Join us for Trivia Night, with DJ Trivia Mercer County every Wednesday at 7pm!

$1 off drafts till 7pm.

Thursday is Bingo Night at Big Rail!

DJ Wyld Stallyinz will be spinning everyone’s favorite 80’s Pop / New Wave / Rock.

Love stinks, right?!

If you’re anti-valentine or just wanna have some fun stop out to Big Rail.

Singles and Couples welcome, HOWEVER, if you are caught kissing, holding hands, or doing any COUPLE-type things, you will be escorted off the premises!*

Musical guest Bleach Fuzz returns!

*Just kidding. Maybe.

90s alternative & grunge tribute band

Tommy Link is a Six Stringer Song Singer  (or an indie folk singer songwriter, if you prefer), born in Erie, PA and often found roaming the Great Lakes region.

A wordsmith at heart, Tommy works to bring his lyrics to life, from his head and heart to the pages and stages.

Recommended for fans of classic songwriters such as Jim Croce, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Carole King, George Harrison and Billy Joel, as well as his more modern influences like Lake Street Dive, Michael Kiwanuka, Maggie Rogers, Leon Bridges and Mt. Joy.

“With an acoustic, ethereal sound that engages your ear and heartstrings, Tommy is one of those artists that makes it easy to just listen to what he’s saying and get drawn right in.”
– Nat Richmond, Erie Arts and Culture

“Tommy Link is a dyed-in-the-wool troubadour of the highest degree.”
– Nick Warren, Erie Reader

Join us for Trivia Night, with DJ Trivia Mercer County every Wednesday at 7pm!

$1 off drafts till 7pm.

Thursday is Bingo Night at Big Rail!

theCAUSE is a band consisting of 5 Pittsburgh musicians who have all been around the proverbial block. Playing tunes from Grateful Dead, Phish, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and MORE, including some very tasty originals, theCAUSE packs a punch while still paying close attention to the delicate touch.

It’s a giant bonfire. Enough said.

Toms launched his musical career in 1987 as lead guitarist of Pittsburgh’s legendary band Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers, During that period, he opened for and played with such legendary names as The Band, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Little Feat, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. While playing guitar, co-writing, and adding backup vocals for the Houserockers, Toms and the band recorded six studio albums and one live concert album. In 1995, The Houserockers released American Babylon, which was recorded and produced by Springsteen himself.

As a solo artist, Toms has opened for the likes of Buddy Guy, Levon Helm, Marshall Crenshaw, , Steve Forbert, and Dan Baird.
He’s plotting a string of regional east coast dates to support “Keep Movin’ On”, as well as a full European tour in 2022.

Tabby Road is a dynamic duo playing all of your favorite 60’s and 70’s hits. Tabby Road consists of the father and son duo of Vince Burgess and Tony Burgess, who are 2/3 of the popular classic rock band, “This-That & The Other Thing”! The duo features two strong lead singers and beautiful harmonies matched with acoustic guitar and bass guitar. This combination gives you a very big sound with a very small footprint.

Join us for Trivia Night, with DJ Trivia Mercer County every Wednesday at 7pm!

$1 off drafts till 7pm.

Thursday is Bingo Night at Big Rail!

Born into a long line of farmers, steel workers and preachers, Matt tends to gravitate towards traditional American forms of music. Matt has recorded and self released 4 albums, “Hangin’ On”, “Take The Back Roads”, “Seems Like Forever” w/ Micah Dunn, “Barstools and Church Pews”, and his most recent, live recording, “Live: As Usual” featuring Jim Zahniser on lead guitar.

Got the winter blues?!
We’re teaming up with Brian & Minnie from Sprague Farm for the first ever Dead Of Winter Fest!
Live Music Featuring Jake’s Blues + Special Guest! We’re doing a $10 donation at door. All money donated to Jake’s Blues and Sprague Farm.
As usual, plan on lots of bonfires, chainsaw carving, food, live music Big Rail beer and Godfrey Run Cider Sale.
Open @ 12pm. Music @ 3pm

Slag Mountain is a group of veteran bluegrass and old-time musicians in Pittsburgh focused on hammering traditional music into a unique steel-town sound. You can find them blasting and firing red hot licks across the rust belt.

