Town Council Agenda for 1-6-20

PRESS RELEASE - Non-departmental budget request forms

PRESS RELEASE

          The Town of Abingdon, Virginia has mailed via U. S. Postal Service, first-class mail, the annual Non-departmental Budget Request for Contributions - Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2020-2021.  Organizations planning to request appropriations from the Town Council will need to complete the request.

          REQUESTS ARE DUE ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2020 BY 5:00 p.m.   Any request submitted via e-mail to town staff and/or received after January 31, 2020, will not be accepted. 

          If you are a non-departmental organization in the Town of Abingdon and did not receive your application, please call (276) 492-2149 immediately. 

Pedestrian Bridge Notice

NOTICE:

The pedestrian bridge across the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks, located at the intersection of Remsburg Drive and Wall Street, will be closed until further notice. The stairs to the bridge were damaged on November 24, 2019 as a result of a motor vehicle accident. The Town will be evaluating the condition of the bridge and intends to reconstruct the damaged steps as time and funding allow. Thank you for your understanding and patience with this matter.

Notice for U.S. District Court Hearing on 12-30-19:

Cancellation Notice for the December 23, 2019 Planning Commission meeting

TOWN OF ABINGDON
Abingdon, Virginia 24210

December 16, 2019

                                                            MEMORANDUM


TO:      Planning Commission Members

FROM: Jason Boswell, Director of Planning/Zoning

RE:      Regular Meeting, Monday, December 23, 2019

The regular scheduled meeting of the Planning Commission for Monday, December 23, 2019 will NOT be held due to having NO items on the agenda.

            The next scheduled meeting is Monday January 27, 2020

Work Session Agenda for 12-19-19

Holiday Notice for Waste Collection:

Wastewater Operator Ad

UVA Wise Papa Joe Smiddy Bluegrass Band Featured in Crooked Road Series

Abingdon, Virginia – The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail presents the UVA Wise Papa Joe Smiddy Bluegrass Band in concert on Thursday, December 12^th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace (formerly Heartwood) in Abingdon, VA. This concert is part of The Crooked Road Music Series.

The UVA Wise Papa Joe Smiddy Bluegrass Band, founded by Richard Galyean and directed by Chris Rose, offers students and community members the opportunity to learn about and perform traditional music of the southern Appalachian region as well as other styles and genres. The band is named for University of Virginia at Wise Chancellor Emeritus Dr. Joseph C. “Papa Joe” Smiddy, for his dedication to the college and his love of music. They have performed widely throughout the region, as well as in Europe.

The Crooked Road Music Series takes place each Thursday at the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace. Visit the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace and experience Southwest Virginia's creative and authentic culture. Located off I-81 at Exit 14 in Abingdon, VA, the Cultural Center features youth artists each 2^nd Thursday along with open jams on the 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th (and 5^th) Thursdays to showcase Southwest Virginia performers.

As part of The Crooked Road's Thursday night live music, the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace Cafe features SWVA patty melt and black bean, beef and sweet potato chili. Admission to the concert is free and donations will be accepted for Crooked Road Traditional Music Education Program (TMEP).

More information can be found at The Crooked Road website,www.thecrookedroad.org, and at SWVAculturalcenter.com. For additional information, please call (276) 492-2400, ext. 2409 or email: admin@thecrookedroad.org.

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Photo of the UVA Wise Papa Joe Smiddy Bluegrass Band (credit – Jessica Necessary) is attached.

Tree Lighting Notice

Conflict of Interest Act Training Notice:

New Charles Vess Exhibit at White Birch for limited time!

Illustrator Charles Vess' original artwork from the recently released children's picture book, Driftwood Days, (William Miniver, Eerdman Publishers, 2019) will be on display for a very limited time at White Birch Kitchen & Juice Bar, 170 E. Main St., Abingdon, VA from December 9-12 (Monday-Thursday) only. 

It will conclude on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 5-8 pm with a Live Drawing event, plus a big art sale of Driftwood's originals, books and various prints.  Charles' drawing from this special night (he will be on display in the window!) will be auctioned off by William King Museum's In-Charge-of-Fun-Director, Callie Hietala.  A percentage of all proceeds will benefit the Wolf Hills Community School.

Everyone is welcome to join in for some food, drink, art and fun!  Jingle, jingle...

