Darrell Scott / Courtesy photo
A series of intimate folk performances inside Walton Arts Center’s Starr Theatre will return to the venue in 2021.
WAC officials on Tuesday announced the lineup for the annual West Street Live series of performances coming to the venue this year.
This year’s lineup will kick off on Thursday, Oct. 21 with a performance by Virginia-based old-time band, Wild Ponies, followed by guitarist Ray Bonneville on Dec. 9, roots act American Patchwork Quartet on Feb. 19, acclaimed songwriter Darrel Scott on March 4, and stringband Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem on May 5.
The series, presented by local musician and attorney Neal Pendergraft, features bands from a host of genres from traditional roots music to immigrant folk and more performing “in an atmosphere reminiscent of neighborhood listening rooms and nightclubs.”
More info about this year’s lineup is below.
Tickets to the intimate show series are $155 for the five-show package, and are available for purchase at the Walton Arts Center website. For now, the tickets are only available via the subscription package.
For a bit more info about the series, visit waltonartscenter.org/.
Show descriptions provided by Walton Arts Center
Wild Ponies
Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021
Wild Ponies have always looked to their roots in Southwest Virginia for inspiration – paying tribute to the rugged landscape and old-time American music that continues to thrive there, supported by a community of fiddlers, flat-pickers and fans. The result is a broad, bold approach to Appalachian music – with lyrics that draw on family heirlooms, created by a multi-cultural band whose members span several generations.
Ray Bonneville
Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021
With a greasy guitar style, horn-like harmonica, smoky vocals and pulsing foot percussion, Ray Bonneville is a hard-driving, blues-dipped, song-and-groove man writing about people on the fringe of society. He won a Juno Award in 1999, the International Blues Challenge in 2012 and in 2009 his song “I am the Big Easy” won American Folk DJ’s Song of the Year.
American Patchwork Quartet
Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022
American Patchwork Quartet is on a mission to reclaim the immigrant soul of American roots music, drawing on a repertoire of centuries-old American folk songs with immigrant roots to showcase the diverse talents of its four highly-acclaimed artists – each U.S. citizens with a unique cultural background. APQ encourages us to acknowledge our differences and discover our commonalities to build lasting bonds across cultures and races.
Darrell Scott
Friday, March 4, 2022
Darrell Scott is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter with timeless recordings by more than 70 artists including The Chicks, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw and more. As his hands make their way across the strings and fretboard, his lyrics make sense of the world around us – encouraging us to consider what’s at stake and our place in it.
Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem
Thursday, May 5, 2022
In the lineage of string bands who blur the boundaries of American roots music, Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem have always been standard-bearers. At the helm, Arbo is “blessed with an unmistakable voice, both light and sultry, with a hint of tremolo and smoke” (Acoustic Guitar). Combining wit, camaraderie and indelible songs that can shake the rafters or hush the room, Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem leave audiences humming and hopeful, spirits renewed.
