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Holiday Hootenanny 14 @ Variety Playhouse on 12/21! Schedule Listed Below

15 Dec

Date: Sunday, December 21, 2025 @ Variety Playhouse

Time: 6 PM Doors / 7 PM Showtime

Tickets: $30 GA ADV/$40 RES ADV CLICK HERE // To avoid large fees, you can purchase at the Variety Playhouse box office M-F 2-6 PM or during shows. Also, you can go to other Zero Mile venue box offices including Terminal WestThe Eastern and The Georgia Theatre.

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Schedule (Subject to change)

Set 1 (7 – 7:50 PM)

Yes Ma’am Family Band feat. Caroline Aiken, Diane Durrett, Donna Hopkins & Liz Melendez

Set 2 (8 – 9:20 PM)

Part I (8 – 8:15) – Jason Carter & Bronwyn Keith-Hynes Fiddle Duo

Part II (8:15 – 8:45) – Jim Lauderdale Bluegrass (Steve Poltz joins)

Part III (8:45 – 9:20) Jim Lauderdale Electric

Live Auction (9:20 – 9:25 PM) – Seth Weiner, our Live Auctioneer

Drums for Count & Rico (9:30-9:40 PM)

Set III (9:50 – 11:30 PM)

Part I (9:50-10:10) – Steve Poltz

Part II (10:10 – 11:30) – Poltz > Oliver Wood > Wood/Rev. Jeff Mosier & Friends

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Folks we are right on the cusp of quite a memorable night of music and collaborations that will leave you wanting more! The silent auction, brought to you by the amazing team at Positive Legacy, will be up and running by no later than Wednesday. There are some great items to bid on! There will also be a link to donate directly to Atlanta Habitat on behalf of the Holiday Hootenanny. This is a wonderful annual event, and I sure hope you can make it! Happy Holidays everyone!

Tickets

Positive Legacy Joins Holiday Hootenanny 14 Team + New Show Announced!

20 Nov

Date: 12/21/25

Where: Variety Playhouse

Tickets: $30 GA ADV/$40 RES ADV CLICK HERE // To avoid large fees, you can purchase at the Variety Playhouse box office M-F 2-6 PM or during shows. Also, you can go to other Zero Mile venue box offices including Terminal West, The Eastern and The Georgia Theatre.

TDawg Presents is excited to announce a partnership with the wonderful non-profit organization Positive Legacy to bring back the silent auction for the Holiday Hootenanny! A staple of the show for many years, it will be nice to have the silent auction back in the mix, as there were always some great items!

Positive Legacy integrates music and service to benefit people and the planet. They provide grants for environmental and humanitarian service projects fueled by the power of music, and they transcend cultural boundaries by attending to the needs and aspirations of the communities where music happens. They create sustainable support through action from musicians and fans. They have worked directly with Cloud 9 on events such as Jam Cruise, String & Sol & Panic En La Playa as well as the kind folks from Mempho, among many other events. We are extremely honored to have them on board with the Holiday Hootenanny!

In addition to Positive Legacy, we welcome back the talents of Seth Weiner, better known these days as “Your Rocktioneer“, calling the live auction for an autographed guitar, signed by everyone participating in Holiday Hootenanny 14!

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TDawg Presents is extremely excited to present its first show of the year on January 10 at the Red Light Cafe! Featuring up and coming band The Wilder Flower, which is fronted by recent Davidson College graduate and fiddlin’ Rhodes Scholar Madeline Dierauf and banjoist Molly Johnson, the night kicks off with a set of music by well-seasoned ATL bluegrass musicians Leah Calvert on fiddle, Michael Smith on mandolin, and Ian Newberry on guitar. Fireworks are going to happen by the end of the night! We hope that you can make it out for this incredible evening and the first TDawg Presents show of 2026!

Tickets: $20 ADV // CLICK HERE

Enjoy this video of The Wilder Flower performing their song “Grandpa’s Coat” This is going to be a great night!

Holiday Hootenanny 14 Lineup Update! Bronwyn Keith-Hynes joins the Hootenanny Family!

15 Oct

Where: Variety Playhouse

Date: Sunday, December 21, 2025

Time: Doors 6 PM / Showtime 7 PM

Tickets CLICK HERE ~ ADV: $30 Gen Adm – $40 Res // Day of Show: $45 Gen Adm – $55 Res

We are thrilled to announce that Bronwyn Keith-Hynes is joining the Holiday Hootenanny lineup! Sparks

are sure to fly in the musical vortex that is the Holiday Hootenanny, as Bronwyn teams up with her husband, fiddler Jason Carter throughout the evening! The complete lineup is below:

Oliver Wood (Wood Brothers, King Johnson)

Jim Lauderdale 

Steve Poltz 

Yes Ma’am Family Band feat. Caroline AikenDiane DurrettDonna Hopkins & Liz Melendez 

Rev. Jeff Mosier (Blueground Undergrass, Col Bruce & ARU, Jeff Mosier Ensemble) 

Jason Carter (formerly Del McCoury Band, The Traveling McCourys)

Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway)

Tyler “Falcon” Greenwell (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Col Bruce & The Codetalkers) 

Ted Pecchio (Col Bruce & The Codetalkers) 

Gaurav Malhotra (Jeff Mosier Ensemble)

Johnny Mosier (Blueground Undergrass, Jeff Mosier Ensemble)

Richie Jones (The Ain’t Sisters)

Kathie Holmes (Blue Velvet, Jeff Mosier Ensemble) 

Jared Womack (Grass is DeadSmokey’s Farmland Band)

Zambi Horns feat. Danny Wytanis (Ghost-noteKem), Paul Garrett & Noah Sills 

Bobby Miller (Virginia Dare Devils)

Matt Williams (Pickled Holler, Jeff Mosier Ensemble)

Bill Fleming 

Emcee Wildman Steve

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Tickets CLICK HERE

Here’s a fun clip from 2018 featuring an on-fire Orange Blossom Special featuring Larry Keel, Jason Carter, Lyndsay Pruett, John Mailander & Jeff Mosier!

April/Early May Upcoming Shows

9 Apr

Howdy y’all! Spring is here, let the musical craziness begin! Music is a healing source for EVERYONE, no matter the path you take. Here is a path that I’m offering, and I hope to see you out and about!

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The Blanket Concert Series @ Reed House, (3080 Atlanta Rd SE), Smyrna

Saturday, April 12 ~ Funk Cake, 6:30-8:30 PM, FREE, BYOB

Funk Cake was launched in November of 2016 when band leader Alex Rodiek gathered some of the best brass and percussion players in Atlanta to start playing gigs around the city. Since then, Funk Cake has gained notoriety for their unique and unmistakable funky brass band sound, becoming a sought-after group for venues all over the state. Funk Cake brings the sizzle to their live shows by combining genre-bending arrangements with virtuosic soloing. You can catch them rocking out, especially during Mardi Gras season, or performing at some of the best known venues in Atlanta.

Funk Cake is known for high-energy, interactive performances that engage audiences and create prime social sharing opportunities. Funk Cake brings an enthusiastic crowd to each show and draws even more people in during performances with their New Orleans brass sound that can be heard for miles.

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The Weekend Wind Down Concert Series, City of Avondale Estates Town Green, 64 N. Avondale Rd

Sunday, April 13 ~ The Bird City Revolutinaries, 6-8 PM, FREE, BYOB (Vendors on site, too)

The Bird City Revolutionaries blend reggae, dub, Afro-funk, Ethiopian jazz, and psychedelic grooves to create a sound as dynamic and diverse as their members. Formed in October 2011, the band brings
together veteran musicians from some of Atlanta’s most beloved reggae, dub, and jazz projects, resulting in a genre-defying musical experience.

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Back Porch Concert Series, From the Earth Brewing, 1005 Holcomb Woods Pkwy, Roswell

Friday, April 25 ~ Zambilaya! Celebrating Col. Bruce Hampton’s Birthday

Tickets: $25 GA, $50 VIP Advance/$30 GA, $55 VIP @ Door, CLICK HERE to purchase

Time: Doors @ 7PM, Showtime 8PM

Come celebrate the Grandpappy of Jam Band music, Col. Bruce Hampton’s birthday! As we all know, we lost the Colonel way too early! We have created a Col. Bruce Hampton tribute with musicians that have all worked with him in some way! Doors at 7pm and showtime is 8pm.

The Band
Jeff Mosier (ARU, Blueground Undergrass, Jeff Mosier Ensemble)
Jeff “Apt. Q258” Sipe (ARU, Leftover Salmon, Jeff Sipe Trio)
Grant Green Jr. (Masters of Groove)
John Mailander (Madrid Express, Bruce Hornsby, Billy Strings, Jeff Mosier Ensemble)
Johnny Mosier (Blueground Undergrass, Jeff Mosier Ensemble)
Ted Pecchio (The Codetalkers, Donna the Buffalo, Oliver Wood Trio)
Guarav Malhotra (Count M’Butu, Grant Green Jr., Jeff Mosier Ensemble, Capt. Soularcat)
Tyler Neal (Madrid Express, Tyler Neal Band)
Matt Williams (Jeff Mosier Ensemble, Pickled Holler, Capt. Soularcat)

Zambi Horns
Bryan Lopes (Apt Projects feat. Apt. Q258 & Lincoln Metcalfe)
Daniel Wytanis (Madrid Express, Ghost Note)
Paul Garrett (Bumpin’ The Mango)

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Thursday, May 1 ~ Mason Via w/ special guest Ralph Roddenbery @ Red Light Cafe

Tickets: $20 ADV/$25 Door

Time: Doors @ 7PM, Showtime 8PM

TDawg Presents is proud to present former member of Old Crow Medicine Show, Grammy-nominated artist Mason Via, who has branched out to create his own mark!

“Mason Via is one of the best of the new generation of bluegrass players and this album makes that perfectly clear. Driving mash grass, sweet ballads, new bluegrass classic songs and country hits that could well end up on the radio are all right here in your hand. Mason goes a bit beyond traditional grass with some unusual progressions and surprising arrangements making these songs a delight to any ear whether familiar with bluegrass or not. With this his first bluegrass record, Mason is stepping out on his own and his future is “wide open” .You’re gonna hear a lot from this guy, enjoy your first taste!”

—Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon

It took four quick years for Mason Via to become one of the newest leaders of modern-day American roots music. During that whirlwind period, he toured the world as a member of Old Crow Medicine Show, earned a Grammy nomination for his work on the band’s chart-topping album Jubilee, contributed songs to Grammy Winning and Nominated records by Molly Tuttle and Del McCoury Band, and released his solo debut, New Horizons. The momentum continues with Mason Via, a self-titled solo record that balances the progressive with the timeless, reintroducing Mason as a southern storyteller and sharp-eyed singer/songwriter steeped in the bluegrass tradition.

By the early 2020s, he’d already flown the flag for bluegrass and folk music on prime-time TV as an American Idol contestant, completed multiple tours as the youngest member of Old Crow Medicine Show, and collaborated with artists like Sierra Ferrell — another Appalachian export who, like him, put her own spin on the music of the mountains.

Mason’s new self-titled recording is absoulutely fantastic, full of soul and fine picking.

Local favorite Ralph Roddenbery kicks off the evening with what promises to be a top tier set of brilliant and witty songwriting. This is going to be a fantastic night! 

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Saturday, May 10 ~ Donna the Buffalo w/ special guests Tire Fire Trio @ Music on Main Street

Tickets: $35 Click Here to purchase!

Time: Doors 6PM, Showtime 7PM

TDawg Presents, Music On Main Street & Grace Note Foundation are excited to announce the return of Donna the Buffalo to the outdoor stage! Two years ago, they took the stage and wow was it a night to remember. DtB brings blends of roots, folk-rock, reggae, rock, Cajun, zydeco, and folk for a show that is as much a party as it is a concert. History runs deep with TDawg Presents, dating all the way back to Oct 10, 1998 and the 1st Annual Harvest Fest in Fairburn, GA. It’s great to have them back in a wonderful outdoor setting.

Tire Fire Trio brings Appalachian Tire Burning Bluegrass Fusion from the South-East and is a perfect compliment to the rockin’ roots music of DtB!

Proceeds to benefit the Grace Note Foundation, which provides scholarships for band camp and music lessons at MOMS as well as financial aid to musicians in need, primarily for medical purposes.

10th Annual Holiday Hootenanny 2 Weeks Away!

6 Dec

**We are thrilled to announce that there will be an online silent auction as part of this year’s festivities, with proceeds going to Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. The auction will go live by Friday, December 17! Stay tuned for details!**

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Date: Sunday, December 19, 2021

Venue: Variety Playhouse

Tickets: $35 ADV GA/$45 ADV RESERVED, $45 DOOR GA/$55 DOOR RESERVED. On Sale Now CLICK HERE! No Fee if purchased at the Box Office during shows or Tue-Fri 2-6P

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We are only two weeks away from pure musical bliss for a great cause! 2021 has been a difficult year for so many of us, and I can tell that personally I am really looking forward to the Holiday Hoot on so many fronts. Music heals, and I have no doubt that you will emerge from this concert with a feeling of hope that you didn’t have before, and you will be a part of an amazing audience who, along with the musicians, create an atmosphere of love, friendship and family in a climate of conflict that continues to permeate our society.

Purchase Tickets Here

Expect some fantastic jams by the fine folks performing for you. All the sets are coming together nicely right now, and we will be featuring Ike Stubblefield’s Hammond B3 all night long to be used by keyboardist extraordinaires Matt Slocum and Kevin Thomas. Let’s just say you’ll be witnessing some musical nirvana moments that won’t happen again!

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Please Click Here to go to the Variety Playhouse Venue Protocol surrounding Covid-19.

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Enjoy this fantastic set from the 2019 edition of the Holiday Hootenanny. The tribute to Johnny Knapp was nothing short of a masterpiece, led by the graceful and classy Jez Graham. Thanks to Andy Estes for the video. Zambi

Purchase Tickets Here

TDawg Presents Friday Night Music at The Marlay House in Decatur, GA!

6 Apr

As live music (in person!) gratefully and thankfully makes its way back into our lifeline, TDawg Presents is excited to bring you Friday night music at The Marlay House, 426 W. Ponce de Leon Ave, in Decatur, GA on April 9, 16 and 30 as well as May 7! We are blessed with so much talent on the local level and it’s great to get our musicians back out playing. Music will go 6:30-9PM, and there is NO COVER. However, tips to the band are welcome! Music will be outside! There is ample space under an open tent and on the patio.

April 9 ~ The Bonaventure Quartet

April 16 ~ Grant Green Jr. feat. Gaurav Malhotra (percussion)

April 30 ~ Donna Hopkins

May 7 ~ Ralph Roddenbery

Enjoy a fine selection of draught and bottled/canned beers as well as wine and a full bar. The menu features traditional Irish and pub fare as well as weekly specials. Hope to see you there! Cheers!

2019 – What a HOOT!

30 Dec

Such a Night, It’s Such a Night. So says Dr. John, and so was the 9th Annual Holiday Hootenanny. I am happy to announce that Atlanta Habitat for Humanity will receive $6,500 from the event! A special thanks goes out to our sponsors – McGriff Insurance Services, Springer Mountain Farms, Creature Comforts Brewing Co., Tito’s Vodka – and those who made private donations. Y’all really helped to make this one a magical event.

Every year I am blown away by the level of talent that IS the Atlanta music community. For the last nine years, we have come together to celebrate our community, the joy of being around those we love but don’t necessarily get to see very often, and we sprinkle the celebration with a few out of town guests who belong with the rest of us. Thus was the most recent edition of the Holiday Hootenanny.

From the first note of the evening courtesy of Jeff Sipe and The State Birds, I knew we were all in for quite a musical journey. Joined by Leah Calvert and Ike Stubblefield, the tone was established for the rest of the evening. As the State Birds concluded, Count M’Butu made his way out onto the stage, and although he is unable to shred the percussions, the man still captivates the stage with grace and dignity. He dug right into singing “Stormy Monday” followed by a story session while drums and percussion abound paying tribute to our good friend the late Yonrico Scott. Yonrico’s presence was felt all night.

Jim Lauderdale was on fire for his set, dropping to his knees towards the end as he was belting out song after song he co-wrote with the late Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. There was quite a lineup there supporting him from the get go as he went from acoustic to bluegrass to full on electric with horns and pedal steel. We’ve had the same players backing Jim each year on the electric front and it pays off to have that continuity.

The tribute to Johnny Knapp, carefully crafted by Jez Graham, was nothing short of phenomenal and reflected a true love of the man, the musician. Johnny was a very complicated jazz musician, and Jez portrayed that quality as fine as could be done. His tribute to Johnny went directly into a collection of songs led by Jez and Rev. Jeff Mosier that Johnny and Col. Bruce really enjoyed performing together, including Space is the Place, I’m So Glad (featuring Donna Hopkins on vocals and guitar). Ike Stubblefield returned to the stage for this segment as well. Needless to say, my jaw was dropped by this time.

The final set was a fitting way to end it, featuring Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman from Leftover Salmon, the great Larry Keel, Acoustic Syndicate’s Steve “Big Daddy” McMurry, Jason Carter from The Del McCoury Band, David Grisman Quintet alum Joe Craven, and so much more! Whereas a festival will bring everyone on stage for the finale, the 9th Holiday Hootenanny concluded with a 1 hr 20 min finale that included a lengthy drum/percussion session and some of the finest jams I’ve witnessed in a long time. Ralph Roddenbery came on stage to wrap up the evening with a rockin’ version of “Maude Only Knows”, co-written by Scott Mecredy and Michael Hurwitz and performed by Leftover Salmon. The stage was so full of love by the end of the night, and for that I am simply grateful.

I would have to say that Jingle Joe Craven was quite the X-Factor for the evening, adding his explosive fiddle to all facets of the evening. What a pleasure to have him on board for this year’s edition. The fact that we can have this caliber of musician, and I mean EVERYONE on board this year, each and every year of the Holiday Hootenanny bodes well for the future and longevity of this wonderful annual holiday occasion that has become our own holiday party. Happy New Year and can’t wait until the 10th Annual Holiday Hootenanny!

Holiday Hootenanny (12/18) is 1 Week Out! Also Things You Might Not Know

11 Dec

Tickets: Gen Adm $35 ADV / $45 Door, Reserved $45 ADV / $55 Door. Available online through Variety Playhouse and at their Box Office (M-F Noon-6 PM and on show nights)

Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Where: Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

When: Showtime 7PM, Doors @ 6PM

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Things you should know about the 9th Annual Holiday Hootenanny

1. Every Holiday Hootenanny is different yet offers that same insane musical energy that has defined many of us here in the ATL. We continue to embody the spirit of the late Col. Bruce Hampton, who inspired so many of us to “let it ride, let it roll, let it flow!” I find it impossible not to live life with that as a premise at the top of the list. The Bruce banner will be hung!

2. The Johnny Knapp Tribute will be a two-part segment. The first will feature jazz the way that Johnny played it. This is going to be an incredibly special time. That portion will lead into the second half of the set featuring music that Col. Bruce and Johnny loved playing together. Those two gentlemen meant so much to each other and anyone around them or felt the magic created by these two masters of Zambi.

3. Expect the unexpected. For any of y’all who have been to all of the Holiday Hoots, a handful, or if last year was your first one, you know that is trademark. The final jam is going to be one for the books! I’ll leave it at that.

4. Jim Lauderdale will be performing a full set broken down into solo acoustic > bluegrass > full electric with horns. All of the songs featured he co-wrote with the late Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. This will truly be a remarkable experience to witness.

5. Jeff Sipe and the State Birds featuring Ike Stubblefield, Bryan Lopes, Neal Fountain, Mike Seal, and special guests is about as amazing a way to get the show going. Jeff is one of the finest drummers in the world, and we’re fortunate to have him on board fairly regularly with the Holiday Hootenanny! Check out this fine video of the State Birds minus Ike in an intimate setting. They have a vast knowledge of music so who knows (except for them) what they’re going to do! Soooo much talent.

