On June 1st we announced the amazing lineup for the 2019 River Park Concert and I hope everyone shared in my excitement to learn who would take the stage on October 19th. Taking the stage this year will be Eno Mountain Boys, Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics, Samantha Fish, and Anders Osborne. If you are like me, you may have heard these names and immediately dove into your music app to search for these names to find out what they are all about. For those who didn’t immediate recognize the names, or require further motivation to join us in October for this day-long music event, we wanted to provide a brief RPC music education for this month’s post. You’ll also catch some weekend listening suggestions on our social media pages in the coming weeks to help you get acquainted with these great artists before the show.
Eno Mountain Boys
The Eno Mountain Boys are best described as the conceptual opposite of a band you would book for a wedding. Unless it was a shotgun wedding with groomsmen donning charcoal sunglasses, jean-vests and well-worn cowboy boots. A true testament to North Carolina Rock and Roll; as well as what you could refer to as, “Southern Soul” music. Originally formed by lead vocalist Dillon Shambley in 2011 as a folk/country act, they have since been perfecting their blend of pulsating classic rock and whiskey-drenched blues for seven years, culminating in a sound that is truly their own.
Band members include Dillon Shambley (Lead Vocals | Guitar), Chris Jones (Lead Guitar), Matt Smith (Bass), Drew Ely (Keyboard), Bryan Phelps (Rhythm Guitar/Vocals), and Alex Constantine (Drums). Their recent albums are Deer Velvet (2015), Our Name’s To Blame (2017), with a brand new album to be released at River Park Concert, October 2019!
Drop everything and watch:
Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics
Their website says it best – “Atlanta’s Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics are the heirs to the thrones of the old-school masters… they have made a name for themselves captivating audiences with their stirring live performances. They’re a world-class modern soul revue topped off with the cherry of Velle’s sultry voice, as she deftly toggles between sweetly crooned R&B tunes and expertly belted barn-burning get-downs that can instantly jolt a roomful of wallflowers into a wild dance party.”
The band formed in 2006 when several of the band’s core members, Spencer Garn (keys), Scott Clayton (guitar) and Ruby Velle (vocals, lyricist/writer), began performing together. The band soon relocated to Atlanta and released their debut album, It’s About Time, in 2012. They recently followed it with The State of All Things, their acclaimed sophomore album in 2018. The band is now touring throughout the southeast, including their stop in Hillsborough for the River Park Concert.
Drop everything and watch:
Samantha Fish
Samantha Fish, dubbed the “Bell of the Blues” by her wide fan base, is a blues guitarist and singer-songwriter originally from Kansas. Samantha is an accomplished guitarist who began playing at age 15. By 19 she had gathered a band and was touring around Kansas City playing local venues and clubs. Her inspiration is drawn from blue and jazz traditions, and she has quickly established herself as a force to be reckoned with the in contemporary blues. The New York Times called Samantha “an impressive blues guitarist who sings with sweet power” and “one of the genre’s most promising young talents.”
She released her first album in 2009, Live Bait, followed by several others in the years to follow. Belle of the West, released in 2017, and was deemed as one of “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know” by Rolling Stone Magazine and spent two weeks at the top of Billboards Blues Charts. She has been nominated and won a number of awards and is currently touring across the US, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Drop everything and listen:
Anders Osborne
River Park Concert headliner Anders Osborne is a New Orleans based, award winning, critically acclaimed blues musician. From Anders’ website – “Since his recording debut in 1989, Osborne has written virtually all of his own material and contributed memorable songs to a wide variety of artists. Two tunes co-written by Osborne appear on Keb Mo’s Grammy-winning 1999 release Slow Down. Country superstar Tim McGraw scored a #1 hit with Anders’ song Watch The Wind Blow By. Osborne’s compositions have been covered by artists as diverse as Brad Paisley, Tab Benoit, Jonny Lang and Kim Carnes. His songs have appeared in multiple feature films. He can also be seen performing in an episode of HBO’s New Orleans-based drama, Treme.” Anders’ 2019 release Buddha and the Blues debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Blues Charts.
Drop everything and watch:
All of these artists are also on our website, along with additional details for the River Park Concert, our vendors, sponsors, and more. www.hboroarts.org