Dave Shepherd – Guitar

Nathan Vargo – Fiddle

Mitch Hall – Bass

Jason Borisoff – Mandolin 

Andrew Bicsey is a guitarist, singer-songwriter from Pittsburgh, PA. After starting his musical journey by studying nylon string guitar under Jim Relja and later with Ken Karsh at Duquesne University, Andrew quickly grew his knack for solo work and improvisation. Instructing guitar lessons since 2006, Andrew brings a deep understanding of his instrument to the table, being able to understand what music your special moment needs and leaving patrons musically fulfilled yet wanting more. In addition to his solo work, he performs with two other wedding/event bands: The Company Band and Bachelor Boys. He has also performed with the likes of Randall Troy, Alli Gillis, Larry Lee Jones, Jill West and most notably Margot Bingham of Boardwalk Empire fame.

“This-That & The Other Thing” has been entertaining western PA for the past thirteen years! With “This-That & The Other Thing” you get the best of all worlds; three lead vocalists, both male and female, super three part harmony, solid, danceable music and a compact three piece band that has the power to play outdoor festivals and at the same time fit in to small venues where space is at a premium. We also provide an “unplugged” acoustic version of the band for occasions that call for that. Michelle plays bass, Tony plays guitar, and Vince plays drums. Check out our extensive song list that is filled with an incredible variety of classic rock favorites, mostly from the 60’s and 70’s, but is also sprinkled with more contemporary hits as well as a few country favorites! You won’t find another band in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area that can perform the variety that we can.

🍀Ruari’s Irish Stout on nitro
🍀Our classic Red – Wrought Iron
🍀Green jello shooters
🍀Half Pint Irish Car Bombs
🍀Music by Gallatin Hall
🍀2 special performances by Celtic Circle Pipe Band (Bagpipes)

Gallatin Hall is a 3-piece acoustic act that blends rock, folk, and bluegrass to give a modern take on a classic Americana style. With rich harmonies, rotating instrumentations, and vivid songwriting, Gallatin Hall delivers an engaging performance that constantly offers new styles and sounds.

Blues/rock guitarist Jeff Fetterman delivers the promise to keep the blues alive and well. Influenced by blues greats such as Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and BB King, he plays with a fiery passion that has earned him the nickname “Boss of the Blues”.

“Fetterman is literally unstoppable. The American guitarist and singer/songwriter confirmed once again, through his new album Southern Son, to be one of the most inspired, talented, and versatile blues/rock and funk artists of the current generation. Jeff Fetterman at his absolute best!” Gio Pilato Bluebird reviews

Born and raised in small-town America in Bradford, PA, Jeff began his musical journey at age of 13. Decades later he has received numerous awards for his playing and writing.

Jeff has also received endorsements with Zemaitis guitars and Nicola brand strings. He has played with some of the greatest blues musicians in the business that include Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Ana Popovic, Joe Louis Walker, Jimmy Vaughan, Samantha Fish, Chris Duarte, Steven Stills, and, Robert Randolph.

For Jeff, the end of the road is nowhere near in sight as he continues to play and write music and tour.

Zach Rovito and Cory Steighner of The Ragged Co. performing an acoustic set at Big Rail Brewing!

” A Unique BREW of Guitar Driven Country and Rock-n-Roll…….TEXAS STYLE”
Rob Keller, and Slim Varhola are back together!!! Along with drummer Dave Parshall, and newest additions, Larry Antinozzi, from Dallas, Texas, and John Parrendo from Export, PA these long time musical buddies from the “sticks” outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania have developed a new fresh sound, with lots of new tunes, and new arrangements of some old favorites.
Drawing from their “old school Country” , Southern Rock, and Blues roots, Rob, Slim and Larry, each bring their own unique, Vocal and Guitar style, then combine them for Lush vocal harmonies, and burning Guitar Jams !! Add the “Icing on the cake”.. the soar of John’s Fiddle, and the added vocals. The Shiners “Guitar Army” create a sound that pulls you in with a heartfelt story, then brings you to your feet with some Foot Stompin, Fiddle sawin, Guitar Jammin, Rock….
Like the moon”shiners” they get their name from, The SHINERS travel the back roads to deliver their product. So, climb aboard, hang on, and enjoy the ride.