The Gallery @ Barr Photographics LLC is excited to announce the holiday installment of the Corner Gallery’s 2019 exhibition series

The Gallery @ Barr Photographics LLC is excited to announce the holiday installment of the Corner Gallery’s 2019 exhibition series with a collection of giclee on canvas photographic works entitled “Different Perspective” by gallery proprietor and photographer R. Dean Barr.

In his artist statement Dean reveals, “This collection of photos contains images captured from a different perspective. The perspective of an image can be influenced by emotions, physical angles or subject matter. This collection presents subject matter that could be considered mundane, in some aspects, but altered, abnormal perspective allows for a new way of seeing subject matter.”

The Gallery @ Barr Photographics was established in 1986 as a photography studio. In 2001 the photo studio segued into a fine art gallery, containing a custom framing gallery and upscale gift gallery in addition to the photo studio. The gallery operates as a true fine art exhibition gallery hosting six feature arts per year and is the only independently funded gallery in Abingdon. Since inception in 2001, the “Corner Gallery” has hosted more than 100 feature artists, with 30 of these being emerging artists producing their debut exhibit. As gallery proprietor, Dean reveals. “It is part of my mission statement to provide space for emerging artists to have work exhibited in an established venue, providing opportunity for the artist to have work seen and purchased by collectors”.  The framing gallery offers museum quality, archival framing, designed by two designers with combined experience of seventy years. The gift gallery features upscale handcrafted items and represents twenty five, local, regional and national artisans.

Dean further reveals his core artist statement as a photographer, “I capture a moment in time…..an image - never was before, never will be again. A semblance, yes; the exact image never. A floating leaf, the look on a squirrel’s face; sensual ways sun light filters through trees; babble of a brook –sound captured as visual image which reawakens auditory memory; faces long generations lost, seen in smiles, eyes and noses today; sorrow; joy; indifference….. actual windows in time, captured in an instant, preserved for eternity. This is what I do, this is who I am…historian, commentator, observer, photographer.”

 “Different Perspective” will be celebrated with a gala reception and art talk by R. Dean Barr, to which the public is cordially invited on Friday, 13 December 2019 from 7 - 9:00 PM at The Gallery @ Barr Photographics, 152 E. Main Street, Abingdon, Virginia. “Different Perspective” will hang, and be offered for sale, through 31, January 2020.   The Gallery @ Barr Photographics LLC is housed in the Greenway Trigg Building, located in the heart of Abingdon’s main street historic district.  Please call 276- 628-1486 or visit https://barrphotographics.com/CornerGalleryFeatureArtist.aspx?cms=9386  for further information. 

December 10, 2019 BZA Cancellation Notice

TOWN OF ABINGDON
Abingdon, Virginia 24210

December 3, 2019

                                                            MEMORANDUM


TO:      Board of Zoning Appeals Members

FROM: Jason Boswell, Director of Planning/Zoning

RE:      Regular Meeting, Tuesday, December 10, 2019

The regular scheduled meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals for Tuesday, December 10, 2019 will NOT be held due to having NO items on the agenda.

            The next scheduled meeting is Tuesday January 14, 2020.

Kiwanis Christmas Parade Notice:

Facilities Maintenance Manager

Amended Agenda for December 2, 2019

HPRB Agenda for the December 4, 2019 meeting

The Crooked Road On Tour Featured at George Mason University

 Abingdon, Virginia – The Crooked Road On Tour will be featured in performance at George Mason University’s Hylton Performing Arts Center on Saturday, November 23^rd at 8:00 p.m. This concert, highlighting the music and dance of the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters and Martha Spencer, is part of the Hylton Performing Arts Center’s American Roots series.

The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail performances celebrate the traditional music that has been kept by families and communities of Southwest Virginia since colonial times. Settlers of this mountainous region since the 1700’s have brought various ingredients – a cappella gospel music from German tradition that lives in the Old Regular Baptist churches today; spirituals, emotive singing and a musical gourd we now call a banjo from African tradition; and ballads and fiddles brought by the Scots-Irish and English. Mixed together, these ingredients have produced one of the richest musical traditions on earth.

