Lincoln Hall, Saturday, May 17: Missy Raines & Allegheny

Missy Raines brings her Allegheny band to Foxburg for “Bluegrass At Its Best”!

4-time IBMA Winner – Album Release/Love & Trouble

Come on down to the river for BLUEGRASS AT ITS BEST – with MISSY RAINES – GRAMMY nominated vocalist and bassist who has won 14 IBMA awards over the years – bringing her band, ALLEGHENY to the beautiful ALLEGHENY in FOXBURG on their new album release tour – Saturday, May 17, 7:30 PM in Lincoln Hall – the day after the release of Love & Trouble.

On Love & Trouble, Raines expands her exploration of traditionally rooted bluegrass through a set of original songs, fresh covers and reworkings of traditional ballads, shining a spotlight on her band members with Eli Gilbert on banjo, Ben Garnett on guitar, Ellie Hakanson on fiddle and Tristan Scroggins on mandolin.

In a rocking bluegrass single from Missy’s new album, Anywhere The Wind Blows pays tribute to early California grassers the Good Ol’ Persons. Missy said that Anywhere The Wind Blows takes her back to her neophyte bluegrass days as a young side-woman in her twenties, when female-fronted groups were a rarity.

“Lately, I’ve realized so much of the music I’ve created comes from personal experience,” Raines notes. “Songs about growing up in a small town, songs about making hard choices when you’re coming-of-age — do I stay in this remote area and try to make a living, or do I leave my family behind and face what’s out there on my own?”

Missy Raines & Allegheny have made a significant mark on bluegrass with their distinctive blend of traditional roots and innovative musicality. Fronted by Missy, one of the most celebrated bassists in bluegrass, the band is known for its tight arrangements, heartfelt harmonies, and deep ties to mid-Atlantic bluegrass traditions. Raines’ powerful bass playing and soulful singing, along with the band’s intricate instrumental work, give their music a fresh yet timeless feel.

This concert will sell out – so be sure to buy online at alleghenyriverstone.org or call 724-659-3153 to reserve and pay with cash/check at the door. Tickets $25, ARCA Members $20 Students $5. Buy Online: www.alleghenyriverstone.org Walk-ins Welcome as seats are available.

For the complete Appalachian immersive experience – before the concert plan to arrive early and enjoy the exhibit of fellow WEST VIRGINIAN – GREG CLARY, Photographer and Poet - “The Vandalia in Me” at the Red Brick Gallery, open Saturday 11 AM to 7 PM, 17 Main Street, Foxburg, PA.

A trailblazer. GRAMMY® nominated and 10-time International Bluegrass Music Association Bass Player of the Year, Missy has received this honor more than any other bassist in the history of the organization.  She is a bass players’ bass player, a singer, songwriter, teacher, sideman, and bandleader.

In addition to the Bass Player awards, she’s received multiple awards from the IBMA for Recorded Event of the Year and Song of the Year.  In 2019, Missy was featured in The Country Music Hall of Fame as part of their American Currents exhibit.  In January of 2020, Missy debuted on the Grand Ole Opry with her band, Allegheny.  Her 2018 release Royal Traveler was also nominated for a Grammy Award for “Best Bluegrass Album” in 2020.

Raines musical path has been a long and adventurous musical journey, informed by the Southern Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic bluegrass of her youth.  At the beginning of her career, Missy spent hours learning from and playing with many first-generation bluegrass legends and traveled extensively throughout the mid- Atlantic region.

“I watched that first generation of [bluegrass] people doing all that — creating traditional music, then breaking away from it to do their own thing,” Raines says. “And all of it is still surviving and flourishing. To me, there’s nothing more bluegrass than the act of absolute innovation — and that’s what we’re doing, because that’s what Monroe did from the start.”

With modern-day bluegrass currently experiencing another high-water mark as many carry the torch of tradition and evolution, Raines finds solidarity in the ongoing growth and progress of the “high, lonesome sound” — this fine line between respect and rebellion that Raines has seamlessly balanced since the beginning.