Meet Border Ride, the award-winning four-piece bluegrass band hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Led by Nelson Boosel, and featuring Scott Pearson, Joe Zalik, and Fred Theiss, they seamlessly blend traditional bluegrass sounds with today’s modern music. With their four-part harmony, Border Ride delivers wholesome musical entertainment for diverse audiences, aiming to bridge the gap between the timeless appeal of bluegrass and the sounds of contemporary music.

Originally from Bedford, PA, Coltt is an Appalachian songwriter, folksinger, published poet and author, and folklorist. He earned his MFA from Emerson College in Boston, MA & is currently a full-time musician.

Dan Bubien & the Delta Struts put a blues-infused spin on soulful roots music. Driven by the dynamic guitar playing and soulful gritty vocals of Dan Bubien.  Their signature sound is highlighted by “Sudden” Steve Binsberger on keyboards, and glued together by drummer Shawn McGregor and Jim Spears on bass.

Dan Bubien is a singer/songwriter/guitarist born and raised in the small steel town of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. This rust belt town Northwest of Pittsburgh, has been the launching pad for a career that spans over two decades now culminating with his current band The Delta Struts.

Dan’s professional career began in his mid-teens working along side veteran musicians on the local and regional club circuit of Southwest PA. Along the way, Dan founded and recorded with The Sun Kings  releasing Rub It In (2006) while continuing to hone his skills as a front man and songwriter. As a solo artist, Dan released “Empty Roads” in 2013 with the help of four-time Grammy Award Winning Producer/Engineer Jay Dudt of Audible Images Studios. Capitalizing on his previous success with “Empty Roads”, Dan released his second solo album in August of 2016 entitled “Grinding These Gears”. Self-produced and recorded by legendary Pittsburgh musician Joe Munroe “Grinding These Gears” achieved critical acclaim and charted on the Blues/Rock and World Wide blues album charts respectively.

Fast forward to 2017 and the newest incarnation of Dan’s vision has culminated in the creation of Dan Bubien and The Delta Struts. Gritty and honest, yet always soulful one might think this band hails from a place much further south than the suburbs of northwest Pittsburgh.  Rooted in soul, and versed in a style that harkens back to the days of a classic STAX recording, Dan Bubien and The Delta Struts consistently break new ground with an eclectic spin on the collective music they make. The Delta Struts chart a course that begins and ends with the music always being the first priority. After spending much of 2018 recording what was to become “Thieves and Yesterdays” Dan Bubien and The Delta Struts released their latest album in 2019 to critical acclaim.  Look out for new music releases in the works…..

Cold Chocolate is a genre-bending Americana band that fuses folk, funk, and bluegrass to create a unique sound all their own. Featuring Ethan Robbins on guitar/mandolin and Ariel Bernstein on drums/banjo, this power duo from Boston is impressing audiences throughout New England and beyond. Punctuated by tight harmonies and skillful musicianship, and with a focus on songwriting, Cold Chocolate has quickly gained recognition for their original music and high-energy shows. The band has shared bills with Leftover Salmon, David Grisman, Angelique Kidjo, and regularly performs at venues and music festivals across the country.

Under the name DUUNES, Harrison Cohen creates sly, driving alternative rock that surges with raw energy and electrifying vocals. Growing up in the non-stop action of NYC, DUUNES embodies its restless pulse—its resilience, high stakes, and unbreakable toughness. Big choruses, explosive vocals, and dark swagger put DUUNES in the same arena as The Killers, Walk The Moon, and Kings of Leon.

But DUUNES is more than just music. It’s the rush hour traffic in your head. The pent-up rage that pushes you to the edge. The 4 AM clarity that wrecks your sleep schedule. It’s organized chaos in a waiting room, the loneliness among friends, the empty “I’m doing great, how are you?” in a conversation that means nothing. DUUNES is the sound of a mind racing, a soul unraveling, a storm refusing to break.

DUUNES’ debut EP, Vacation From Myself, dropped on April 12, 2024, with multiple songs featured on editorial playlists across Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. The EP’s focus track, Love Bomb, landed on Spotify’s All New Rock, while Delusional secured a spot on Best of Fresh Finds Rock 2024.

