Martinsville, VA – Rooster Walk 9 announces final lineup today. Mandolin Orange, Pimps of Joytime, Mountain Heart and more than 20 other bands have been added, completing the Memorial Day weekend festival’s band lineup. Progressive stringband Greensky Bluegrass and legendary reunited reggae band The Wailers were announced in early January as overall headliners of the festival.
Rooster Walk, scheduled for May 25-28, 2017 at the idyllic Pop’s Farm festival venue just outside of Martinsville, Va., was named one of the Top 5 festivals in Virginia by the Richmond-Times Dispatch last year.
With more than 40 bands performing on five different stages, an eclectic roster of great music guides the Rooster Walk experience. In addition to four days of amazing music, the family-friendly festival offers a wide variety of kids’ activities, craft beer, great food, arts and numerous opportunities to enjoy Virginia’s great outdoors with a 5k trail race, yoga, a disc golf course and beautiful on-site camping.
Other new band additions include: The Nth Power (funk/soul; New Orleans), Love Canon (bluegrass tribute to 1980s rock; Charlottesville), Mipso (Americana; Chapel Hill, N.C.), Jon Stickley Trio (bluegrass/jazz; Asheville, N.C.), The Commonheart (R&B/soul; Pittsburgh, P.A.), Stop Light Observations (rock; Charleston, S.C.), Empire Strikes Brass (brass band; Asheville, N.C.), Sanctum Sully (progressive bluegrass; Asheville, N.C.), Mason Via Funk Band (funk/soul; Danbury, N.C.), After Jack (folk; Rocky Mount, V.A.), Mighty Joshua (reggae; Richmond, V.A.), South Hill Banks (progressive bluegrass; Richmond, V.A.), Violet Bell featuring Lizzy Ross (folk; Durham, N.C.), Disco Risqué (funk/rock; Charlottesville, V.A.), GOTE (rock; Roanoke, V.A.), Monster Atlantic (rock; Roanoke, V.A.), The Fernandez Sisters (bluegrass; Durham, N.C.), Rex McGee & John Garris (bluegrass/jazz; North Carolina), Martinsville-Henry County Praise Band (Gospel/praise; Martinsville, V.A.), ShadowGrass (youth progressive bluegrass; VA & NC), The Delics (teen rock/punk; Collinsville, V.A.), The Bucket Brothers (youth jazz; Chapel Hill, N.C.), The Wildmans (youth bluegrass; Floyd, V.A.) and The PHCC Jazz Band (big-band jazz; Martinsville-Henry County, V.A.).
“Booking a festival lineup is a lot like working a jigsaw puzzle,” said Johnny Buck, a co-founder of Rooster Walk. “We’re really proud of the way this one turned out. It’s a really fun combination of bands that features a good mix of genres, as well as a variety of first-time Rooster Walk performers and returning, ‘fan-favorites.’”
Mandolin Orange, a critically acclaimed folk band from Chapel Hill, N.C., first performed at Rooster Walk in 2010. Since then, the band has built a groundswell of national support through countless miles on the road and appearances at numerous festivals, including Newport Folk Festival, Austin City Limits Fest, and Telluride Bluegrass. In addition to Rooster Walk 9, Mandolin Orange is booked to perform at Bonnaroo and Red Rocks this summer.
Based in Brooklyn, N.Y., the Pimps of Joytime are known for their infectious, dance-inducing brand of funk/soul music. The band has created a devoted following across the country and in the state of Virginia, in particular, with past performances at Rooster Walk and FloydFest, and countless club gigs.
Led by vocalist, piano player and Bassett native Josh Shilling, Mountain Heart has been fearlessly revolutionizing the way acoustic music can be presented and played. Mountain Heart or its members have been nominated for Grammy’s, ACM and CMA awards. The Nashville-based band has appeared on the revered stage of the Grand Ole Opry in excess of 130 times, and has shared the stage with acts ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Montgomery Gentry, Merle Haggard, George Jones and Brad Paisley to Alison Krauss, Tony Rice, The Avett Brothers, Yonder Mountain Stringband, The Punch Brothers, Levon Helm, John Fogerty and many more.
Rooster Walk Inc. is a community-nonprofit dedicated to promoting music, arts and education in its home of Martinsville/Henry County. A portion of festival proceeds go to the Penn-Shank Memorial Scholarship as well as the Rooster Walk Music Instrument Program for entry-level band programs in Martinsville/Henry County public schools. The festival is proud to have Bassett Furniture return as its title sponsor once again.
For more info, updates or to purchase tickets, visit www.RoosterWalk.com.