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Holiday Hootenanny Schedule (subject to change)

6 PM: Doors open

7-7:55 PM: Jeff Sipe & The State Birds feat. Ike Stubblefield, Bryan Lopes, Neal Fountain & Mike Seal and some friends

8:10-9:25 PM: Jim Lauderdale (acoustic, bluegrass & electric), feat. the Zambi Horns and performing music co-written with the late Robert Hunter

9:55-10:55 PM: A Tribute to Johnny Knapp by Jez Graham + quite a few special guests

11:15 PM-12:30 AM: THE JAM feat. Drew Emmitt, Vince Herman, Larry Keel, Steve ‘Big Daddy’ McMurry, Rev. Jeff Mosier, Jason Carter, Jeff Sipe & more!

Holiday Hootenanny 2 weeks out! Set News included

5 Dec

Tickets: Gen Adm $35 ADV / $45 Door, Reserved $45 ADV / $55 Door. Available online through Variety Playhouse and at their Box Office (M-F Noon-6 PM and on show nights)

Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Where: Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

When: Showtime 7PM, Doors @ 6PM

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Have you purchased your ticket to the 9th Annual Holiday Hootenanny ~ A Benefit for Atlanta Habitat yet? It’s a great way to support any live show if you know you are going. This is going to be an amazing show with some fantastic musical highlights that will satisfy your needs until next year’s edition! Plenty of sit-ins throughout the evening, enough to quench your thirst for one-of-a-kind jams and times with friends and family.

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Jim Lauderdale has a real treat for you this year. His entire set will consist of songs he co-wrote with the late lyricist for the Grateful Dead, Robert Hunter. Y’all this 75 minutes of original music will truly be a one-of-a-kind, with acoustic, bluegrass & electric with horns segments all coming together.

To follow this with a tribute to the late Johnny Knapp, truly loved by many in the music community musicians and fans alike, is going to be a remarkable journey through music history. There will be two sides to the Johnny Knapp set – 1) Jazz as seen through the eyes of Johnny Knapp by Jez Graham; 2) Songs that Col. Bruce Hampton & Johnny Knapp loved performing together. Those two men had such mutual admiration and impact musically on each other that it’s hard to mention one without the other.

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Holiday Hootenanny Schedule

6 PM: Doors open

7-7:50 PM: Jeff Sipe & The State Birds feat. Ike Stubblefield, Brian Lopes, Neal Fountain & Mike Seal and some friends

8:10-9:25 PM: Jim Lauderdale (acoustic, bluegrass & electric), feat. the Zambi Horns and performing music co-written with the late Robert Hunter

9:55-10:55 PM: A Tribute to Johnny Knapp by Jez Graham + quite a few special guests

11:15 PM-12:30 AM: THE JAM feat. Drew Emmitt, Vince Herman, Larry Keel, Steve ‘Big Daddy’ McMurry, Rev. Jeff Mosier, Jason Carter, Jeff Sipe, Jared Womack, Neal Fountain & more!

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Here’s a nice one from 2012 featuring The Mosier Brothers and a whole bunch of friends. Enjoy!

Holiday Hootenanny Schedule Released!

16 Oct

Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Where: Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

When: Showtime 7PM, Doors @ 6PM

Tickets: Gen Adm $35 ADV / $45 Door, Reserved $45 ADV / $55 Door. Available Friday, August 30 @ 10 AM online through Variety Playhouse and at their Box Office (M-F Noon-6 PM and on show nights)

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Holiday Hootenanny Schedule

6 PM: Doors open

7-7:50 PM: Jeff Sipe & The State Birds feat. Ike Stubblefield, Brian Lopes, Neal Fountain & Mike Seal and some friends

8:10-9:25 PM: Jim Lauderdale (bluegrass & electric), feat. the Zambi Horns

9:55-11 PM: A Tribute to Johnny Knapp by Jez Graham + quite a few special guests

11:15 PM-12:30 AM: THE JAM feat. Drew Emmitt, Vince Herman, Larry Keel, Steve ‘Big Daddy’ McMurry, Rev. Jeff Mosier, Jason Carter, Jeff Sipe, Jared Womack, Neal Fountain & more!

(schedule is subject to change)

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Enjoy this mighty fine full set video of The Larry Keel Experience from the John Hartford Memorial Festival in early June, 2019!

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!