Bluegrass Festival Comes to Life at Dickinson College

Bluegrass Festival Comes to Life
at Dickinson College

By Ed Yashinsky

Bluegrass lovers will be making a beeline for Dickinson College on Saturday, July 18, for the Third annual Bluegrass on the Grass festival. The concert, free to the public and featuring some of the best bluegrass players in the United States, will be held on campus on the steps of Bosler Hall beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Featured performers include Chris Jones and the Night Drivers, The Bill Emerson and Mark Newton Band, The Dismembered Tennesseans and The Penn Dell Mountain Boys.

“We are really excited about this year’s line-up and are hoping to draw even more than the 800 people who came to the concert last year,” says David Tracy, coordinator for Bluegrass on the Grass. “Attendees who attend should expect superlative performances from all four bands.”

Bluegrass Festival at Dickinson College This year’s headliner, Chris Jones and the Night Drivers, has released several albums on Rebel Records. A singer, songwriter and guitarist, Jones performed as a sideman at the Grand Ole Opry for the likes of Laurie Lewis and the Whitstein Brothers.

The Bill Emerson and Mark Newtown Band combines the very best of traditional and contemporary bluegrass music. In 1957, Emerson was a founding member of the Country Gentlemen, and later led the US Navy bluegrass group, Country Current. Newton, a founding member of the Virginia Squires, is a renowned singer and guitarist.

Founded in 1945 and featuring legendary fiddle player Fletcher Bright, The Dismembered Tennesseans have shared the stage with nearly every popular bluegrass group in the world. Regional act The Penn Del Mountain Boys will open the show.

Bluegrass on the Grass will also feature a raffle for numerous prizes, including a Martin backpacker acoustic guitar. Refreshments will be available, and audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. For additional information, call 245-1790.