Floyd venue hosting Henderson bash

The Floyd Country Store will be hosting a Wayne Henderson Birthday Bash at 7 p.m. on May 4.

Grayson County native Wayne Henderson is a full-time instrument builder and musician, specializing in building guitars, and playing in a unique finger-picking style. Though he has lived in Virginia all of his life, Henderson has played countless performances in Western North Carolina, been a member of Western North Carolina bands, and influenced many regional musicians, through both his music and craft. He developed a unique style of using a thumbpick and fingerpicks, making his playing sound like flatpicking, with fast, accurate, and clean notes.

Prior to the birthday bash, Palmyra is set to the play the store at 7 p.m. on May 1.

Palmyra explores the fusion of traditional folk string instruments, lush harmony, and earnest songwriting. The trio captures the collective spirit of three Virginia natives: Teddy Chipouras, Mānoa Bell, and Sasha Landon. Often described as a distant cousin to The Avett Brothers and The Wood Brothers, Palmyra nods toward Appalachian and Midwestern Americana, with intricate arrangements that create the illusion of a full, larger-than-three ensemble.

Also on May 1 and stretching through May 22 will be a four-week group mandolin, banjo, guitar and bass class with Jesse Smathers, Jamie Collins, Corbin Hayslett and Jason Wheeler.

This class meets at The Floyd Country Store once a week for four weeks on Wednesday evenings May 1 – 22. This group class is geared towards adult players (16 and older) who have a foundation of the basics on their instrument and are ready to learn more bluegrass tunes and techniques and get more comfortable playing with others. This class has a focus on regional bluegrass repertoire, styles, and history, and how to play with community and learn by ear. The cost is $125 for the 4 week session. There is also a drop-in option for $50 per individual class.