Quote :

"free city plaza shows are a little weak this year."

[Edited on September 29, 2015 at 10:49 AM. Reason : sucks CCL isn't playing at all]

9/29/2015 10:45:28 AM

going to be a wet weekend. hopefully that frees up some friday tickets.

9/29/2015 12:59:10 PM

I might go to the Lincoln Theatre show Thursday night instead. Sierra is playing a midnight set and told me she will be doing music from her new album then as well as the Saturday show. We'll see how the weather goes, because her Saturday evening set will be longer.

9/29/2015 10:23:03 PM

^^ I'm hoping for the same

9/29/2015 11:10:36 PM

This weather pattern may absolutely ruin IBMA this year which is just unfortunate. I'm hoping the Raleigh Dome can help some of this but it seems like impending doom is on the way.

9/30/2015 9:53:12 AM

Red Hat performances moved to convention center ballroom.

Contingency plan for street festival is to move vendors and performances inside convention center as well, but they are waiting until tomorrow AM to make that call.

9/30/2015 4:45:56 PM

what's the word? I guess they're supposed to announce this morning?

10/1/2015 9:34:17 AM

Assuming it's still on, I wanna plug one of the acts if y'all have never heard 'em -- Jon Stickley Trio

10/1/2015 10:13:08 AM

Looks like everything but the dance tent will be indoors.

http://www.wral.com/with-heavy-rain-on-the-way-wide-open-bluegrass-moves-indoors/14938354/

Here's the new schedule:
http://www.wral.com/entertainment/out_and_about/event/14593931/

[Edited on October 1, 2015 at 11:06 AM. Reason : ]

10/1/2015 11:04:09 AM

Still can't decide if I should hit tonights show at the Lincoln or just chase the Wide Open shows indoors on Saturday.

10/1/2015 3:06:01 PM

Anybody else going today? I did not get a ticket to the main stage but I might go check out some of the other acts. None really jump out at me for today except the main stage but I might go browse around for a few hours.

^^BTW thanks for sharing that and wish Jon Stickley was playing earlier or during Wide Open. Not staying super late this evening to catch them at Deep South but looks like they are playing here at the Cradle in December. That shit is right up my alley.

[Edited on October 2, 2015 at 9:29 AM. Reason : ]

10/2/2015 9:24:50 AM

yep, heading out of Charlotte at noon. Hope to make it to Red Hat before Gibson Bros.

10/2/2015 10:47:57 AM

^ I would advise against going to Red Hat

10/2/2015 11:18:33 AM

habit

10/2/2015 11:25:56 AM

Had a good time on Friday. Caught up with my coworkers band and helped them out on audio for a couple of gigs. Didn't watch a lot of the other bands and did not have tickets to Red Hat but was awesome to wander the floor of the convention center and randomly run into Dan Tyminski, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush and Sierra Hull. I had never gone to the Convention Center hall before so that was really cool.

Heading back at lunchtime today and going to watch lots of acts.

[Edited on October 3, 2015 at 8:41 AM. Reason : ]

10/3/2015 8:39:03 AM

I'll commend Raleigh and IBMA for pulling this off all within the walls of the convention center. i was actually very surprised by the stage and sound down in the main hall. The sight lines weren't great but the screens were on point and the sound was fine. As a backup plan i think it worked great.

having the markets setup in the halls was nice and the upper ballrooms seemed to be full for most acts that I saw.

i think the only thing that really suffered were the food and market vendors, but we expected that to take a hit.

also...lots of mad old people who tried to show up late for Alison Krauss only to find out that their seats were not available. the staff did a commendable job keeping the first 1-3 sections reserved, but seats were still first come first serve once you got into that area.

10/5/2015 8:37:48 AM

Yeah on Friday night it was pretty much general admission due to the lack of anyone in the aisles (even the closest sections) and also the lack of any markings indicating row and seat numbers...i heard there was some chalk on the ground but I don't think it stuck around long.

Saturday they had some people in the aisles in the front sections but still no markings.

10/5/2015 12:46:13 PM

My coworker said that Steep Canyon Rangers stole the show Friday night. You think so too?

I did not hit the ticketed shows, but instead frequented the stages upstairs. Saw some great shows including several new acts. I think Mipso packed it in the most of any of the free shows. That place was damn near full. Sierra had a great set with her new music. Can't wait for the new album to drop now.

10/5/2015 5:27:10 PM

SCR were definitely the highlight of Friday night, but I think that's also because they were the most progressive of any of the acts that night. Gibson Brothers, Balsam Range, SCR, AKaUS was the evening schedule that night. SCR had the most energy and brought out guests Jerry Douglas, Shannon Whitworth, and Sam Bush. Not to mention that Nicky Sanders continues to absolutely shred on the fiddle.

Honestly, i've seen a ton of shows this year and excluding a couple festival headliner sets, SCR at Lincoln back around February is still top 3. Can't wait till they're back in Charlotte in Dec.




I was kind of disappointed that the Stringdusters were only given an hour on Saturday. The Earls were fine, but the crowd thinned out during the end of their 90 minutes and was all but asleep during Sam Bush.

