East Nash Grass and The Amanda Cook Band open summer concert series

East Nash Grass kicks off the Blue Ridge Music Center’s Deep Roots, Many Voices: Summer Outdoor Concert Series at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 25, in the venue’s  outdoor amphitheater on the Blue Ridge Parkway just south of Galax, Va. The Amanda Cook Band will open the show.

East Nash Grass came by its name and reputation honestly, with its members honing their performance chops night after night on the tiny stage of Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge on Nashville’s east side. 

With James Kee on guitar, Cory Walker on banjo, Harry Clark on mandolin, Gaven Largent on dobro, Maddie Denton on fiddle, and Jeff Picker on bass, East Nash Grass has quickly become one of the top young bands in bluegrass, bringing swagger, staggering abilities, and high energy to every performance. Their incredible skill as an ensemble makes performing look easy, and their chemistry makes it fun to watch. 

The group’s collective resume rings with high profile awards including a Grand Master Fiddle Championship win for Denton (2016) and International Bluegrass Music Association’s Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year titles for Walker (2014), Denton (2021), Clark (2022), and Largent (2023). Denton is nominated for the 2024 Americana Music Awards Instrumentalist of the Year.

The Amanda Cook Band performs a mix of traditional and contemporary bluegrass. Now based in southwest Virginia, Cook grew up in Florida and acquired a love of bluegrass from her father, an avid banjo player with whom she formed the band High Cotton. She stepped out on her own in 2013 and released her first solo album, One Stop Along the Road, which made it to the top 150 on Roots Music Report’s Bluegrass Album Chart. After her chart-topping success, Cook formed a touring band with Carolyne Van Lierop on banjo and vocals, Joshua Faul on upright bass and vocals, Brady Wallen on lead guitar, Troy Boone on mandolin and vocals, and George Mason on fiddle. Together the group has emerged as one of the most dynamic young bands in the genre.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 the day of the show, and free for 12 and younger. Advance tickets are available at BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org. Tickets can be purchased on the evening of the show at the admission gates.

Parking opens at 5:15 p.m. and is free. The gates open at 5:45 p.m. The concert begins at 7 p.m.

The Bluffs Restaurant will offer food and beverages for purchase during the concert. Visitors may bring their own food and beverages into the amphitheater. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted.