her long-standing influences including the pre-World War II jazz and swing featured on her debut album Daddy’s Country Gold (2021) and the R&B and soul that was the backbone of Ramblin’ Soul (2022).
Carper, along with fellow singer-songwriters Kelly Willis and Brennen Leigh, released a six song EP Wonder Women of Country which was one of the Boston Globe critics’ choice for favorite record of 2024.
American Songwriter calls Carper “The contemporary queen of Western Swing.”
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band play the Music Center for the first time at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 7. Tickets are $35 for adults and $10 for children 12 and younger.
Celebrating more than 45 years since the group’s founding, the New Orleans-based group has taken the traditional foundation of brass band music and incorporated it into a blend of genres including bebop jazz, funk R&B, and soul. This unique sound, described by the band as a “musical gumbo,” has allowed The Dirty Dozen to tour five continents and more than 30 countries, record 12 studio albums, and collaborate with artists ranging from Modest Mouse to Widespread Panic to Norah Jones.
“Its sway on the brass band scene has been staggering, spawning bands like the ReBirth, New Birth, Hot 8, Li’l Rascals, Soul Rebels and just about every other young brass ensemble presently performing,” according to Offbeat Magazine. In 2023, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band won a Grammy Award for Best American Roots Music Performance for Stompin’ Ground (with Aaron Neville).
Tickets for these concerts are available at BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org. Multi-concert passes are also available including Full Season (all 14 concerts), Half Season (seven concerts), and Pick 3 (three concerts) passes.
The Music Center is located at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just south of Galax and 30 minutes from Sparta and Mount Airy, N.C.