10/6/2015 8:20:15 AM

SCR were awesome...it tough going from that to the snoozefest of alison krauss, though the parts where she talked to the crowd were pretty entertaining.

Quote :

"Not to mention that Nicky Sanders continues to absolutely shred on the fiddle. "

Yeah that dude was incredible. Has he ever been nominated for an IBMA?

10/6/2015 10:45:28 AM

not for the fiddle. I think he was nominated for instrumental song of the year a couple years ago.

10/6/2015 11:19:38 AM

the instrumentalist nominations are basically copied & pasted from year to year, especially fiddle, dobro, and bass. in the 3 years IBMA has been in Raleigh, the 5 nominees have been for a total of 6 players.

missed the SCR set but saw him playing in a random picking circle at the Marriott Thursday night, which was pretty cool.

10/6/2015 11:43:37 AM

Yea after Billy Strings the Kenny & Amanda Smith show was a bit of a yawner at the City Stage. I had never heard either of them and was really just keeping my good seat from Mipso until Sierra played.

10/6/2015 1:49:45 PM

I just figured I'd use this old thread.

Probably a stupid question, but if you get the day ticket for the Red Hat Amphitheater, can you leave and come back as many times as you want on that day?

9/6/2016 12:46:23 PM

Yes

[Edited on September 6, 2016 at 1:19 PM. Reason : think they give you a wristband]

9/6/2016 1:05:54 PM

yes.


a good lineup this year, however i will not be attending.

9/6/2016 1:57:12 PM

Thanks. I figured you could, but wanted to make sure.

I'm thinking of going to the Red Hat on Friday. I've actually heard of Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Soggy Bottom Boys and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

9/6/2016 2:24:48 PM

official tickets are pretty slim last time i checked. but you can usually get single day tickets on stubhub or craigslist closer to the event date. Especially if there is a chance of rain.

9/6/2016 3:04:21 PM

This would be awesome...tickets are $texas though, as you'd expect.
http://www.maxxmusic.com/event/1309367-steve-martin-martin-short-charlotte/

[Edited on September 7, 2016 at 1:56 PM. Reason : ^ i think there's plenty of tickets left at this point. ]

9/7/2016 1:51:41 PM

For Red Hat? They must be for lawn then. When i was still able to go, finding anything for more than 2 together that wasn't in the far corners was almost nonexistent.

[Edited on September 7, 2016 at 2:11 PM. Reason : but i'm picky and like my bluegrass up close and personal]

9/7/2016 2:11:17 PM

yeah you're right...i was looking at singles

9/7/2016 2:22:14 PM

2019: Anybody going tomorrow, or went?

9/27/2019 2:42:14 PM

We'll be going to see Del.

9/27/2019 4:16:17 PM

The setup for the main stage this year was awful. General admission was free, and since they have headliners playing all day, the people that got there in the morning could basically camp out all day. We got there later in the evening to see Del. There were hundreds of people in line, and only about 150 were able to get into the stadium after Dan left.

9/30/2019 10:07:43 AM

I was hoping to walk around and check out some of the bands on Saturday, but we never made it.

9/30/2019 12:00:11 PM

This was my least favorite year. I'm not sure if it was because we drank less this year, due to the child in the stroller, but we overall weren't impressed. It felt a lot more like the state fair than it did the Bluegrass Festival, I have been attending years now.

It was really hot and people mostly just roamed around. I had more fun watching music at the busking tents than I did anywhere else.

10/1/2019 9:58:57 AM

My son and I were sick this weekend and my wife was recovering from being sick earlier in the week, so this was the first year I missed it in forever and sounds like it I picked a good one to skip.

That setup with the main stage is no surprise to me. I usually just go and camp at a stage, unless there is a particular artist I am trying to see. When I went to the Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival in Manteo folks post up their folding chairs in the grass right when the gates open and then keep their spot the whole day.

10/1/2019 10:42:04 AM

I doubt it will happen, but I really wish they'd move this into mid- or late-October. Mid-September is too damn hot anymore.

10/1/2019 11:03:54 AM

Looking like the storm may wash this one out?

9/27/2022 11:13:59 AM

Gonna have to be a pretty big storm to wash out an event from 8 years ago!

9/27/2022 12:58:25 PM

I just knew you'd respond like that. That "joke" apparently never gets old to you.

9/27/2022 1:13:15 PM

Quote :

"Due to weather, the International Bluegrass Music Association Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC festivities this weekend will be held indoors at Raleigh Convention Center (RCC) and Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. For Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1: - All previously scheduled performances at the five free Street Stages are moving to the Raleigh Convention Center (RCC). Additionally, all 115 vendors including Art Market, Shop Local, and Black Friday Market, as well as the PNC Porch, beer garden, jam tents, and other activities planned for this weekend will continue inside the RCC. - The Main Stage performances planned for Red Hat Amphitheater are moving to Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. Reserved seating purchased in advance will be honored. More updates to come at http://www.worldofbluegrass.org."

9/27/2022 3:56:36 PM

You're right, "it" never gets old!

9/27/2022 5:14:18 PM