After going viral with his cover of Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked, amassing over 25 million views across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, DUUNES took that momentum to the stage, playing The Bowery Ballroom and selling out shows in NYC and Boston. Now he’s gearing up to release multiple singles in 2025 while hitting the road playing shows across the East Coast, with additional dates in the Mid-West.

Whiskey River is the premier Willie Nelson tribute act – The band’s authentic show will play the old favorites, some staples of the Willie live show, and present a journey through the iconic songbook of Willie Nelson. This band features a crew of Pittsburgh all stars including Shane McLaughlin, Jason Borisoff, Dave Shepherd, Kevin Lynch and Treasure Treasure. Grab a ticket and saddle up for a night of classic outlaw country celebrating one of the greatest artists and songwriters of our time!

Musical Mad Scientist, Keller Williams, is best known for his whimsical lyrics, guitar prowess and for creating samples on the fly in front of the audience, a technique called live phrase sampling or looping, with nothing pre-recorded. The end result often leans toward a hybrid of alternative folk and groovy electronica, a genre Keller jokingly calls “acoustic dance music” or ADM.” 

BIO

Virginian, Keller Williams, released his first album in 1994, FREEK, and has since given each of his albums a single syllable title: BUZZ, SPUN, BREATHE, LOOP, LAUGH, HOME, DANCE, STAGE, GRASS, DREAM, TWELVE, LIVE, ODD, THIEF, KIDS, BASS, PICK, FUNK, VAPE, SYNC, RAW, SANS, ADD, SPEED, CELL, DROLL and now DEER. Each title serves as a concise summation of the concept guiding each project. Keller’s albums reflect his pursuit to create music that sounds like nothing else. Un-beholden to conventionalism, he seamlessly crosses genre boundaries. The end product is music that encompasses rock, jazz, funk and bluegrass, and always keeps the audience on their feet. Keller built his reputation initially on his engaging live performances, no two of which are ever alike. For most of his career he has performed solo. His stage shows are rooted around Keller singing his compositions and choice cover songs, while accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, bass, guitar synthesizer and drum samples; a technique called live phrase sampling or “looping”. The end result often leans toward a hybrid of alternative folk and groovy electronica, a genre Keller jokingly calls “acoustic dance music” or ADM.” Keller’s constant evolution has led to numerous band projects as well; Keller & The Keels, Grateful Grass, KWahtro, Keller and the Travelin’ McCourys, Grateful Gospel, More Than A Little and most recently DeadPettyKellerGrass. You can even catch him from time to time going back to his troubadour roots with his “Shut the Folk Up and Listen” series.   Keller can be found playing clubs and festivals with these projects and his tried and true solo looping show, always changing things up and keeping moving. 

Midnight Drive is one of the newest and most powerful bands of the Northwestern PA area. Starting as a jam session at the Clarion Bluegrass festival in March of 2010, they quickly became what is now “Midnight Drive”.

The band has already made quite an impact on the local level as well as the national level. The members consists of some of the strongest pickers of the Northeastern part of the country.

Our annual bluegrass festival returns, in APRIL! We’re looking forward to much warmer temps this year! Join us for a full day of great music, vendors, fires, and food trucks.

2026 Lineup:

• Larry Keel’s Electric Larry Land
• Full Cord
• Debutants
• Sweaty Already String Band
• Hot Brown Smackdown
• Slag Mountain

Vendors

• Coming Soon

Food Trucks

• Coming Soon

Larry Keel is an award-winning innovative flat picking guitarist and singer/songwriter hailing from Appalachia and currently residing in historic Lexington, VA. Raised in a musical family steeped in the mountain culture of the region, Keel began from an early age to forge a distinctive sound, taking bluegrass and classic country music and infusing those styles with a rock edge and elements of improvisational jazz.

The Dirty Grass Players and Smilo & The Ghost will be teaming up for a co-headline show on the Big Rail Stage!

Band Bios

Smilo & the Ghost is an Americana-grit folk band born from the rustbelt and rooted in redemption. Fronted by singer-songwriter Tyler Smilo, the band blends raw lyricism with vintage tones, cinematic storytelling, and a touch of cosmic twang. Their sound drifts somewhere between dusty desert highways and dimly lit city bars — a fusion of folk, alt-country, and soul with deep emotional bite.

