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October 6, 2018: David Wiseman & Bear Wallow opening for The True Grass Band
Tickets $18 in advance & $20 at the door

November 3, 2018: Flatt Lonesome Tickets $20 per person

November 30, 2018: The Cleverly's Tickets $18 in advance & $20 at the door

January 18, 2019: An Evening with Jimmy Fortune & Nu-Blu Tickets $40 per person

February 2, 2019: Love Cannon Tickets $18 in advance & $20 at the door

March 2, 2019: The Clyde’s opening for The Hogslop String Band Tickets $16 in advance & $18 at the door

The Old Rock School is ready to start the new “Concerts at the Rock” concert series beginning October 6th, 2018. “We are really excited about this season, we have some amazing new acts, as well as bringing back some of the fan favorites. This season will be one to see.” says Community Affairs Director, Morrissa Angi.

October will kick off the season with Bear Wallow & The True Grass Band, starting at 7:30pm on October 6th. True Grass Band is from Burnsville N.C. and has been established since 1994. Members include Anthony Allen, Jeff Allen, Daniel Cook, Daniel Norton, and Jacob Carroll. They are a Bluegrass Band that loves truegrass, newgrass and gospel. Morganton, N.C. based bluegrass band Bear Wallow performs a unique blend of progressive bluegrass, old-timey folk, and classic country. Started by Todd Pons (guitar/lead vocals) and Gary McCurry (banjo) after performing with different bands for over 30 years, they grew to include Malvin Philyaw (bass/vocals), David Wiseman (mandolin/vocals), and Gary Mackey (fiddle) over the past 10 years.

Since becoming a full-fledged bluegrass ensemble, Bear Wallow Bluegrass Band has earned notoriety through their remarkable regional performances. Showcased with great honors at the Isis Theatre in Asheville, N.C. and being repeated featured acts at the annual Western North Carolina Mountain Music and Dance Festival, they have also been featured live on the radio broadcast "Song of the Mountain" with great audience reception. Most well known for their 1st Place 2015 Merlefest Band Contest win, Bear Wallow is constantly looking to reach new heights and audiences as they continue on their musical adventures.

Coming to the stage on November 3rd is 2017 IBMA Vocal Group of the Year winner, Flatt Lonesome. Presented by Bluegrass First Class, the concert will begin at 7:30pm. Flatt Lonesome is a collaboration of talents from Kelsi Robertson Harrigill – Mandolin, Vocals, Buddy Robertson – Guitar, Vocals, Charli Robertson – Fiddle, Vocals, Paul Harrigill – Banjo, Michael Stockton – Resophonic Guitar and Dominic Illingworth – Acoustic Bass. With an ever-increasing emphasis on original material, the group honors Country and Bluegrass recording styles with a powerful sense of musical exploration. Melancholy themes of heartbreak, the harshness of life’s lessons, glowing moments of faith and love requited; all spring vividly from this innovative collection. With a clear sense of direction, these young artists keep raising the bar on their own creative game. Flatt Lonesome owns this material through the commanding individual and collective performances of Charli Robertson, Buddy Robertson, Kelsi and Paul Harrigill, Dominic Illingworth, and Michael Stockton.

The season continues on November 30th with a returning favorite of the Old Rock School stage, The Cleverly’s. The Cleverly’s will bring their mixture of comedy and bluegrass to provide an evening full of laughing and dancing. The family comes from the remote part of the Ozark Mountains, near Cane Spur, Arkansas. They spent their days working on the family farm mostly raising their own food and growing their dad’s famous pipe tobacco. They worked hard but they always had fun. In the evening they played and sang. On weekends they had pickens’ where there was always a big crowd around. The Cleverly Trio is a family band. It was founded by their dad and his three brothers, Turk, Tink and Bunyon. The whole family at one time or another has played in the band. Since 2005 Digger has taken over the band. The current members of the trio are Digger, Vernon Dean "VD" Cleverly, Monk Cleverly and Ricky Lloyd Cleverly. Don’t be fooled by this faux-family band – they are all accomplished musicians putting their unique bluegrass spin on cover songs from any genre. The Cleverlys’ set list includes genius arrangements of tunes like Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” a medley of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity,” and Flo Rida’s “Low” that recently went viral on Facebook, with over 11 million views from a local TV appearance. Rolling Stone Magazine says Digger’s “out-of-date eyeglasses are as thick as his hillbilly accent, but whose comic sensibilities are a hilariously off-kilter hybrid of Homer & Jethro and The Office.”

The month of January will feature an evening with Jimmy Fortune and Nu Blu. Fortune toured, sang and performed with the legendary Statler Brothers for 21 years. He joined them first as a temporary replacement for Lew DeWitt, after DeWitt heard him singing at a ski resort and recommended him. Following an audition in Nashville, Jimmy was contacted by the Statler Brothers and performed his first show with them on January 28, 1982, in Savannah, Georgia. Due to the debilitating effects of Crohn’s Disease, Lew was unable to return to the stage with the Statlers, and Jimmy was hired as a permanent replacement in August of 1982. Fortune quickly lived up to his name. He wrote the group’s second No. 1 hit, “Elizabeth,” on their 1983 album Today, and followed that with two more No. 1 hits–“My Only Love” (from 1984’s Atlanta Blue) and “Too Much On My Heart” (from 1985’s Pardners in Rhyme). Fortune also wrote the top-10 hit “Forever” from 1986’s Four for the Show and co-wrote the top-10 hit “More Than a Name on the Wall” from 1988’s The Greatest Hits.

Jimmy has performed in all of the U.S. States, in Canadian Provinces, and in front of audiences as large as 100,000. He was part of the Statlers’ annual Happy Birthday USA celebration in Staunton, Virginia, for 14 years. He also sang on many of the Statlers’ gold, platinum, and double platinum recordings. Jimmy’s career included The Nashville Network’s popular “The Statler Brothers Show” which aired for seven seasons and debuted in 1991 as the highest rated show for the network. Jimmy was privileged to perform at the White House on two occasions, once for President Ronald Reagan, and once for President George H. W. Bush. He also presented a special gift to actress Elizabeth Taylor by singing his song “Elizabeth” to her for a birthday celebration. Jimmy and The Statler Brothers were inducted into the GMA (Gospel Music Association) Hall of Fame on October 29, 2007, and inducted into the CMA (Country Music Association) Hall of Fame in June 29, 2008. After the Statler Brothers retired on October 26, 2002, Jimmy seized the opportunity to launch a solo career to share new music with his fans. His first solo CD, When One Door Closes, was released August 2003 on Audium/Koch. He released a gospel album, I Believe, in June 2005, a Christmas CD, Feels Like Christmas, in 2006, a live concert DVD in 2007 a country CD, “Windows” in 2009, “Lessons” in 2012, and “Hits and Hymns” CD and DVD through Spring House Productions in 2015. Jimmy is currently living in Nashville, writing, and touring.

Sharing the Rock School stage with Fortune will be Valdese returning favorite, Nu-Blu. From Siler City, North Carolina Nu-Blu is the textbook definition of a picturesque small southern town, Nu-Blu’s heart and soul is husband-and-wife duo Daniel and Carolyn Routh. Carolyn’s caramel-coated soprano is one of the band’s defining traits, at times a tender lullaby, at times a freight train headed straight for you, but always unwinding a surprising tale. Daniel is the group’s backbone, a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who also handles band management. Calder Baker on banjo, and Justin Harrison on fiddle/mandolin round out the quartet’s warm, layered, American roots sound that builds to a full country sound. Together they deliver upbeat, blazing-fingers pick work just as well as gentle, heartwarming ballads, and they do it all with a natural togetherness that can’t be faked, forged over hundreds of shows on the road.