The New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters are an old time band from the Galax, Virginia area that plays Appalachian mountain music for square dances, as well as concerts and festivals. The New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters took their name in part from the original Bogtrotters of the 1930's and also because band leader Dennis Hall lives on Ballards Branch. Dennis' home is very close to the home of Uncle Eck Dunford, who played fiddle in the original band. The New Ballard's Branch Bogtrotters continue to play in the traditional Appalachian string-band style, often playing for square dances around the region.

Martha Spencer is a singer-songwriter, mountain musician and dancer from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She grew up in the musical Spencer family and learned to play several instruments (guitar, fiddle, banjo, bass, dulcimer, mandolin) and flatfoot/clog at a young age. She performs and has recorded with various groups and has been involved with several roots music projects. Martha has played shows and festivals and led workshops across the US, Australia, UK, and Europe.

The Crooked Road On Tour performance at George Mason University is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information about The Crooked Road, please visit www.thecrookedroad.org, call (276) 492-2400 ext. 2409, or email: info@thecrookedroad.org.

- END-

Photos of New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters (photo – Joe Dejarnette) and Martha Spencer (photo – Barbara Potter) are attached.

2019 Abingdon Holiday Merchant Open House

2019 Abingdon Holiday Merchant Open House
Sunday, November 24, 2019
1:00 - 5:00 pm
Merchants all over Abingdon will be open.
Many offering sales, discounts, tastings, and more.
Santa will be at various locations.

Visit the Facebook event for more info: https://www.facebook.com/events/2456122721327603/

Planning Commission Meeting Cancellation November 23, 2019

TOWN OF ABINGDON
Abingdon, Virginia 24210

November 18, 2019

                                                            MEMORANDUM


TO:      Planning Commission Members

FROM: Jason Boswell, Director of Planning/Zoning

RE:      Regular Meeting, Monday, November 25, 2019

The regular scheduled meeting of the Planning Commission for Monday, November 25, 2019 will NOT be held due to having NO items on the agenda.

            The next scheduled meeting is Monday December 23, 2019.

AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS TO HOST JUICE TASTING FOR CHARITY EVENT

AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS TO HOST JUICE TASTING FOR CHARITY EVENT

Actress and Global Humanitarian Saye Yabandeh will be joining White Birch Juices to raise funds for charity while launching new exclusive flavor, Miss Sayé’s Lawn Mower. 

Abingdon, V.a., Nov. 18, 2019 -- Award-winning actress and global humanitarian, Saye Yabandeh, will make a celebrity guest-appearance at White Birch Juice on Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at 6 p.m. The official juice recipe created by Yabandeh, Miss Sayé’s Lawn Mower, will be the main flavor featured for the evening event. 

This free event will feature samplings and the opportunity to purchase juices of different flavors, with each one being linked to a unique charity organization or cause. Miss Sayé’s Lawn Mower Juice proceeds will go directly to Saye.org’s recent initiative with the Josephine House Orphanage in Peru. 

Saye Yabandeh is the Global Ambassador to the Global Citizen Foundation and the founder of Saye.org. Beyond her Hollywood career, Yabandeh has been fully committed to the betterment of underprivileged communities across the world. Her work has brought solar panels and sustainability education to villages and orphanages in different countries. 

“Health and wellness are so important,” Yabandeh said. “I’ve been a fan of Nicole and White Birch Juices since I’ve come to Abingdon. They align with my goals to make our community a healthier place and being able to bring global awareness to different charities will make the Abingdon community a leader in global change.” 

Saye.org mission is to provide global humanitarian aid to children and their mothers by improving living situations through assisting in the provision of food, clothing, public health education, and living conditions, with a goal of empowering by contributing to sustainable community development and protecting our environmental health. Empowering our future generation by:  WWW.LEOENTERTAINMENT.COM              WWW.SAYE.ORG

Infrastructure Advisory Committee Meeting on 1-8-20

EDA Meeting Notice for 12-12-19

Guitar Summit 2019 Performers & Presenters Announced

Guitar Summit 2019 Performers & Presenters Announced

Marion, VA – The Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts & The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail have partnered with American Evolution™ to celebrate the role of the guitar in Virginia's history by hosting Guitar Summit 2019.

Join us for two days of performances, lecture demonstrations and presentations all revolving around the guitar and its contribution to Virginia history and culture. The Guitar Summit 2019 at The Henderson will be held on Saturday, November 23rd from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Sunday, November 24th from 12:00-3:00 pm, at the Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts located at 203 North Church Street in Marion, Virginia.