Formed in Erie, PA in 2016, Smilo & the Ghost have shared stages with Grammy winners, national acts, and underground legends alike. Their discography includes Ghost Writers, Fingers Crossed & Godspeed, and the live album Live from PACA, with their newest record Twang & Fire capturing both fire and fragility in a post-pandemic world. Smilo’s lyrics are deeply personal, often exploring recovery, survival, and the ghosts we carry — because he’s lived it.

More than a band, Smilo & the Ghost is a movement of misfits, musicians, and truth-tellers. Whether it’s on stage or on the record, the band invites you to feel something real — and maybe even find a piece of yourself in the process.

Visit their web site >>

The Dirty Grass Players are an energetic explosion of old-time pickin’, coloured with an inventive, newgrass hand, that is given lyrical life by their soaring vocal harmonies that exist on an ethereal plain. They live at the crossroads between the traditional, which is the backbone of what they do, and the progressive with their innovative forward-thinking approach. The Dirty Grass Players, with their steady, workman-like precision and loose adventurous spirit are a band that can both confound Bill Monroe and cause him to smile uncontrollably. Their music is progressive, traditional, experimental, imaginative, and at its core, Dirty.

The Dirty Grass Players formed in 2015 with guitarist Ben Kolakowski and mandolinist Ryan Rogers at a series of informal picking sessions in the Baltimore area. The band quickly started to garner attention in the area, culminating in them winning the competitive Charm City Bluegrass Festival Battle of the Bands in 2017. The band’s original bassist and fiddler left shortly after and they solidified around the addition of bassist Connor Murray. In 2024, Sam Guthridge joined on banjo and the band reemerged as a powerful four-piece.

Since then they have released two albums, 2020’s Beneath the Woodpile and 2023 Shiny Side Up and established themselves as one of the most exciting young bluegrass bands around. With their high-octane shows they have become a mainstay on the festival circuit, being invited to play at some of the the most prestigious gatherings from coast to coast including Delfest, Grey Fox, Kingman Island, Hot August Music Festival, Dark Star Jubilee, Ramble Fest, First Class Music Fest, and many others.

Their latest album Shiny Side Up, produced by The Travelin’ McCourys’ Coldy Kilby, continues to further the evolution of bluegrass with its hard-driving sound that showcases the progressive, darkside of bluegrass with its forward-looking, non-traditional playing and songwriting. In its praise of the album, Bluegrass Unlimited says, “Shiny Side Up validates the arrival of the Dirty Grass Players onto the scene and shows bluegrass is in good hands going forward.

Visit Their Web Site >>

“Bill Toms is a poet, a soul-shouter and guitar slinger with one foot in the gutter and an eye on the heavens above. And man, does he front a great rock n’ soul band!” – Will Kimbrough/

While it’s hard to put a finger on any one sound that defines “American music,” the compositions of Bill Toms are as close a template as any. The Pittsburgh native, along with his band Hard Rain, delivers a sound that takes the greatest of America’s most beloved genres and melds them into a poetic representation of the best the country has to offer. Bill Toms captures the American conscious with thoughtfulness, honesty, and a groove that keeps the tail feathers moving. 

Toms launched his musical career in 1987 as lead guitarist of Pittsburgh’s legendary band Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers, During that period, he opened for and played with such legendary names as The Band, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Little Feat, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. While playing guitar, co-writing, and adding backup vocals for the Houserockers, Toms and the band recorded six studio albums and one live concert album. In 1995, The Houserockers released American Babylon, which was recorded and produced by Springsteen himself.

As a solo artist, Toms has opened for the likes of Buddy Guy, Levon Helm, Marshall Crenshaw, , Steve Forbert, and Dan Baird.
He’s plotting a string of regional east coast dates to support the release of the single “I Fulfilled My Dream“, in 2024.
For more information and tour dates, please visit www.billtoms.com

A traveling troubadour born and raised in the hills of rural western Pennsylvania. Alyssa’s music is unmistakable, with influences that span across many genres. Her lyrics bring you into the heart of the steel mills and the bucolic landscape of rural America.

