Live Music
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The Virginia Highlands Festival Music Committee brings to you a variety of amazing events: date night complete with dinner and a swing band, FREE live concert, national renowned comedy & improv company, and a 75th Anniversary Concert sure to be the highlight of 2024. You don’t want to miss a thing.
2024 Events
Diamond Gala: Dinner & Swing Band at The Martha
Friday, July 26: 7-10pm (free swing lesson at 6pm)
So ya wanna Dance? Don’t miss this return to yesteryear!
The Diamond Gala is a reimagined throwback to the previous balls and promenades held by the festival. Special guests are Good Shot Judy, the Mid-Atlantic’s number one high octane swing band. The big amp jazz band delivers classic vocal jazz, recreating a nightclub feeling during a time when Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin graced stages. It’s all about the glitz and glamour when the band with a full brass section, percussion, and vocals performs swinging hits.
The event will include an opportunity before the dinner for audience members to brush up on old-fashioned swing dance moves by taking lessons with professionally trained instructors from Appalachian Ballroom.
A three-tier menu tickets offer guests the choice of meals at different prices. The first tier offers vegetarian or chicken; the second tier features salmon; and the third tier is filet mignon. The full dinner with dessert also offers a cash bar.
A tuxedo is not required, but guests are encouraged to wear semi-formal to formal attire. “A formal evening to dress to the nines, show off your partner, reconnect, or simply just cut loose is sometimes the best medicine,” said Ritchie. “Hopefully, our patrons will find that in our offering of excellent dining and entertainment, and make a night to remember.”
Tuatha Dea Live in Concert - FREE
When: Saturday, July 27: 6:30-9:30pm
Where: Delta Blues BBQ, Abingdon Commons
We are proud to partner with Tumbling Creek Cider Company and Delta Blues BBQ for this awesome concert! Come out and listen to one of the most popular musical acts on the coast and enjoy some of the best BBQ Abingdon has to offer. With a full bar, featuring Tumbling Creek ciders in their loft, Delta Blues is the place to be on July 27. We are bringing this awesome concert to you free of charge! So don’t sweat the cover and order an extra app whilst enjoying the band!
Combining primal rhythms, melodic and ethereal ballads, screaming guitar riffs with an Appalachian/Celtic vibe this FAMILY born of a family drum circle delivers an authentic tribal and clannish feel that not only draws the audience into the music but into the moment and clan as well.
In 2017 Tuatha Dea became part of The New Bristol Sessions, a collaboration celebrating the historic 1927 Sessions along with folks like Dolly Parton, Virginia Ground, 49 Winchester and more! Their rhythmic groove and interaction naturally inspires audience participation which has become a staple of their performances. From the beginning the band has embraced its Celtic heritage and meshed the traditional music of Scotland and Ireland with their own bold blend of mainstream rock, mountain drumming and Appalachian blues to produce a truly unique sound that has a universal appeal! Dubbed “The Eclectic Steam-Punk Partridge Family in Kilts and Corsets” and “The Appalachian Fae”, this band is REAL family!
Comedian Rhapsody by The Second City
When: Tuesday, July 30, 8pm
Where: Barter Theatre’s Gilliam Stage
Tickets: $45 available at Barter online, box office, and at door if available
COMEDY LEGEND, THE SECOND CITY, RETURNS TO THE
VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS FESTIVAL WITH THEIR NEWEST REVIEW,
COMEDIAN RHAPSODY, FOR A ONE NIGHT ENGAGEMENT.
Is this real life? Is this just fantasy? This comedic landslide promises to be an escape from reality! Comedian Rhapsody is a ground-breaking showcase of classic sketches and songs from the company's deep comedy archive, fresh new favorites, as well as the signature hilarious improv that made The Second City infamous. Brought to life by the dynamic Second City Touring Company, this show is a celebration of the comedic genius that has graced our stages for over six decades.
Rooted in the groundbreaking improvisational games of Viola Spolin, The Second City opened its doors on a snowy Chicago night in December of 1959, and a comedy revolution began. The small cabaret theater has grown to become the most influential and prolific comedy empire in the world, developing an entirely unique way of creating art and fostering generation after generation of superstars. Co-founded by Spolin’s son, Paul Sills, along with Howard Alk and Bernie Sahlins, The Second City was experimental and unconventional in its approach to both theater and comedy. Almost immediately, alumni of The Second City, including Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, Fred Willard, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, launched the theater into the international spotlight. Additional alumni such as Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, and Keegan-Michael Key, The Second City has an unmatched track record of launching the careers of comedy superstars.
75th Anniversary Concert featuring Clint Black — LIVE IN CONCERT — with two special guests, Lance Stinson & Mason Ramsey
When: Saturday, August 3: 6:00pm -10:30pm
Where: The Moonlite Drive-In Theatre & Venue
This pinnacle music performance of the 75th Virginia Highlands Festival is sure to be the biggest show in SWVA for 2024! We are so pleased to announce a partnership with The Moonlite Drive-In Theatre & Venue, newly renovated to its former glory!
“When trying to schedule music events for the festival, the venue has always been challenging. Enter Kyle Blevins. The Blevins family purchased the Drive-In this year with plans of restoration to bring this icon back to the community. However, Kyle had a little more in mind – thinking outside the box to eventually bring in bands, festivals, and other family events to compliment his lineup of both new and throwback movies.
It was fate! When I first met Kyle, we both immediately knew we had a special collaboration as IT WAS BOTH OUR 75TH ANNIVERSARY! Although we are not able to release the name of the artists at this time, you definitely want to stay tuned to our website for the official press release. Artists that take months of logistics and negotiations are sure to wow, right? Mark your calendars because it’s sure to be a concert you do not want to miss!
All proceeds from ticket sales go right back to The Moonlite for their massive renovations that you’ll be sure to enjoy for date night, family night, or any night!”
-Seth Ritchie, Music Chair
And so it begins this summer….a new tradition brought to you by two grand ‘ole institutions!
Mason Ramsey
Lance Stinson
