MUSIC
GET OFF THE GRID FEST offers 3 unique music stages!
MAIN STAGE
Experience national and regional acts performing original music, crafted outside the mainstream.
DANCE PAVILION
Get your morning moving with Yoga and Tai chi! Beat-driven music to inspire movement and flow flood this space later in the day.
ELDERBERRY JAM
Enjoy a cornucopia of sounds by local musicians and spoken word artists as well as whimsical nature-based performances for all ages!
MAIN STAGE LINEUP
FRIDAY
SOLAR FAMILY JAM: DONNA HOPKINS,
RALPH RODDENBERRY & FRIENDS
These musicians have been sharing stages and bandmates for so long, it had to come to this – an evening with some of the most tenacious and talented troubadours in the region. With a backline of solid players such as Richie and Tommy Jones, Justin Boudreaux and a coterie of stellar guitarists who lift the rootsy and soulful songs that compose these songwriters’ repertoire into the rafters, this performance promises to be memorable. Look for vocal contributions from Samantha Alessi-Jones and Sydni Cook, chanteuses in their own right. 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
THE GET DOWN JUNKIES
Don’t miss this locally-based group with band members hailing from Spartanburg and Greenville. They’ll be vibe setting as Festival openers on the Main Stage. Be sure to wear your dancing shoes — they’re all about the funk and creating good vibes! 6:15 PM – 7:45 PM
SATURDAY
DARRELL SCOTT’S ELECTRIFYING TRIO
Son of musician Wayne Scott, multi-instrumentalist, producer, performer and songwriter, Darrell has journeyed far from his Kentucky home during his 40+ year career. He has released a half-dozen albums and performed on stages grand and intimate as well as had his songs covered by over 70 fellow musicians. He is making a debut appearance at GET OFF THE GRID FEST with his band including stellar bassist Bryn Davies and legendary percussionist Jeff Sipe. 9:30 PM – 11:30 PM
AMANDA PLATT AND THE HONEYCUTTERS
The music of this Asheville-based outfit is nuanced and cut with soulful compassion. Lyrically driven, they demonstrate a strong commitment to their country roots. Platt’s songwriting is fueled by an empathetic and charming wit that inspires introspection, whether it be about life on the road, heartache, or hope. She has a knack for accessing a deep well of emotion and is backed by Matt Smith (pedal steel and electric guitars), Rick Cooper (bass/vocals), Evan Martin (drums/vocals), and Kevin Williams (keys/vocals). 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
STRUNG LIKE A HORSE
Aside from having the catchiest name of any group on the regional festival circuit, these artists are among the brightest lights in the sonic constellation of Chattanooga, TN. Constantly evolving, the group has appeared at every GET OFF THE GRID FEST but never with the same line-up. The iteration of the band taking the Main Stage for this year’s fest is fronted by singer-songwriter and spiritual leader, Clay Massell, backed by bass guitar ace, Danimal, multi-instrumentalist Tyler Martelli and a team of solid percussionists. Their music is a kaleidoscope of genres including countrified rock, and gypsy-jazz with a twist of choreographed burlesque. 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
diane durrett & soul suga
The Avatar of Blue-eyed Soul, Diane Durrett has been intimately involved in the Nashville and Atlanta music scenes without succumbing to the more derivative and commercial aspects of those two recording hubs. Far from formulaic, her original compositions are unique and bear a certain mystique amplified by the solid percussion work of Junebug and keyboardist Yoel, as well as surprise guest artists who supplement her soulful performances. 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
THE SHADY RECRUITS
The Shady Recruits are a musical genre-bending ensemble of veteran musicians from the South East. Based in Greenville, the collective is comprised of David Katilius on bass, Jack Ryan on drums, Marcus White on keys, Joseph Pizzolato on guitar, Justin Johnson on horns and vocals, and Chris Spies on sax. After touring the East Coast, the band recently released the album Incognito. The Shady Recruits are reaching new fans daily across the globe and is primed to cement themselves as a premier band and must-see act! 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
SUNDAY
SOL DRIVEN TRAIN
Sol Driven Train hails from the low country around Charleston South Carolina. They bring their high-energy vibe to every stage on which they perform with compositions that run the spectrum from playful tunes like “The Watermelon Song” to impassioned pleas for their audiences to become deeply involved in protecting the planet and practicing sustainability. Members of the group ‘walk the talk’ and are actively involved in environmental projects and organizations in the region. They’re the closing band on the Main Stage on Sunday just as they were at the 2019 GET OFF THE GRID FEST at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC. 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
NATTI LOVE JOYS
From the Blue Mountains of Jamaica to the Smokies of east Tennessee and onto the rolling Cherokee Hills of the Carolinas, Natti Lovejoys share their unique and original reggae music for their fourth festival appearance. A contemporary and fellow Wailer with Bob Marley bassist JahTi collaborates with his partner Marla (keyboard and vocals) as well as their daughter Bemi who has launched her own album and career this year. Backed by a coterie of musical friends their performance, as the name suggests, has plenty of ‘love’ and ‘joy’ built in. 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
THE MOSIER BROTHERS
“The Rev” Jeff Mosier is the founding member of Blueground Undergrass, a music pioneer that merged bluegrass instruments and traditional tunes with the magnetic energy of rock and roll by combining bluegrass purism with jam band sensibilities. The Mosier Brothers served as a middle ground between the traditional bluegrass flavored sound of Good Medicine and the “wall of twang” of Blueground Undergrass.
