The 2017 Lost Highway Karuah Bluegrass Music Festival is expected to be a bumper event with the cream of Australian bluegrass, original acoustic and country swing performers lined up to appear.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The festival, running in Karuah May 5 to 7, will be headlined by Golden Guitar winner and musical comedian Pete Denahy.
Other notable acts include Melbourne bluegrass legends Bluestone Junction, alternative country bush dance queen Sal Kimber and the Rolling Wheel, country singer-songwriter legend Allan Caswell and the festival’s first band from the northern hemisphere, The All Day Breakfast Stringband from Montreal, Canada.
Sarah Carroll, Ukulele Queen of the Bellarine, will be joined by the Myall Ukesters from Tea Gardens during her performance at the festival on Friday.
Port Stephens indigenous singer songwriter Jacob Ridgeway will also make an appearance.
Other acts include rural country blues singer Kate Oliver from Katherine, in the Northern Territory, NSW bluegrass stalwarts Owl Valley Bluegrass, old time sing song man Archer, and Melbourne’s rising star Liz Stringer.
The 2017 festival will feature Soulfire Circus performing their trapeze and balance acts as the sun sets on Saturday, and they will host workshops for young aspiring acrobats on Sunday.
The main street of Karuah will come alive with market stalls, while the festival site features an array of food vendors and pop up restaurants.
The ticketed areas are found under the Big Top and in the Community Hall – The Picker’s Paradise – which are both complimented by bars selling Murray’s Craft Beer from Port Stephens and wine from Wootton’s Great Lakes Winery.
Sunday is always a special event with the popular Bluegrass Gospel concert and festival showcase of artists performing songs from Aussie rock song writing duo Vanda and Young.
The Karuah Community Hall is transformed into the intimate single microphone venue Picker’s Paradise, allowing audiences to hear bluegrass music in traditional style.
The Dolphin Stage bamboo yurt also returns as the workshop and open mic venue, then a late night picking space.
Tickets are still available to purchase from losthighwaybluegrass.com.au.
About the headline acts:
Pete Denahy
Pete is a comedian and bluegrass musician hailing from Yackandandah in Victoria.
He is a songwriter and singer whose show included everything from serious ballads to ridiculous stories and songs with a twist. Pete wrote the “teenager song” Sort Of Dunno Nothin’ which went viral on YouTube and is seen as a Gen Y anthem.
He has toured with Slim Dusty, Sara Storer, Troy Cassar-Daley, Lee Kernaghan and has worked in the Melbourne comedy scene with Akmahl Saleh, Elliot Goblet and Flacco.
In 2016, Pete was recognised for his contribution to the country music scene when he took home two Golden Guitar awards, for Best Instrumental and Best Bluegrass Album Singin’ Shoes.
Bluestone Junction
Such a hit at the 2016 Lost Highway Bluegrass Music Festival, they are back this year by demand.
The band has long been considered one of Australia’s top traditional bluegrass bands, fronted by singer Chris Jacobs.
The band features some of Australia’s finest bluegrass musicians; Mick Harrison’s driving banjo, Donal Baylor swingin’ fiddle, Pet Fidler’s sweet mandolin and dobro, and Mike St Clair-Miller on powerhouse double bass.
Sal Kimber and the Rolling Wheel
This group will start the festivities under the Big Top on Friday night with a family bush dance, all called by the experienced dance caller and front lady.
Sal’s authentic and warm stage presence, storytelling and antipodean vocals, along with the captivating musicianship of her close-knit band ‘The Rollin’ Wheel has seen the five piece win over loyal audiences all over Australia.
Allan Caswell
Allan is one of Australia’s most recorded songwriters with well over 600 of his songs being released around the world by artists of the calibre of Cilla Black, Patti Page, The Irish Rovers, The Living End, Slim Dusty, Barry Humphries, Ricki May, James Blundell, Jasmine Rae, McAlister Kemp, Graeme Connors, The Wolfe Brothers, Anne Kirkpatrick, Chad Morgan, Lynne Hamilton, The Delltones, Jade Hurley and Ella Hooper.
The All Day Breakfast Stringband
This band plays old time music from the southern and midwestern USA.
Fiddle, guitar, double bass, banjo, and voices join forces to confirm that the old music is still exhilarating.
The fiddle has always been at the heart of old time music, and Max Evans makes his sound like the best bacon in the world popping and spattering in a burning hot cast iron skillet.
Matt James’ banjo playing is as crude yet necessary as bacon’s timeless counterpart, the buttery fried egg while Andrew Kobus on the mandolin and Dara Weiss on the guitar chug like you did that pot of coffee after a night at the bottom of a whiskey bottle.