Raised on country music in a working-class family, Alyssa started playing guitar at the age of twelve and writing songs throughout her high school years. She attended college at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she studied fine art and graphic design. While attending college she began performing original songs at local open mic nights. For a few years after college, Hankey worked as a graphic designer and began playing solo acoustic shows on the weekends.

In 2018, she decided to quit her job and pursue music full time. Since then, Alyssa has released various albums and embarked on several cross-country tours. She also formed the Alyssa Hankey Band, a four-piece band that combines folk, country and rock. You can find them playing in and around the Pittsburgh area. Hankey has also shared the stage with artists such as The Clarks, The Steel Wheels, The Wildwoods, Warren Zeiders and Charles Wesley Godwin.

Influences: Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, John Prine, Tom Petty, Chris Stapleton, Johnny Cash, Allman Brothers Band, Neil Young and many more!

You’ll find her music on Itunes, Spotify, Bandcamp, Google Play, Youtube, etc.

Tiger Maple String Band is an energetic collection of talented musicians dedicated to continuing traditional and original old-time music. With a home base in Northwest Pennsylvania, a rural setting gives plenty of inspiration towards the continuance of acoustic music. The band features Justine and Alison Parker on fiddle, Barry Smith on banjo and vocals, and Fred Parker on guitar and vocals.

The sound of Tiger Maple String Band has rich historical and cultural values, beautiful harmonies, hot old-time fiddling, and a full-body richness that only acoustic instruments and clear vocals can bring. The band draws its inspiration from a variety of different musical directions, with old-time Appalachian tunes as a central focus. These fiddle tunes, mountain ballads, murder ballads, coal-mining songs, and beautiful originals make up a set that leaves a lasting impression on their audience. Folks walk away with big smiles and good feelings of friendship and love.

Jim Donovan and The Sun King Warriors are best described as a blend of rhythm heavy roots rock, with a strong dose of big barreling drums. Think bluesy Zeppelin-esqe bombast, Santana style percussion with wild Avett Brothers energy.

At a Sun King show, you can expect to dance, sweat and have the time of your life.

The band’s music has garnered radio airplay throughout the US and Canada, and has appeared on Billboard’s Americana chart multiple times.

The band plays regionally at festivals and clubs throughout the mid-atlantic and have opened for 10,000 Maniacs, Donovan’s former band Rusted Root and many others.

Jim Donovan, the band’s founder and writer brings almost three decades of experience to the Sun King Warriors. As a member of the popular 90’s band Rusted Root, he helped shaped the group’s sound and toured with legendary including The Grateful Dead, members of Led Zeppelin, Carlos Santana and the Allman Brothers.

He also co-authored the band’s biggest hit, “Send Me on My Way,” which has been streamed over 100 million times on Spotify and used as the wakeup music for NASA’s Mars rover.

Press quotes:

“Jim Donovan and Sun King Warriors are one of the most eclectic and exciting bands to come out in some time…” -The Washington Times
“Sun King Warriors channel unabashed enthusiasm into a series of songs that are both rowdy and rejuvenating…” -Relix Magazine

The Cincinnati-based ensemble Buffalo Wabs (as in ‘mobs’) and the Price Hill Hustle can be best described as ‘American’– from the mountains to Music Row, blues-gospel to traditional country, the Hustle combines parts of the American-born genre catalogue to create an energetic experience every single night.   

This four-piece moves from fast-paced, foot-stomping anthems to harmony-laden ballads and traditional dirges of spirit and labor. “The group started around the love of music that moves you,” says drummer/vocalist and band spokesman, Casey Campbell. “The music accompanies the story; and sometimes the music is the story by which we can all connect to one another.”   

With the release of their third album, Stranger in the Alps, due March 15th, 2019, the Hustle aims to increase their original music portfolio while paying homage to select tunes that have had lasting impact on the band. “This album explores the first co-writing the band has undertaken,” says Campbell.  “And through that collaborative process we’re beginning to find more complex voices, more adventurous tunes that bridge our influences even more than before.” 

The new original material featured on Stranger in the Alps is a “cross-section of stylistic influences and voices,” says Campbell. “Oh, Ramona!,” written by Campbell, hearkens to the Piedmont Blues-era musicians, with tongue-in-cheek lyrics and a wry humor throughout. “Those old pickers knew how to tell a story; that’s the kind of vibe we’re after.” 