They still jam, but the lyrics and harmonies of The Mosier Brothers now sit in the front seat. Mosier says, “I hope The Mosier Brothers will open up new avenues for the original music me and my brother Johnny have played for more than a decade, allowing us to better tell our stories and bring our experience into a connection with the people and audiences of the ever-growing and eclectic world of Americana; a music world that holds great value in preserving live music’s value in our world and culture.” 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
DANCE PAVILION LINEUP
FRIDAY
JESS GOGGANS BAND
Jess Goggans has been breaking the sound barrier in clubs and venues across the southeast. She and her band serve up a tasty gumbo of bluesy originals and tributes to iconic artists such as Janis Joplin to whom Jess has been stylistically compared. This will be their fourth appearance at GET OFF THE GRID FEST. 9:45 PM – 11:30 PM
Hurt & skip
Band frontman, Shane Pruitt, hails from Spartanburg where the musical roots of the blues and southern rock have been living and breathing for years on end. This new tribal blues project also consists of Joe Power and Jason Phillips. Together, they combine Mississippi hill country blues with native polyrhythms to create a daring combination of the old mixed with the new that transcends genre to offer a unique fresh sound. 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
THE KNOTTY G’S
The Knotty G’s deliver gritty yet funky Americana roots-based performances that invite audiences to take part in the revelatory power of music. Known to approach genres in unconventional and jovial ways, their soul-soaked mountain music takes audiences to a special and reverent place. By the end of the show, you’ll feel as though you’ve reconnected with old friends. 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
SATURDAY
MAYHAYLEY’S GRAVE
Mayhayley’s Grave is anything but morbid and sepulchral as the name may imply. The music of this Southern Gothic Vaudeville and Burlesque twinged circusian, steam-punked group defies description. Fronted by a duo of powerful singers in James Davies and Demi Hartley and backed by their brazen bandmates, the group takes its audience on a journey between poles of the divine feminine and masculine-sometimes dark and foreboding, always energetic, the ride is magical. 9:45 PM – 11:30 PM
AIN’T SISTERS
Fun, eclectic folk rock. Fronted by the deliciously androgynous duo Arrie Bozeman and Barb Carbon, the Aints deliver high-energy performances of their wildly diverse original music. Joined by the hardest working men in rock n roll, Richie Jones on the Boom Chick thwackita whackita, and Justin Boudreau, aka BooDreamy, masterfully holding down the rhythm section and making everybody swoon with their gorgeous licks. Think Indigo Girls meets Dream Theater but with a little Birdcloud in the mix. 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
SOL DANCE
This Atlanta-based Ecstatic Dance collective offers a curated free-form movement experience dedicated to cultivating embodied community through dance, music, ritual and sound. Over the past three years, it’s become one of the most diverse and welcoming Ecstatic Dance communities in the world that consistently brings together dancers who range in age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and background. For their GET OFF THE GRID FEST debut, Sol Dance co-founders, Scott Houston and Maya Lemberg, are joined by AJ Nocito and Stephanie Kohler offering live percussion and a closing sound bath. 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
CHIKOMO MARIMBA
Chikomo Marimba is a high-energy and extremely danceable world percussion
ensemble based in Asheville. Playing for over a decade, they’re known for a unique sound, tight arrangements and infectiously joyful grooves. They perform traditional tunes from the Shona people of Zimbabwe along with modern African-inspired dance music played on wooden marimbas accompanied by drum kit and percussion. The marimbas range in size and are built using local hardwoods by the ensemble’s director, Steve Kemble. 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM
CUBanASONG
This Atlanta-based group with core members hailing from Matanzas, Cuba, the home of Danzon and Rumba, delivers a rich tapestry of rhythms with vocal harmonies and a spirit of improv. You can expect traditional Trova ballads, to various forms of Cuban dance music such as Son Montuno, Guarachas, Cha-cha-cha and modern Salsa. Sisters Judith and Lisset Rodés on vocals & percussion are joined by fellow Matanzas native, concertmaster Irina Vasquez on violin, Mick Kinney on piano and Elise Witt on vocal harmonies & percussion. 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
