Bethlehem Bluegrass Band
The Bethlehem Bluegrass Band (from East Texas) performs Christian music in a bluegrass style and has built their sound based on the influences of contemporary, blues, spiritual, and traditional bluegrass music. Jim Johnson (vocals & mandolin), Sheila Small (vocals), Dirk Coleman (vocals & guitar), Phil Rispin (banjo), Brian Dearborn (bass), and Fred Gebhardt (fiddle) team up to bring the music to life. According to the band, one of the most frequent comments they get after a show is something to the effect of “Wow, I didn’t realize I enjoyed bluegrass music so much until now!”
Blue Highway
Blue Highway has earned 27 collective IBMA Awards, 6 SPBGMA Awards, one Dove Award, and three Grammy nominations as a band, plus two Grammy Awards among its current members. Blue Highway’s #1 album Original Traditional was nominated for a 2017 GRAMMY Award for Best Bluegrass Album.
Wayne Taylor was inducted into the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame in October 2016. Tim Stafford received honors as 2014 and 2017 IBMA Songwriter of the Year and 2015 SPBGMA Guitar Player of the Year. Shawn Lane was nominated as 2015 IBMA Songwriter of the Year, while Gaven Largent was nominated as 2016 SPBGMA Dobro Player of the Year.
Blue Highway was voted the Favorite Bluegrass Artist of All Time by the readers of Bluegrass Today in April 2016. Their newest album, Original Traditional, released Sept 2016 and to date has topped multiple National Charts at # 1 THREE TIMES.
Blue Highway charted the Most Radio Airplay of any Bluegrass Artist in 2014, per the 2014 Bluegrass Today Radio Airplay Chart, storming national airplay charts with their heralded album ‘The Game.’
The Game topped multiple charts at #1 including reigning at # 1 for 7 consecutive months on the Bluegrass Unlimited Album Chart, and was named the #1 Bluegrass Album of the Year by critic Daniel Mullins in his end of the year Top 20 Albums of 2014 list in Bluegrass Today.
As momentum continues to build for the 23-year-old band, Blue Highway is rolling on with a rich legacy carried on by three powerhouse songwriters and vocalists in Tim Stafford, Wayne Taylor, and Shawn Lane, whose harmonies soar over the dynamic banjo of Jason Burleson and explosive dobro of Gaven Largent.
Schedule of Artists & Workshops
Saturday April 21, 2018
Doors open for show at 1:00p; Activities Bldg opens 12:30p for jamming
2:00p – 2:50p Augusta Road
3:00p – 3:50p Bethlehem Bluegrass Band
4:00p – 4:50p Coleman Bros. & Lone Star Boys
5:00p – 5:50p Purple Hulls
6:00p – 7:15p Breaking Grass
7:30p – 9:00p Blue Highway
Workshops
3:45p – 4:45p Guitar and Mandolin workshops
5:00p – 6:00p Banjo and Dobro workshops
* Lineup and schedule subject to change.
Food Options
Food is comfort. The Doubletree makes it easy for you to enjoy a delicious meal without even leaving the hotel. Whether you are into health food, snacks, or gourmet food all the way, there’s something to tickle your palate. Use the in-room dining service, check out the onsite restaurant, or unwind with after-dinner drinks at the bar. The Connected Cactus, the hotel’s on-site Texas bistro, features regional American cuisine. A hot breakfast buffet is served daily. On weekdays, the buffet features an omelet station. Dinner menu options include salads, traditional sandwiches, local entrée favorites, and desserts, and all are moderately priced. Open daily 6am-2pm and 5pm-10pm. Room service is available until 11:00pm.