The original Guitar Summit took place in 2017 and it was organized as a premier for The Crooked Road’s 2-disc CD, A Century of Heritage Guitar Music. The Guitar Summit was met with such enthusiastic response that a second event in partnership with The American Evolution’s celebration of Virginia’s heritage has been organized. The Guitar Summit 2019 celebrates the guitar in Virginia by inviting many of these musicians to come to Marion, Virginia and perform, tell stories, and celebrate Virginia's rich history together with other musicians and guitar enthusiasts.

Lecture Presentations will be offered by Rene Rodgers, Birthplace of Country Music Museum, The Role the Guitar Played in the 1927 Session and Beyond; Ted Olson, ETSU Appalachian Studies Department, The History of the Guitar in Southwest Virginia; and David Winship, traditional music historian and educator, Guitars, Old Fords, and Hillbilly Music.

Lecture Demonstrations will be presented by Tori Bartfai, Juan John De Hoyos, and Mac Traynham (Guitar Styles); Nick Weitzenfeld, Scott Fore and Jack Hinshelwood (Contest Guitar Playing); Erynn Marshall, Carl Jones, Olen Gardner, and Willard Gayheart (Backing up Fiddle Tunes); and Jayne Henderson (Inlay).

Performances by many of the guitarists featured on The Crooked Road’s CD, A Century of Heritage Guitar Music, will be held throughout the event. Attendees will be entertained with vocals, instrumentals, fingerpicking, and flatpicking performances by guitarists Claiborne Woodall, Brandon Davis, Casey Lewis, Steve Kilby, Doug and Taylor Rorrer, Junior Blankenship, Scott Freeman, Denny Alley and Blake Collins.

Information, the complete schedule, and a link to purchase your tickets for Guitar Summit 2019 can be found here: www.thehenderson.org/the-guitar-summit. Tickets are available for adults, children and family (2 adults/children) through Eventbrite. A separate Sunday Brunch with Wayne (Henderson) ticket is also available if you purchase in advance. For more information about this event, call The Henderson, (276) 706-4011.

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Wayne Henderson photo  (credit –Two-Rivers Multimedia Solutions) and Guitar Summit flyer are attached.

Traffic Alert: Be alert to periodic lane closures in Abingdon Monday on Route 11 at I-81 exit 19

2020 Jan - June Meeting Notice:

Historic District Survey Update- RFP

Real Estate Tax Notice 2019

Personal Property Tax Notice 2019

January Jams returns to Abingdon’s Barter Theatre for an eighth year of world-class concerts

January Jams returns to Abingdon’s Barter Theatre for an eighth year of world-class concerts

Abingdon, VA – Abingdon Music Experience and presenting sponsor Blue Ridge Beverage are pleased to announce the 2020 lineup for January Jams at Barter Theatre.  Six performers will take the stage at the intimate Barter Theatre, performing Fridays and Saturdays, January 10-25, 2020.  Over the past six years, January Jams has showcased the best of bluegrass, Americana, soul, country and blues, bringing music legends and rising stars to downtown Abingdon, VA.

The series is funded by the Town of Abingdon, in partnership with the region’s leading businesses: Blue Ridge Beverage (Presenting Sponsor), Eastman Credit Union, First Community Bank, Food City, Bank of Marion, Express AV and JJ's Restaurant and Sports Bar, as well as media sponsor, Birthplace of Country Music’s Radio Bristol.

The series has made Abingdon a music destination, drawing visitors from across the southeast and beyond. One particular draw is the chance to see these performers at Barter Theatre, an intimate, 500-seat venue with a unique history rooted in the Great Depression.  A full-service concessions stand is available for adults 21 and up.

New in 2020: Lodging & dining packages available with Comfort Suites Abingdon, the official hotel partner of Abingdon Music Experience, and discounted student tickets are available with a valid student ID; prices will vary by show. 

All concerts are at 8:00pm, and doors open at 7:15pm.

For a full listing of musical acts and dates, visit www.abingdonmusicexperience.com. For tickets, call Barter Theatre at (276) 628-3991 or visit www.bartertheatre.com.

--continued--

January Jams 2020 Lineup

Del McCoury with The Travelin’ McCourys

January 10, 2020

For Fans of: Bill Monroe, Sam Bush, Grateful Dead, Del McCoury!