RANDY STEELE & HIGH COLD WIND
This high-energy bluegrass band based out of Chattanooga has performed throughout the Southeast with acts like Greensky Bluegrass, Yonder Mountain String Band, Town Mountain, Larry Keel, Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out, The Kody Norris Show, Nick Lutsko, and the Lonesome River Band. Joining Steele is Georgia music scene; flat pick wizard and member of Americana favorites Strung Like a Horse, Tyler Martelli, on acoustic guitar; multiple instrumental contest champion John Boulware on mandolin, and Slim Pickins Bluegrass’ Justin Hupp on upright bass. 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
ELISE WITT
Elise Witt is a living muse who has inspired her audiences and classes to lift their voices in song throughout the Americas and in Europe. With multiple albums in her discography she is versed in six languages and has shared stages with the likes of Bobby McFerrin, Jackson Browne, Terri Garthwaite and Nanci Griffith. Elise will bring her singing workshop, An Impromptu Glorious Chorus™ to GET OFF THE GRID FEST. 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM
SUNDAY
HEIDI JO & MO’
Heidi Jo & Mo’ provide an upbeat mix of original songs as well as originally done favorite and familiar tunes. Their eclectic style includes a mix of folk rock, pop, soul, and even a dose of bluegrass. The group centers around singer-songwriter Heidi Pollyea who also plays keys, guitar, and banjo as well as lead guitarist and backup vocalist Johanna Millin. Heidi and Johanna are accompanied by their bandmates (collectively known as “Mo”) to add bass, percussion, and auxiliary stringed instruments. This engaging group will definitely get you hoppin & boppin’ while you sing and/or dance along! 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
BAYOU DIESEL
This Asheville-based Cajun & Zydeco band has performed traditional and ‘progressive’ high-energy Louisiana-style dance music since 2002. The group has played nearly every major festival in North Carolina including appearances at Merlefest, Asheville’s Downtown After 5 and the Mecklenburg County Cajun/ Zydeco Festival in Charlotte. Their 2023 line-up features Trent Van Blaricom on fiddle, Renee Hopkins on guitar and rubboard, Lois Jolly on bass, Sam Webber on drums, and veteran organizer-lead vocalist Steve Burnside on 1-row & 3-row button accordions and electric guitar. With Cajun French lyrics and 3-part harmony, Bayou Diesel is the complete dance package! 2:15 PM – 3:45 PM
THE ABBEY ELMORE BAND
Ms. Elmore has come a long way to find her way back home to the Carolina Piedmont. Her career as a singer and composer began in middle school in Greenville, SC at the tender age of 14 when she started writing and recording her own songs. Now fronting a traveling band of musical brothers that performs throughout the region at a wide range of venues and events, she’ll bring her passionate and poignant stories in song to this year’s GET OFF THE GRID FEST. 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
ELDERBERRY JAM
FEATURED ARTISTS
mike rufo, Captive Eddies & music declares emergency
Mike Rufo is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from the San Francisco Bay area. Mike’s music is gripping and eclectic, reflecting an impassioned engagement with the world. His songs reflect a wide range of original and re-imagined traditional and contemporary songs, from poignant to powerful, from rockin’ to refined. He’ll be joined by Captive Eddies at Elderberry Jam from 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM on Saturday. The message of the Captive Eddies is rooted firmly in conscious, positive lyrics that aren’t afraid to face any issue in order to bring light to every aspect of the human heart.
Mike Rufo is also an energy-climate policy consultant and a member of Music Declares Emergency (MDE). He’s directed several national sustainable energy consultancies and is a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in sustainable energy. During the Festival, Mike will be sharing how MDE is working to use the power of music to address the climate emergency.
ANDREA ZOPPO/MS. LADYBUG
All-ages programming, curated by Andrea Zoppo (AKA Ms. Ladybug) of Follow Ladybug, will be showcased on Elderberry Jam and in the Gnome Zone from 10 AM – 2 PM on Saturday and Sunday. Ms. Ladybug is a PBS Early Learning Champion who has a passion for blending learning, play and wonder of our natural world!