The band also pays respects to some of the great influencers of American music on this latest album.  “The covers we’ve chosen mean something to us; these are songs that still speak to us, and we want folks who may not know them to become familiar.” On the album’s third track, the band takes a full-steam-ahead approach to the iconic Leadbelly song, “Stewball,” an all-out fest that echoes the frantic speeds of a racetrack. “The intensity, the pace, it all builds from the first note to the last,” with help from acclaimed regional musicians Joe Macheret (The Tillers and Joe’s Truckstop) on fiddle and John K. Victor on harmonica. Macheret’s fiddle plays a pivotal role throughout the album; as Campbell notes, “Having such immensely talented friends is so beneficial when building the sonic landscape of a studio tune.”   

As “Stranger in the Alps” is just hitting the market, the band already has its eyes set on the next project. “The wheels have been put in motion,” Campbell says, “and we’re ready to get the next batch out. It’s going to be a busy year.”   

The Hustle has worked relentlessly through the Mid-Atlantic region, playing shows from south Minnesota to Asheville, North Carolina. As 2019 begins ramping up the band is eager to stretch its legs farther west, farther south, and beyond.   

From large theaters to tiny bars, the show’s the same: heartfelt, real, a little loose, and sincerely fun.  As the Hustle says, “If it ain’t fun, it ain’t worth it.” 

Founded on the West Side of Cincinnati, the current lineup of the Hustle is starting its third year together. Anchored by the upright, Bill Baldock brings decades of experience and finesse to the 

talent pool, having been based around Nashville, TN, for many years while playing for a litany of revered industry professionals. Primary soloist Scott Risner does the same; now based in Cincinnati, Risner has also been a staple in the circuit for over thirty years, playing with such renowned acts as Alison Krauss and JD Crowe and the New South. Founding members Matt Wabnitz and Casey Campbell have been picking out heavy-hearted tunes for a decade together. Campbell, an Alabama native, brings a gospel-vocal sense to the arrangements while Wabnitz’ distinct hammering of the strings and raw vocal power sets the tone.   

“We play music that we connect to, whether it’s an old find or a new line.  We want it to mean something, every time.” 

The members of Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle are: 

Matt Wabnitz aka Buffalo Wabs – Lead guitar, lead vocal. 

Casey Campbell aka The Deacon – Drums/percussion, vocal 

Scott Risner aka The Kentucky Waterfall – Mandolin, vocal, resonator guitar, tenor banjo 

Bill Baldock aka Bullseye Bill – Upright bass, vocal   

Fusing blues, roots, jazz, and ethnic music into their unique style, Lori Russo and the Uppercuts are veterans of Pittsburgh’s music scene. Their eclectic sound is a flavorful gumbo reflective of each members’ distinct background; all coming together to produce a fresh, dynamic, and exciting musical voice heard at venues and festivals throughout the region.

Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Lori Russo fronts the band and plays bass with John DeCola on organ, piano and accordion, Evan Balzer on guitar, Brendan Kennelty on drums, and Kelly Parker on West African percussion.

Music has guided Driftwood to hallowed ground many times since its founding members, Joe Kollar and Dan Forsyth, started making music as high schoolers in Joe’s parents’ basement. Whether the Upstate New York folk rock group—which today also includes violinist Claire Byrne, bassist Joey Arcuri, and drummer Sam Fishman—are converting new fans on a hardscrabble tour across the country or playing to a devoted crowd at hero Levon Helm’s Woodstock barn, the band’s shapeshifting approach to folk music continues to break new ground. And yet in many ways Driftwood’s latest work, the transformative December Last Call, finds the group coming home. 

Recorded in that very same basement where the Driftwood dream began, December Last Call lyrically reflects on the recent past, musing on the ways the group grew up, together and apart, through curveballs like new parenthood or pandemic shutdowns. But sonically, the band’s sixth album looks confidently to the future, experimenting with new sounds while staying true to the bluegrass roots that built them. Across the album’s nine tracks, the band often leans into hard-rocking electric guitars and driving percussion: On “Every Which Way But Loose,” we get a foot-tapping beat and a sweeping chorus, and on “Up All Night Blues,” the band shines with an ambling, sing-along-able reflection on the challenges of new motherhood. But other tracks, like standout closer “Stardust,” take a simpler route, allowing bare-bones vocals and acoustic instrumentals to underpin a deeper emotional message.

