2021 Newport Jamboree Kickoff featuring American Roots and The Goldrush
Venue: Newport Community Park, Newport
Organizations: American Roots, Newport Jamboree
Date: Saturday, June 19, 2021
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Event Types: Music, Family Friendly
Cost:

Description:
The Newport Jamboree presents their 12th Season Jamboree Kickoff featuring the music of American Roots and The Goldrush on Saturday, June 19, 2021 at the Newport Community Park.

We are looking forward to hosting flatpicking duo American Roots and for the first time, local bluegrass band The Goldrush.

American Roots is a Blacksburg-based acoustic guitar and vocal harmony duo performing roots and Americana music penned between about 1900 and 1950. Fred and Jon Benfield took the name “American Roots” because it describes the music they have enjoyed performing together in the five-county area over the last 30 or so years.

The father and son guitar duo's musical influences are many and varied as are their shows which could be characterized as Americana Music: “Carter Family to Gershwin”. They are "Crooked Road Artists” interested in preserving the music of the southern Appalachians, but also enjoy performing tunes from other genres. Fred and Jon have spent most of their lives in and around the southern Appalachians and have developed an affection for the broad scope of music appreciated by folks in the region. Their performance may include traditional ballads, Appalachian blues, Piedmont blues, trad-country, trad-jazz, western swing, early country, tin-pan alley toe tappers, swing tunes, hot fiddle tunes (on guitar), and “folkgrass”.

They’ve performed at venues all around the region including the Floyd Country Store, Blacksburg’s Steppin’ Out festival and Shawsville's Beans and Banjos.

An retired ecology professor at Virginia Tech, Fred Benfield told a writer for Virginia Tech’s website, “My favorite part of performing is the communication that occurs between us during gigs. We’ve played together for so long that we just somehow know where the other is going on tunes without saying anything or even looking at each other.”

Link: https://www.facebook.com/American-Roots-260081600850582/

The Ruritan Club will not sell concessions at this event so feel free to pack a picnic. The Big Lick Ice Cream truck though will be on site.

We will ask for a $5.00 donation from each adult to benefit the bands. Kids under 12 get in free.

Bring a chair, pack a swimsuit and your creekin' shoes and invite a friend.

The Village of Newport Ruritan Park is conveniently located 1.4 miles down Highway 42 / 650 Bluegrass Trail keep your eyes peeled for the signs off of 460 West.

For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/NewportJamboree/ or https://www.facebook.com/events/409965663328977/.