Bluegrass, with its old timey sound of mandolin and banjo, has met the 21st century, thanks to groups like the DejaBlue Grass Band.
On July 22, this Atlanta-based “newgrass” group will be bringing their eclectic musical mashup to Villa Rica, as the second free concert of the summer season gets underway.
The rain-or-shine show will open at 7:30 p.m. with The Platonics, another Atlanta-based band, and run until about 10 p.m. at The MILL Amphitheater, 106 Temple St. Although the show is free, seating close to the stage can be reserved through freshtix.com .
Bluegrass has its origins in the 1940s, when it was popularized across the South by such pioneers as Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. In the decades since, however, the genre – which has always been a diverse blend of traditional music – has even further diversified into a modern form that aficionados call “newgrass.,” also known as “New Acoustic” or “Modern Newgrass.”
But whatever you want to call it, the DejaBlue Grass Band plays it. Their website, in fact, describes their sound as “handmade, foot-tappin’ feel-good ‘truegrass,’ piled high with pop and newgrass, lightly salted with some soul-shaking gospel.
The four-member ensemble consists of Rutland Walker (songwriter, guitar, mandolin, lead vocals); Mark Lehi Jones (upright bass, harmony vocals, sound engineer); Keith Stewart (fiddle); and Randy Rudderman (banjo, harmony vocals.)
All public parking lots downtown are free. Alcohol is only allowed at Main Street sponsored events when it is purchased inside Villa Rica’s entertainment district, and is contained in a plastic cup with the Main Street logo sold by the downtown establishments.
Coolers are allowed at The MILL but must not be larger than five quarts (six cans). Food is permitted, and concertgoers may set up low-profile chairs and blankets ahead of show time. Umbrellas and tents are not permitted; neither are pets, smoking, or vaping.
Sponsors for the July 22 include Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes and Crematory, Main Street Villa Rica, and the City of Villa Rica.
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Ken Denney
Public Information Officer
City of Villa Rica
678-840-1219