February will continue the season with LOVE CANON. LC brings their acoustic-roots sensibilities to the electronic-tinged pop hits of the 80’s and 90’s to create Cover Story, their 4th album, recently released on Organic Records. With Cover Story, LOVE CANON delivers a fresh set of classics, crossing genres to recount music of decades past from the likes of Peter Gabriel, Billy Joel, Depeche Mode, and Paul Simon. The self-produced album hosts a plethora of special guests including Jerry Douglas, Aoife O’Donovan, Keller Williams, Michael Cleveland, and Eric Krasno, among others. The band’s diehard fans are music lovers first and are drawn to the charismatic and wide-ranging vocal stylings of lead singer and guitarist Jesse Harper matched with banjo master Adam Larrabee, mandolin pickin’ by Andy Thacker, Darrell Muller holding down the low-end on standup bass, and the slick sounds of resonator guitar king Jay Starling on the Beard MA-6. It’s acoustic rock! Acclaimed fiddler Alex Hargreaves [Turtle Island Quartet, Sarah Jarosz] does all of the fiddling on this record with the exception of two tracks, and he occasionally joins them on tour. As seasoned virtuoso string players who have been touring the mid-Atlantic since 2010, LOVE CANON stays true to the approach, arrangements, and keen artistry of these nostalgic hits. Cover Story was engineered by Rob Evans at Dave Matthews Band's Haunted Hollow Studio in LOVE CANON’s hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia and mixed by Wayne Pooley, Bruce Hornsby’s Engineer/Producer. Cover Story is a follow up to the band’s previous efforts, Greatest Hits Volumes 1-3.

To finish out the concert season, will be The Clyde’s opening for The Hogslop String Band. The Clyde’s hailing from Asheville NC made their performing debut in Valdese during the Family Friday Night Summer Concert Series in 2018. The Clyde’s take pride in their reputation for music forged from grit, love and hard times, embracing smokey vocals and soul twisting delivery which can best be described as Old Soul Americana. Their infectious stage presence, memory haunting songs and instrumental wizardry has delighted a vast audience from Georgia to Maine, from Minnesota to the UK. The Clyde’s are a very hard working, heavy traveling, candle on both ends burning, passionate band who has performed hundreds of shows, numerous festivals and media appearances, and who looks eagerly toward the horizon for all the music yet to be made. With their front-woman bass player, unique harmonies and impressive picking styles, The Clyde’s bring an unabashed energy and relatable emotion to the stage. The Clyde’s are comprised of the talents of Aubrey Eisenman- upright bass and vocals, Justin Eisenman - guitar and vocals, John Duncan - fiddle and vocals, and Caleb Hanks - mandolin and vocals. Finishing out the night will be a performance from The Hogslop String Band. The Hogslop String Band is a Nashville based old time string band comprised of four energetic young musicians hailing from Georgia & Tennessee. Featuring Kevin Martin on the fiddle, Gabriel Kelley on guitar, Daniel Binkley on banjo and Casey "Pickle" McBride on the washtub bass, these boys surely raise a ruckus. Upon forming as a pickup square dance band in the summer of 2009, The Hog Slop String Band has since become one of the most sought after old time string bands. Known for their outrageous facial hair and a rollicking repertoire heavily based on Georgia and Middle Tennessee fiddle tunes, these boys have provided entertainment for fashion shows, political conventions and whiskey distilleries as well as countless weddings, festivals and soirees. Following in the footsteps of such country music luminaries as Uncle Dave Macon and Gid Tanner, they put on a high energy show easily appreciated by both young and old alike. Despite an unkempt appearance, their undeniable charm is as certain to steal your heart as it will your daughters!

Season Tickets are available for $110 per person and include a reserved seat for all concerts. All concerts begin at 7:30pm and doors will open at 6:30pm unless otherwise posted. Tickets for all shows are now on sale and can be purchased at The Old Rock School and also online and by calling 828-879-2126. For further information, go to visitvaldese.com.