Mipso returns to the Blue Ridge Music Center at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 26, bringing their modern folk-based Americana sound to the stage. Shay Martin Lovette opens the concert in the outdoor amphitheater at the base of Fisher Peak. The Music Center is located at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Since making their acclaimed debut with the 2013 recording Dark Holler Pop, North Carolina-bred four-piece band Mipso has been captivating audiences. With finely layered vocal harmonies and graceful fluency in the timeless musical traditions of their home state, they have a near-telepathic musical connection that makes their live shows especially kinetic.
On their self-titled sixth album and Rounder Records debut, fiddle player Libby Rodenbough, mandolinist Jacob Sharp, guitarist Joseph Terrell, and bassist Wood Robinson share their most sonically adventurous and lyrically rich work to date. Each moment is charged with the tension between textural effervescence and an underlying despair about the modern world.
The tale of wayfaring songwriter Shay Martin Lovette is shaped by an enduring creative pursuit, an inseparable connection with the natural world, and a deep appreciation of the incomparable musical voices of the past. His latest recording, Scatter & Gather, is a collection of songs that signal an undeniable shift in the gravity of his writing and arranging. Written mostly from a remote, creek-side cabin in the years following the tragic passing of his brother and musical collaborator, these songs solidify Lovette’s role as a versatile harmonica-wielding wordsmith, effortlessly drifting between the formulas of folk, indie, and homestyle roots music.
Lovette’s songcraft has earned him performances at major music festivals like MerleFest and Bristol Rhythm & Roots, and elicited high praise from public radio powerhouse WNCW and global music blogs such as Songpickr and New Commute.
This concert is sponsored by the Law Offices of Timothy D Welborn.
During the concert, The Galax Smokehouse will be on site with its signature barbecue, down-home sides, drinks, and desserts available for purchase.
Tickets are$25 adults, children 12 and younger admitted for free, BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org or (866) 308-2773, ext. 212. Parking is free.
