The Infamous Stringdusters Cover Hallowed Ground for Double-Header at VanHoy Farms

North Carolina-based event production company Mtn Roots Management partners with the roots music landmark, VanHoy Farms, to bring Grammy Award-winning jam-grass outfit The Infamous Stringdusters to the foothills of Harmony, North Carolina for a socially distanced performance.

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Spanning two nights—Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24—the Friday event features special guests Sierra Hull & Justin Moses and Saturday welcomes The Travelin’ McCourys. Together, these artists join a long history of treasured live music experiences at VanHoy Farms’ 107-acre property.

The historic campsite is tied to the Union Grove Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention. First hosted in 1924 by H.P. VanHoy, the fiddlin’ convention began as a way to raise money for the new school in Union Grove, North Carolina. By the early 1950s, the annual event had grown from about 200 attendees to over 8,500. In the 1960s-1970s with the help of H.P VanHoy’s son, J. Pierce VanHoy, the Union Grove Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention had become nationally known and had a peak attendance exceeding 100,000. Due to the increasing crowd sizes, in 1970 the convention was moved from the Union Grove School to VanHoy Farms as the World Championship Fiddlers’ Convention hosted and produced by J. Pierce VanHoy.

Over the years, VanHoy Farms has had several noteworthy music moments which include appearances by Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Tony Rice, David Grisman, to name a few. Casey Van Hoy, the third generation operator of this family property, hopes to breathe new life into the revered space, continuing the foot-stomping traditions of live bluegrass music. The Infamous Stringdusters’ event is the first of several weekends Casey will host this year as part of the resurrecting process—The VanHoy Farms Revival Music Series.

“This is more than just a response to the pandemic situation,” says Bob Robertson, owner of Mtn Roots Management. “Our goal this year is to do a few more shows throughout 2021. We’re trying to look to build ourselves up so that by 2022 we can be more of a force in the concert music industry.”

Robertson, who has overseen operations of Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Electric Forest, sees promise in reviving the roots of this foothills farm. When he got the bug again, the industry vet decided it was time to bring VanHoy back to its former glory. 

“Music is such a way of life in Western North Carolina, even into Eastern Tennessee,” he continues. “Yes, there is music everywhere, it’s important all over. But it really is a way of life where people here live it. It’s not just buying the ticket when the big name comes to town. It’s the people here that go to the local brewery every other night to hear and support whoever is playing.”

With public health at the forefront, event organizers have developed a “pod-style” ticketing structure with 8×10 viewing plots available for purchase. Tickets range from $200-$320 for a group of four, and pods will be spaced six feet apart on each side. Additional measures will include requiring masks to be worn anywhere outside of the pods, mobile beverage sales, and a food pre-order system to limit contact.

Travis Book, songwriter and bassist for The Infamous Stringdusters, says the new pod model emerging in the live music industry is “certainly different.” But, as compared to people congregating around cars during previous drive-in shows, the pod-style event is much more sustainable, and possibly further groundbreaking. 

“To me, it works,” says Book. “The experience is really cool, and feels like a normal festival with more space. The older I get, the less interested I am in being in a crowd like that. Maybe this changes things. It may put the impetus on fans being a little more selective of where they go. There is a demand now, so fans might pay a premium for a little more space.”

He sees the pandemic as an opportunity to reimagine the entire industry. Book urges that music fans have already been changing where and how they consume music. Throughout the past year, Book hosted The Travis Book Happy Hour, a weekly livestream series where he performs with friends and guests, keeping a pulse on his digital audience. 

“People were already driven inside before COVID, and now more than ever people are at home. If you perform predominantly on one platform, you’re only opening yourself up to 20% of your fans. There are music fans everywhere, so where do you want to meet them, spend your energy, and engage with them?”

A fully immersed weekend at the legendary VanHoy Farms site is a dream for live music connoisseurs. The pod-tickets ensure well-deserved VIP experience after a year without the much-desired connection that comes from a real audience facing their favorite musicians on stage. 

Purchase tickets to see The Infamous Stringdusters with special guests Sierra Hull & Justin Moses and The Travelin’ McCourys at VanHoy Farms Family Campground on Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24, here. Find more information about the limited number of pod-style ticket packages and precautionary social distancing measures, here.

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