This year’s 3 Sisters Festival on Oct. 3 and 4, has a lineup of traditional and contemporary bluegrass bands. Hosted by the Fletcher Bright Company and produced by Chattanooga Presents, this year will be the eighth year for this free festival held at Ross’ Landing.
The event begins on Friday, Oct. 3, with a 6 p.m. performance by local bluegrass band the Dismembered Tennesseans, followed by the Claire Lynch Band at 6:50 p.m., Rhonda Vincent & the Rage at 8:10 p.m. and finally, the Del McCoury Band at 9:30 p.m.
The Del McCoury Band is the most awarded bluegrass band of all time, and in Sept 2011 Del McCoury was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. The band, featuring two of Del’s sons, has won a total of 31 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, including “Entertainer Of The Year” nine times. In 2006, The Del McCoury Band won the Grammy award for “Best Bluegrass Album Of The Year” for the CD titled "The Company We Keep." The Del McCoury Band continues to cross genres, demonstrated by their 2011 crossover release with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band titled "American Legacies."
The 3 Sisters schedule resumes on Saturday, Oct. 4, with a noon performance by local band Bluetastic Fangrass, led by Louis Wamp, kicking off a full day of bluegrass entertainment. The traditional music of the Lone Mountain Band will be featured at 1 p.m., followed by the host band Dismembered Tennesseans at 2 p.m. The Berklee College of Music Fiddlers play at 3 p.m., continuing with The Greenbriars (featuring Jeff Autry) at 4 p.m., the Steel Drivers at 5:30 p.m., Balsam Range at 7 p.m. and the Devil Makes Three, headlining the final set of the Three Sisters Music Festival beginning at 8:30 p.m.
The Devil Makes Three formed and remain based in Santa Cruz, Ca. They play acoustic music, encompassing a blend of bluegrass, old time music, country, folk, blues, jazz, ragtime and rockabilly. The drummer-less trio consists of guitarist Pete Bernhard, upright bassist Lucia Turino, and guitarist and banjo player Cooper McBean. "TDM3 builds exuberant rhythms, wrapping finger-picked strings and upsurging harmonies around chugging acoustic guitar and bass, plying an ever-growing audience onto its feet to jump, shake and waltz," officials said. They have toured with Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell and Trampled by Turtles.
3 Sisters merchandise and performer merchandise will be available for sale on site. Beer, food and non-alcoholic drink concessions will also be available. The public is invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets, however no outside food or beverages are allowed. This event is sponsored by Fletcher Bright Company and the City of Chattanooga. For more information, visit www.3SistersBluegrass.com or call 423-265-0771.
Friday, Oct. 3
6 - 6:30 p.m. Dismembered Tennesseans
6:50 - 7:50 p.m. Claire Lynch Band
8:10 - 9:10 p.m. Rhonda Vincent & the Rage
9:30 - 11 p.m. Del McCoury
Saturday, Oct. 4
noon - 12:45 p.m. Bluetastic Fangrass
1 - 1:45 p.m. Lone Mountain Band
2 - 2:45 p.m. Dismembered Tennesseans
3 - 3:40 p.m. Berklee College of Music Fiddlers
4 - 5:10 p.m. The Greenbriars
5:30 - 6:40 p.m. Steel Drivers
7 - 8:10 p.m. Balsam Range
8:30 - 10 p.m. Devil Makes Three
The Devil Makes 3