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The Flat Rock Music Festival, now celebrating its 10th annual weekend of mainly acoustic music, will present such influential and popular major acts as opening night headliner Larry Keel with Big Daddy (Steve McCurry), Sonny Throckmorton, Bruce Channel, Rock Killough, Gove Scrivenor, Craig Dillingham, and New Orleans funk/blues/jazz/Latin/rock band King Johnson. All three days of the festival, scheduled for Friday through Sunday, September 23 – 25, include seasoned headliners who have a history of entertaining the music-loving festival crowd.Bruce Channel, of megahit “Hey, Baby!” fame in the 1960s, will perform as a quartet with other chart-toppers Sonny Throckmorton, Rock Killough, and Craig Dillingham on Saturday night at 8:30 PM. As a bonus, the foursome will teach songwriting in a free workshop for festival-goers on Saturday morning, September 24. “What a treat it’ll be to learn from some of the best songwriters in the business,” said Entertainment Director Charlie Tucker. “They’re phenomenal songwriters.” A new kids’ open mic is among the new activities, and will run on Saturday from 2 – 4 PM. All-star jams and the Hank Williams Songwriting Competition live finals are hallmarks of the Flat Rock Music Festival. The festival features acoustic Americana music at four venues, live songwriting contest finals, musical and songwriting workshops, open mikes, jams, Kids Village with crafts, children's parade, food and other vendors, chapel service, plus camping, boating, and swimming. The Flat Rock Music Festival is at 365-acre Camp Ton-a-Wandah, in historic Flat Rock, NC. The non-profit festival partially benefits Camp Merry Times for cancer-stricken children, and local ECO conservation. The Flat Rock Music Festival has been featured on public television, and garnered international acclaim with magazine coverage in Germany. The music keeps flowing on the main stage with mini-sets between main acts, with late shows, midnight artist jams, and impromptu jams open to patrons. The festival features several award-winning acoustic singer-songwriters talented with guitar work, lyrics and vocals. Among others, they include Rock Killough and Gove Scrivenor. Killough crafted country gems for the Oak Ridge Boys, Randy Travis, Hank Williams Jr., and Carole King. He played guitar on six Oak Ridge albums. He also plays keyboard and sings on original country, Southern rock, blues, and gospel recordings. He wrote a book on songwriting.
One of the more popular events during festival weekend is the songwriting competition. In the festival's sixth Hank Williams Songwriting Competition, finalists will perform the opening afternoon in Little Rec Hall by the lake. Performers said the cozy, large cabin has good acoustics. Typically, the live finals have 12 – 15 singer-songwriters from across the Southeast, ranging from novices to veterans. The winner earns the honor of performing on main stage Sunday. Workshops on September 24 will include sessions on songwriting and guitar. Drum and soccer workshops are among activities geared for teenagers, along with swimming and boating for all ages. Kids Village for younger children has various arts and crafts. Accredited teachers are among the instructors. The Kids Parade starts at the Village at 4 PM on Saturday. Parents can supervise their children from the adjacent lakeside main stage. Childcare is available at $3 an hour, 8 PM – 1 AM, September 23 and 24. Festival sponsors include WNCW 88.7 FM, WTZQ 1600 AM, and The Orange Peel club. Weekend passes are $90 at the gate, and include camping. Youth (ages 11-17) tickets are half-priced. Daily tickets cost $35 Friday, $40 Saturday, or $25 Sunday for adults. Children 10 and younger get in free. Tickets can be ordered online or by phone. For tickets or more information, call 828-692-2005, or visit their web site, www.flatrockmusicfestival.com. (Image provided by Flat Rock Music Festival.)
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