The virtual music festival, taking place Oct. 2-3 and accessible for free via the Swapcard
event app, features some of the biggest names in bluegrass, as well as unique collaborations and local, regional, and national acts who continue to help bluegrass grow and thrive
Additional artists and complete schedule to be announced in the coming weeks,
as well as a special kickoff performance
Capitol Broadcasting Company/WRAL/That Station properties to offer extensive digital, promotional and broadcast support, providing and covering content
and viewing opportunities
For the eighth year, PNC Bank returns as the presenting sponsor of IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC
NASHVILLE – The International Bluegrass Music Association has announced the lineup for the virtual music festival IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC, taking place Oct. 2-3 as part of this year’s IBMA Virtual World of Bluegrass event.
Special performances by The Travelin’ McCourys with special guest Del McCoury; Steep Canyon Rangers; Jerry Douglas & Odessa Settles; Sierra Hull & Molly Tuttle are just some of the highlights that bluegrass fans can look forward to.
The festival will also feature sets from (in alphabetical order): AJ Lee & Blue Summit; Bowregard; Carolina Blue; Chatham County Line; Chatham Rabbits; Danny Barnes; Dewey & Leslie Brown and The Carolina Gentlemen; Dom Flemons; Earl White String Band; Giri & Uma Peters; Hank, Pattie & The Current; Hard Road Trio with Bill Evans; Kruger Brothers; Lindsay Lou, Phoebe Hunt & Mimi Naja sing the songs of Bluegrass Women; Mountains of Infamous Leftovers (featuring Adam Aijala & Ben Kaufmann of Yonder Mountain, Andy Hall of The Infamous Stringdusters, and Andy Thorn of Leftover Salmon); Sister Sadie; Stephen Mougin & Friends featuring Sam Bush, Becky Buller, Alan Bartram, Ned Luberecki, and Jana Mougin; Tatiana & Alex Hargreaves; Tommy Edwards with Andrew Marlin; Tray Wellington Band; Twisted Pine; and more.
A complete schedule of performance times for the two-day music festival will be announced via social media in the coming weeks, and will be posted online at worldofbluegrass.org.
Festival performances, as well as the virtual exhibit hall and other special features, can be accessed for free via Swapcard, the official platform for IBMA World of Bluegrass. To access the content at Swapcard, viewers should first register for a free IBMA World of Bluegrass Music Pass at worldofbluegrass.org. Swapcard also offers viewers an opportunity to make a donation in the amount of their choosing to help support the IBMA organization and its work during these challenging times.
Music content also will be available for free across multiple IBMA channels and partner channels, including exclusive local media partner Capitol Broadcasting Company/WRAL Properties/That Station (as outlined in more detail below).
Beloved Raleigh landmarks, including Raleigh Union Station, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, the Raleigh Convention Center, and the rooftop of The Dillon will be prominently featured during some performances by North Carolina bands.
“It’s been inspiring to see this come together,” said David Brower, Executive Director of PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, the Raleigh-based non-profit organization that produces the festival. “Of course, we’ll be missing the bluegrass world here in Raleigh ― that’s why so many of the performances were filmed right here, with North Carolina-based performers. We are doing our darndest to give you a glimpse of the city and the music we love.”
PNC Bank returns as the presenting sponsor of IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC.
“The organizers of IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC are working diligently to recreate the spirit of what makes this music festival so special to the Raleigh community and bluegrass music fans everywhere,” said Jim Hansen, PNC regional president for Eastern Carolinas. “While we cannot gather in downtown Raleigh this year, performances by the remarkable lineup of talent announced today will be more accessible than ever.”
Capitol Broadcasting Company properties WRAL-TV, WRAL.com + streaming apps and digital radio “That Station” are supporting IBMA Bluegrass Live! through extensive digital, promotional and broadcast support. Many Bluegrass Live! performances will be streamed on WRAL.com and their Roku, FireTV and Apple TV apps. There will also be a special section on WRAL.com for bluegrass content and select performances. WRAL and That Station will cover and showcase viewing opportunities to viewers and listeners within newscasts and special programming.
“In a year where so much is uncertain, we are proud to partner once again with the IBMA, PineCone and the City of Raleigh as the exclusive media partner for the virtual IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC event and help bring our community together through music. WRAL News will offer extensive coverage of the virtual event, digital streaming radio ‘That Station’ will air performances and a variety of listening and viewing options will be made available on WRAL.com and our streaming apps. More than ever before the ability to leverage our media platforms to help bring Bluegrass to our viewers and listeners is an important community service,” said Joel Davis, WRAL-TV/FOX 50 Vice President and General Manager.
“I’ve seen footage of the performances that have already been filmed, and music fans are going to be blown away!” said Paul Schiminger, Executive Director of IBMA. “We knew it was important – in a year where so much is out of our control – to give you artists and performances that could deliver something special. That’s exactly what’s happening. We’re so proud of this year’s festival, pulled together by a whole community pitching in to make it happen. We cannot wait to share this with you!”
IBMA continues to develop innovative, compelling activities and content for this year’s event, and will be releasing additional information and updates in upcoming weeks. As additional details about IBMA World of Bluegrass 2020 virtual events are solidified, they will be shared across the organization’s social media platforms, through email notification, and on worldofbluegrass.org and ibma.org. Updates also will be available via social media platforms and email newsletters of Raleigh partners, including PineCone, the Raleigh Convention Center, and Visit Raleigh.