Genre: Bluegrass

Even among the pantheon of music’s finest artists, Del McCoury stands alone. From the nascent sound of bluegrass that charmed hardscrabble hillbilly honkytonks, rural schoolhouse stages, and the crowning glory of the Grand Ole Opry to the present-day culture-buzz of viral videos and digital streams, Del is the living link. On primetime and late-night television talk shows, there is Del. From headlining sold-out concerts to music festivals of all genres, including one carrying his namesake, there is Del. Where audiences number in the tens of thousands, and admirers as diverse as country-rock icon Steve Earle and jamband royalty Phish count as two among hundreds, there is Del. The Travelin’ McCourys join Del for a double headliner of pure bluegrass royalty!

Sierra Hull

January 11, 2020

For Fans of: Alison Krauss, Balsam Range, Ricky Skaggs, Infamous Stringdusters

Genre: Bluegrass/Country Folk

Sierra Hull has been recognized from age 11 as a virtuoso mandolin-player, astonishing audiences and fellow-musicians alike. Now a seasoned touring musician nearing her mid-20s, Hull has delivered her most inspired, accomplished, and mature recorded work to date; no small feat. Weighted Mind is a landmark achievement, not just in Sierra Hull's career, but in the world of folk-pop, bluegrass, and acoustic music overall. With instrumentation comprised largely of mandolin, bass, and vocals, this is genre-transcending music at its best, with production by Béla Fleck and special harmony vocal guests Alison Krauss, Abigail Washburn, and Rhiannon Giddens adding to the luster. Hull speaks eloquently, in her challenging and sensitive originals, her heartfelt vocals, and once again breaks new ground on the mandolin. Béla Fleck special guests on banjo on two tracks and duo partner, Ethan Jodziewicz, not only anchors the record on bass, but introduces us to a major new instrumental voice.

The Collection

January 17, 2020

For fans of: Death Cab For Cutie, Drew Holcomb, Penny & Sparrow, Oh Hellos

Genre: Indie Folk, Alternative

“If you love an uplifting band, The Collection is for you”-Bob Boilen, NPR Music

Over the four years since the release of their chamber pop, 25-piece ensemble debut, ‘Ars Moriendi,’ the band shed enough weight to become an efficient touring band, garnered praise from NPR and American Songwriter, toured nationally with The Oh Hellos and Lowland Hum, and performed dynamic sets as an official “Top 100 Artists On The Verge” at CMJ and New Music Seminar.

The trimming-of-the-excess was soon mirrored in vocalist David Wimbish’s spirituality, resulting in the band’s 2017 follow-up, ‘Listen To The River,’ The Collection’s first member-arranged group of songs. Inspired by Herman Hesse’s ‘Siddhartha,’ and the poetry of Rumi, the album took a step off of the fence walked between faith and doubt on Ars Moriendi, landing distinctly on the side of doubt. The constitutive single, Sing Of The Moon, received over 3 million streams between Youtube and Spotify, the release tour brought hundreds of people to venues across the country, and The Collection was featured at Wild Goose Festival, and Switchpoint Conference alongside PRI’s Marco Werman.

Even Entropy’s debut single Beautiful Life, which PopMatters called, “symphonic, poetic wonderment,” seems to be about finding order by watching the natural world. The result was the most focused, honest, and intimate batch of songs the 27 year old songwriter had written, lyrically and musically. As the writing progressed, and the band had to stare it’s impending death in the eyes, a solid and enduring core emerged. Members Hayden Cooke (Bass), Joshua Ling (Harmonium/Guitar/Vocals), and Graham Dickey (Horns/Bells) lent their performances to David Wimbish’s (Vocals/Guitar/Keys/Strings) fleshed out songs, birthing The Collection’s 3rd full-length record from the ashes of the unfinished solo project. With the addition of husband-and-wife Joshua Linhart (Drums) and Sarah McCoy (Keys/Synth/Vocals), the band finally found its firm footing.

And that is where the story of Entropy is revealed: Though meant to document David’s life’s gradual decline into, and subsequent recovery from, disorder, the album became a living testimony to The Collection’s own experience of entropy. Now, with the wisdom of hindsight, the band is back and focused, with a passion for sharing what they’ve learned: that on the other side of disorder lies a new sense of beauty.”

