Skillethead will perform at the Wheeler County Bluegrass Festival on Friday and Saturday. The group has gained a strong following in the Pacific Northwest, blending traditional songs with covers and adaptations of songs from other genres.
FOSSIL, OR - Overnight, the town of Fossil will be transformed into a haven for bluegrass music lovers from all over the country.
Starting Friday, July 5, the Wheeler County Bluegrass Festival will kick off its twenty-second year.
The festival is known for bringing marquee talent to Oregon's smallest county seat, and this year will be no different.
Headliners on Friday and Saturday will include Skillethead, a modern yet traditional five-piece band from Eastern Oregon that brings a lot of energy. Skillethead can go from a traditional Stanley Brothers tune to a rock cover and back again, and are known for their genre-busting style.
Also performing on Friday and Saturday are Rubber Wheels out of California. Hailey Pexton and Kristen Melling appear young but are actually veterans of bluegrass festivals in the Northwest. The Wheeler County Bluegrass organizers are keeping it under wraps, but expect to see some special guests join Kristen and Hailey.
In addition, the Tucker-Adkins Band will headline with performances on Friday and Saturday. Yoseff and Katya Tucker are not only talented musicians, but are also dynamic singers. They take inspiration from the Dust Bowl and its migrants who left Oklahoma to move West. Yoseff's ancestors were among those people, and their sound is authentic and well respected in bluegrass circles. They have been honored with multiple awards from the Northern California Bluegrass Society. Performing with the Tuckers are Ethan Lawton on mandolin and Dale Adkins on Banjo. Expect heavenly harmonies to dream the summer evening away.
Dale Adkins will stick around to perform with his band, Rock Ridge on Sunday. The four-part band performs traditional bluegrass and country duets.
Others who are set to perform are Misty River, the Honey Don't Duo, Doublewide, and Fossil's own Dan Robinson & the Rimrockers.
But beyond the big acts, the Wheeler County Bluegrass Festival offers an escape and immersion into the music and culture of traditional music.
Scattered around town are a number of workshops where beginners, amateurs, and seasoned vets can sit-in and learn from some of the best artists and musicians in traditional country and bluegrass music.
A handful of the musicians that are leading the workshops will also perform together as Fossilgrass on Friday.
The Wheeler County Bluegrass Festival organizers have fun with this – creating a band out of the workshop teachers. The improvisation and skills that these fantastic musicians bring is a unique feature of the festival in Fossil.
People coming to Fossil for the festival are encouraged to not only bring a chair, but also an instrument.
Here is the full lineup of events:
2024 SCHEDULE
FRIDAY July 5
10 am-2:45 pm - Workshops
3:30-4:10 - Open Mic
4:20-5:00 - Honey Don't Duo
5:00-5:30 - Dinner Break
5:30-6:10 - Fossilgrass
6:20-7:10 - Rubber Wheels
7:20-8:10 - Skillethead
8:20-9:10 - Tucker Adkins
SATURDAY July 6
10 am-2:45 pm - Workshops (see schedule HERE)
3:00-3:20 - Clyde Clevenger & Kids Recital
3:30-4:10 - Song Contest
4:20-5:00 - Bluegrass Karaoke
5:00-5:40 - Dinner Break
5:40-6:10 - Misty River ¾ Time
6:20-7:10 - Tucker Adkins
7:20-8:10 - Rubber Wheels
8:20-9:10 - Skillethead
SUNDAY July 7
10:30 -11:15 am - Gospel Open Mic
11:30 -Noon - Robinson & the Rimrockers
12:15-1:00 - Double Wide
1:15-1:45 - Rock Ridge
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