The Blacksburg Museum & Cultural Foundation will host its 4th Annual Blues, Brews, & BBQ event Saturday, October 14, at the restored St. Luke & Odd Fellows Hall.
The Hall – now a nationally recognized historic landmark – once served as the social center of New Town, a neighborhood for African-American residents during segregation. It now houses a museum of African-American history and culture, and serves as an important reminder of the resilience, pride, self-reliance, and community spirit of the people who lived in New Town, as well as the legacy of injustice that segregation imposed. The Blues, Brews, and BBQ event recalls some of the happier times in New Town, when friends and neighbors would gather for dancing, community, and fellowship.
This year’s event will feature eight bands on two stages – including Grammy Award Winning Artist Dom Flemons, a founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops (see below for additional info). Beer, wine, & BBQ will be available for purchase, including selections from Deschutes Brewery and Beliveau Estate Winery.
Admission is free, though a $5 donation is suggested. No outside food, drink, or pets allowed. Seating is limited, so you may wish to bring chairs.
Tentative Schedule (also available at blacksburgmuseum.org)
12-12:45 p.m. : Hott Sauce with JoJo Stockton
12:45-1:30 p.m.: Neal Wyms
1:30-2:15 p.m.: Woogemen
2:15-3:00 p.m.:Emily & the Hepcats
3-3:45 p.m., Blues Monday Band
3:45-4:30 p.m.:Smokestack Lightnin’ Blues Band
4:30-5:15 p.m.:Bill Hoffman Quintet
5:15-6:00 p.m.: Dom Flemons
Event Sponsors: Beliveau Estate Winery, Blue Ridge Beverage Company, Inc., Downtown Blacksburg, Inc., Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech, North End Merchants, Virginia Tech Foundation
Background Information on Dom Flemons (from www.theamericansongster.com)
Dom Flemons is a Grammy Award winning musician, singer-songwriter, and slam poet. Carrying on the songster tradition, Flemons strives to mix traditional music forms with a contemporary approach, to create new sounds that will appeal to wider audiences. In his recent solo album Prospect Hill (2014), Flemons drew from a wide range of styles, including ragtime, Piedmont blues, spirituals, southern traditional music, string band music, fife and drum music, and jug-band music.
He began his career as a performer in the Arizona music scene, where he produced 25 albums for singer-songwriters and slam poets in Phoenix. In 2005, Flemons co-found the Carolina Chocolate Drops, an African-American string band that won a Grammy for its 2010 album “Genuine Negro Jig.” Today, he tours throughout the United States and internationally as “The American Songster. In February 2016, Dom performed at Carnegie Hall for a Tribute to LeadBelly. In September 2016, he performed at the opening ceremonies for the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. Dom has been touring internationally and has released his latest album called “Ever Popular Favourites” with British Guitar player, Martin Simpson.
The album was released on Fledg’ling recordings in October 2016. Dom’s newest album to be released through Smithsonian Folkways will be celebrating the stories and songs of the black cowboys. Dom has released two instructional DVDs through Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop. Dom has a new podcast called American Songster Radio and it is in conjunction with WUNC North Carolina Public Radio.