One of Driftwood’s biggest differentiators—and perhaps its biggest strength—is the sheer breadth of talent in its lineup, with Claire, Joe, and Dan all contributing as songwriters and vocalists. This creative push-pull, where each selects songs to share with the group and record together, bakes vulnerability and collaborative spirit into every recording. “It’s at the heart of what we do,” says Dan. “Everybody has a strong love for songs, for songwriting, and we each appreciate everybody else and the way that they contribute to that.” 

While 2019’s acclaimed Tree of Shade tapped Simon Felice as producer, the band opted to self-produce this latest effort, leaning into their creative impulses and striving to capture their distinctive live energy. Figuring out how to channel that on-stage intensity into a recording has actually, in many ways, been a lesson in restraint. “When I look back at the things we were writing and playing, oh, I don’t know, 10, 12 years ago, they were really arranged: a lot of you do this here, we’re going to do this there, we’re going to break down, we’re going to do a big build,” Claire explains. “These days, it’s more like, ‘Let’s play the song and just see what happens.’”

This approach makes all the more sense when you consider Driftwood’s live shows, which operate not only as effervescent, twang-studded musical parties, but also as reunions for their throng of devoted listeners—folks who have started to feel less like fans and more like something bigger. “They’re supporters. They’re friends,” explains Joe. “It’s crazy how much love we’ve got and how many wild situations on the road we’ve gotten out of because of those people.” Many of them are quite literally invested in the band’s future: December Last Call was a crowd-funded effort, and it wasn’t the band’s first. It’s as if every listener, ticketbuyer, album backer, and general band evangelist is in on Driftwood’s biggest secret: this whole band thing has endured for nearly two decades because it offers a kind of community you can’t get just anywhere.

“Driftwood is basically a beautiful friendship that happens to play music together,” says Joe. “I know it’s rare. I know I’m lucky to know these people and lean on them and go through these massive life changes together.” For Driftwood, each song is like a journal entry: cathartic to create, yes, but capable of unlocking new lessons—and when shared—forging new bonds. “We’re communal, right? Humans need to be connected,” Joe says. “And we get to have this special thing.”

The second annual Ghost Town Music Festival

Presented by Smilo & The Ghost, Big Rail Brewing Company, and Blue Moon Management

Ghost Town Music Festival takes place August 8th for a full day of music and community.

Gates open at 11:00 AM, with live music starting at 12:00 noon. Enjoy great bands, local vendors, food trucks, and an easy going outdoor atmosphere built around good vibes and connection.

All ages welcome. Rain or shine.

Lineup

Main Stage Acts:

• Smilo & The Ghost
• Jeremy Pinnell
• Paul McDonald & The Mourning Doves
• Magnolia Boulevard
• Bill Taylor

Shack Stage Acts:

• Colton Bowlin
• Joshua Milligan
• Coltt Winter Lepley
• Gracie Yates & Brock Burton
• Charity Nuse

Music All Day

Big Rail’s beer garden gates will open at 11am.… come early so you can get a cozy spot for the day.

The music starts at 12 noon. We’ll have two alternating stages going, so the music will run non-stop until the festival ends at 10pm. The full schedule will be announced prior to the show.

The VIP Experience

The Ghost Town Music Festival VIP experience is limited to just 35 passes and is designed for those who want to settle in early and soak up every part of the day.

VIP guests receive early access to the grounds, first crack at merch lines, and the freedom to choose the perfect spot to post up for the festival. You’ll get a VIP lanyard and an exclusive invitation to sound check with our headliners, including an early tune or two before the day officially begins.

VIP also includes a free 22oz bomber of the first-ever Ghost Town Beer (style to be announced), a commemorative Ghost Town beverage glass, a Ghost Town koozie and sticker, and a concert poster signed by available artists.

Limited. Intimate. Unforgettable.

Tickets for this event are non-refundable. Read our FAQs.