Penny & Sparrow

January 18, 2020

For Fans of: Johnnyswim, Drew & Ellie Holcomb, Josh Garrels, Milk Carton Kids

Genre: Indie Folk

“Almost everything changed for us in these last two years,” says Andy Baxter, one half of the acclaimed duo Penny & Sparrow. “It was a painful experience in a lot of ways, but it was also a joyful one.”

Joy and pain walk hand in hand on ‘Finch,’ Penny & Sparrow’s magnificent sixth album. Written during their first major break from the road in years, the record finds the band reckoning with a prolonged period of intense personal transformation, a profound awakening that altered their perceptions of masculinity, sex, religion, divorce, friendship, vanity, purpose, and, perhaps most importantly, self. Deeply vulnerable and boldly cinematic, the resulting songs blur the lines between indie-folk and alt-pop, with dense string arrangements and atmospheric production underpinning soaring melodies and airtight harmonies from Baxter and his longtime musical partner, Kyle Jahnke.

Texas natives, Baxter and Jahnke first crossed paths at UT Austin, where they developed both a fast friendship and a deeply symbiotic musical connection. Jahnke was a gifted guitarist with an ear for melody, Baxter an erudite lyricist with a mesmerizing voice and crystalline falsetto, and the duo quickly found that their vocals blended together as if they’d been singing in harmony their whole lives. Beginning with 2013’s ‘Tenboom,’ the staunchly DIY pair released a series of critically lauded records that garnered comparisons to the hushed intimacy of Iron & Wine and the adventurous beauty of James Blake, building up a devoted fanbase along the way through relentless touring and word-of-mouth buzz. NPR praised the band’s songwriting as a “delicate dance between heartache and resolve,” while The World Café raved that they’ve “steadily built a sound as attentive to detail as Simon & Garfunkel and as open to the present day as Bon Iver,” and Rolling Stone hailed their catalog as “folk music for Sunday mornings, quiet evenings, and all the fragile moments in between.” In addition to the mountain of glowing reviews, the band also earned high profile fans—including The Civil Wars’ John Paul White, who produced 2015’s ‘Let A Lover Drown You’—and extensive tour dates with everyone from Josh Ritter and Johnnyswim to Drew Holcomb and Delta Rae.

Charley Crockett

January 24, 2020

For Fans Of: Colter Wall, Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, Paul Cauthen

Genre: Country, Honky Tonk, Blues

Charley Crockett’s been running nearly his entire life, but with the title track to his sixth album, the Texas songwriter looks back at where he came from. “The Valley” chronicles his hard upbringing on the south Texas border in San Benito and his single mom’s move to Dallas, but it also distills the essence of Crockett’s fierce and restless independence.

Recorded just a week before the songwriter went under the knife for life-saving open-heart surgery in January, the album stirs with an introspection and urgency to tell his story. It’s a story of an artist searching for his place in the world, absorbing the sounds of the country as he attempts to make sense of the struggles of America and life on the road. It’s a story of exile and promise, as Crockett now runs those same highways playing for thousands of fans.

With a pawn shop guitar that his mom bought for him when he was 17, Crockett taught himself to play. Summers in New Orleans with his uncle sparked his ear, while the Dallas blues and Valley’s Tex-Mex slipped into his bloodstream.

Across six albums in the past five years, the Texan has defined his own distinct roots style. Even on his platters of deep-cut blues and country covers like Lil’ G.L.’s Honky Tonk Jubilee (2017) and Lil G.L.’s Blue Bonanza (2018), Crockett pushes a suave and soulful classic Americana that melds genres and is as restless as the artist himself.

His delivery hinges with New Orleans clip, and voice slides with slight lisp that melts around his phrasing like oil skirting the surface of a pond. His ear tunes an amalgam of East Texas blues, border Tex-Mex, classic honky tonk, and Louisiana soul, swerving effortlessly between weeping George Jones-worthy country ballads and hot smoked Lazy Lester-swaddled blues. And Crockett’s own songwriting, showcased on 2016’s In the Night and 2018 breakout Lonesome as a Shadow, cuts with an equally timeless quality.

No surprise then that Crockett has found a home base in Austin, with a deep history and appreciation for stylistic dexterity and transformational takes on traditional sounds. Like Doug Sahm’s cosmic roots blender or Gary Clark Jr’s blues shredder, or even Willie Nelson’s signature jazz country phrasing, Crockett effortlessly spins his influences into his own unique mix, let loose live with shimmying stage charisma worthy of Elvis or Jerry Lee Lewis.

