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The Schaefer Center Presents Series Features a Double Bill with Bluegrass Darlings Yonder Mountain String Band and the Storied Del McCoury Band

The Colorado-based Yonder Mountain String Band

The Schaefer Center Presents (SCP) performing arts series, presented by Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts and Cultural Programs, welcomes Yonder Mountain String Band and the Del McCoury Band on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 7pm at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. Yonder Mountain String Band has redefined bluegrass music, expanding the traditional acoustic genre beyond its previously established boundaries by steadily pushing the envelope into the realms of rock n’ roll and improvisation. The Del McCoury Band, fronted by the legendary McCoury, is the most awarded band in bluegrass history. The bands take the stage together for a one-night-only highly anticipated double-bill concert. Tickets are $45 adults, $40 faculty/staff, $25 students. A livestream option is also available for $15 per household.

The Colorado-based Yonder Mountain String Band blends bluegrass, rock and roll, and countless other influences into a new genre. Yonder Mountain’s early success was fueled by their desire to make a sound distinctly their own. Their traditional take on bluegrass was fused with their diverse musical influences ranging anywhere from punk rock to the Grateful Dead. The combination of the band’s unique personalities, extended musical improvisations, their jam band fan culture and their collaborative effort on writing and arranging original songs which span multiple genres attracted more of a freewheeling jam crowd than the traditional bluegrass scene which, in turn, exposed a whole new generation of fans to bluegrass. This past April, the band recorded their ninth studio album, scheduled to be released in late 2021. 


“With their instrumental prowess and adventurous musical spirit, Yonder Mountain String Band were — and still are — a pioneering group in the emerging progressive bluegrass scene that now includes marquee acts like Billy Strings, Railroad Earth, Greensky Bluegrass and the Infamous Stringdusters.” —Rolling Stone

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Del McCoury Band

Even among the pantheon of music’s finest artists, Del McCoury stands alone. From the nascent

sound of bluegrass that charmed hardscrabble hillbilly honkytonks, rural schoolhouse stages, and the crowning glory of the Grand Ole Opry, to the present-day culture-buzz of viral videos and digital streams, Del is the living link, earning praises from and collaboration with contemporary, bluegrass-bred stars like Vince Gill and Alison Krauss, rocker Steve Earle, and jam-band Phish, and springing from the tutelage of the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, nearly 80 years ago.

Now helming the Del McCoury Band, with sons Ronnie and Rob, the ensemble continues to represent as a peerless torchbearer for the entire sweep and scope of bluegrass history. The band’s many years of staying true to itself and experimenting — which included wading into the sea of grunge and R&B that dominated the music scene of the mid-1990s — earned McCoury a whole new generation of fans. “I’m just doing what’s natural,” says Del. “When young musicians ask me what they should do, I always tell them, ‘You do whatever’s inside of you. Do what you do best.’ … We don’t have a setlist. We try and work in the new songs, but a lot of times it’s just requests from the audience. It’s more interesting for the band, for me, and for the audience because nobody knows what’s coming next.”

On their latest release, Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass — a title that echoes his 1968 debut, Del McCoury Sings Bluegrass — Del and the band craft 14 songs brimming with hot licks, classic songcraft, and some boundary-stretching electric guitar. “What I like in a record is variety of moods, of tempos,” Del says. “I consider myself traditional at heart, but I don’t have any boundaries. I’m just a guy that likes to sing and play music. Whatever strikes me to do I’ll do it. Without wrecking things.”

What to Know

  • Tickets are general admission.
  • Seating is capped at 50% capacity (800 seats). 
  • Face coverings are required for students, faculty, staff and patrons, regardless of vaccination status.

In-person and livestream tickets are available at theschaefercenter.org, at the Schaefer Center box office (733 Rivers Street), or by calling 828-262-4046.

COMING SOON AS PART OF THE SCHAEFER CENTER PRESENTS SPRING 2022 SERIES!…

Tickets On Sale Monday, Nov. 22 at 9am.

Western Piedmont Symphony—Link Up: The Orchestra Sings

Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022 at 3pm (pre-show activities with the musicians in the Schaefer Center lobby from 2-3pm)

The Western Piedmont Symphony performs this family-friendly 45-minute concert, an extension of the APPlause! K-12 Performing Arts Series. Program includes “Come to Play,” Finale from The Firebird Suite, “New World Symphony,” “Ode to Joy,” “Oye,” “Simple Gifts,” “To Make Words Sing,” and “Variations on a Shaker Melody” from Appalachian Spring.

Tickets: $15 Adult, $5 Student (with proof of enrollment in a K-12 school or homeschool)

BalletX: The Little Prince

Saturday, March 19, 2022 at 7pm

Philadelphia’s powerhouse contemporary-ballet company BalletX hits the stage with this full-length ballet inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s timeless novella of adventure and enlightenment. The Little Prince is a ballet for the whole family, sure to delight the imagination of children and adults alike.

Tickets: $25 Adult, $20 Faculty/Staff, $10 Student
This presentation is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Office of Arts and Cultural Programs at Appalachian State University.

Nobuntu

Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at 7pm

This all-female a cappella quintet from Zimbabwe has drawn international acclaim for its inventive performances that range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro Jazz to Gospel. The ensemble’s concerts are performed with pure voices, augmented by minimalistic percussion, traditional instruments such as the Mbira (thumb piano) and organic, authentic dance movements.

Tickets: $25 Adult, $20 Local Resident Discount (with proof of residence in Watauga, Ashe or Avery County), $10 Student

Rosanne Cash

Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 7pm

One of the country’s pre-eminent singer-songwriters, Rosanne Cash has released 15 albums of extraordinary songs that have earned four Grammy Awards and 12 nominations, as well as 21 Top 40 hits. She Remembers Everything—her most recent release—is a poetic, lush, and soulful collection of songs that reckon with a flawed and intricate world, marking a return to more personal songwriting after a trio of albums that explored her southern roots and family heritage.

Tickets: $40 Adult, $35 Faculty/Staff, $25 Student

About “The Schaefer Center Presents”

“The Schaefer Center Presents” is a series offering campus and community audiences a diverse array of music, dance and theatre programming designed to enrich the cultural landscape of the Appalachian State University campus and surrounding area. By creating memorable performance experiences and related educational and outreach activities, the series promotes the power and excitement of the live performance experience; provides a “window on the world” through the artistry of nationally and internationally renowned artists; and showcases some of the finest artists of our nation and our region. Musical events range from symphony orchestra and chamber music performances to jazz, folk, traditional, international, and popular artists. Theatre productions run the gamut from serious drama to musical comedy. Dance performances offer an equally wide array of styles, from ballet to modern dance to international companies representing cultural traditions from around the world. For more information, visit http://theschaefercenter.org.