Independence remains essential to Crockett. Although courted by major labels and big name producers, Crockett is determined to continue forging his own path. Along the way, he’s begun to garner critical praise from national outlets like Rolling Stone, Billboard, and NPR, and made his mark at major festivals ranging from Stagecoach and Pickathon to ACL and Newport Folk. This winter, Blue Bonanza hit #10 on Billboard Blues Chart and the Americana radio album chart.

Lilly Hiatt

January 25, 2020

For Fans Of: Jason Isbell, John Moreland, Drive By Truckers

Genre: Country, Folk, Americana

John Hiatt’s daughter debuts the Barter Stage with a new album set to launch in January 2020. Fans can be the first to hear it. Lilly Hiatt’s last record was Trinity Land, in 2017. The 12-song set was produced by Michael Trent of Shovels & Rope and engineered by Andy Dixon at Trent’s Studio Bees in Johns Island, SC. It is the follow up to her acclaimed sophomore album Royal Blue, which Paste Magazine described as “a glorious tumble of influences – surf rock, Smiths vibes, Laurel Canyon twang and jangle, Sonic Youth flatline, Britpop flourishes, Seattle grunge and Joy Division meets Human League synthery.” In addition to her backing band, Trent is featured as a musician throughout, and is joined by his wife and Shovels & Rope partner Cary Ann Hearst for backing vocals on “Everything I Had.” Lilly’s love of the ‘90s alt-rock she was raised on continues to shine through on Trinity Lane in the distressed guitars and urgent backbeats. She cites the Pixies, Breeders, Dinosaur Jr., and her favorite, Pearl Jam as influences, but there is also something distinctly Americana lurking in the songs. Rolling Stone Country premiered the Michael Carter-directed video for the album’s title track HERE, stating, “The daughter of John Hiatt, she keeps the family tradition alive, mixing Southern influences – Americana, folk and left-of-center country – with a raw approach that’s better suited to the garage than the saloon. The album’s title track is no exception…the song finds Hiatt making peace with her old demons, while guitars crash and pianos chime in the background.” They continued, “‘Trinity Lane’ is an empowerment anthem stocked with details from Hiatt’s everyday life, from the name of her street to the smell of her neighbor’s cooking.”

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Holiday Trash Notice

Ad for board member - TAC

Town Manager Report for November 8, 2019

New River JAM Band Featured in Crooked Road Series

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New River JAM Band Featured in Crooked Road Series

Abingdon, Virginia – The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail presents the New River JAM Band in concert on Thursday, November 14^th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace (formerly Heartwood) in Abingdon, VA. This concert is part of The Crooked Road Music Series.

The New River JAM Band is the regional performing group representing Junior Appalachian Musicians. The band was formed in 2018 by Brett Morris, Director of the parent JAM organization, as a means of gathering advanced students to allow them to learn more, and educate others, about the traditional music of the New River Valley region. Current members include Sophia Puckett – Galax JAM (mandolin, banjo, vocals), Gavin Woodruff – Alleghany JAM (upright bass), Karlee Hamm – Ashe JAM (guitar, vocals), Cheyenne Grantham – Franklin County JAM (fiddle), Nicholas Wingo – Wythe County JAM (banjo), Colin Sprinkle – Henderson JAM (6-string banjo), and Ashlyn Montgomery – Henderson JAM (guitar).

The Crooked Road Music Series takes place each Thursday at the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace. Visit the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace and experience Southwest Virginia's creative and authentic culture. Located off I-81 at Exit 14 in Abingdon, VA, the Cultural Center features youth artists each 2^nd Thursday along with open jams on the 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th (and 5^th) Thursdays to showcase Southwest Virginia performers.

As part of The Crooked Road's Thursday night live music, the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace Cafe features SWVA soup beans, cornbread or patty melt. Admission to the concert is free and donations will be accepted for Crooked Road Traditional Music Education Program (TMEP).

More information can be found at The Crooked Road website,www.thecrookedroad.org, and at SWVAculturalcenter.com. For additional information, please call (276) 492-2400, ext. 2409 or email: admin@thecrookedroad.org.

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Photo of the New River JAM Band (credit – Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc.) is attached.