Music notes: Concerts, festival on tap

From staff reports
Published: August 26, 2008

tobyMac, Diamond Rio coming to SML stage
The series of Mariners Landing concerts at Smith Mountain Lake continues with back-to-back shows: tobyMac plays Aug. 28, then Diamond Rio takes the stage Aug. 29.

The shows at the area’s newest major concert site – an outdoor setting in Huddleston across from the entrance to Mariners Landing – lead into the Labor Day weekend.

Both shows start at 7 p.m., with gates set to open an hour earlier. It’s festival-style seating, which means guests should bring lawn chairs or blankets.

tobyMac, the Christian hip hop rocker and Grammy Award winner, was named Dove Artist of the Year in 2008. This will be a solo show for the Liberty University graduate, who spent his early years with dc Talk, then worked with DiverseCity, as well as doing solo work.

The show also features another Christian act, This Beautiful Republic.

Then it’s Diamond Rio the following night. Between the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, the band has been named top vocal group of the year six times. They’re also members of the Grand Ole Opry, and have had more than a dozen Grammy nominations.

Mountain Heart will open the show.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for lead singer Josh Shilling, who lived in Roanoke and did a lot of work in the area before moving to Nashville.

Tickets to each show are $25 in advance and $30 at the gate. Call (888) 397-3100 or visit http://www.smlconcerts.com.

Honey DewDrops up for Evergreen
This year’s Evergreen Music Festival will bring alternative country, old-time, folk, rockabilly and blues to the stage on Aug. 30.

The line-up includes Scottsville’s Honey DewDrops, winners of “A Prairie Home Companion’s” songwriters’ contest. Joining them will be Blue Line Highway, The Red River Rollercoasters, Petr Liska, The Taylors, and Max and David.

The festival, set to run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., also offers art, antiques, vintage wares, not to mention food, lemonade and coffee. Plus, festival-goers who are so inclined can cut their own sunflowers at the festival site: White Oak Farm in Evergreen, three miles east of Appomattox on U.S. 460.

Children’s activities include horse rides, face painting and free hot dogs.

Advance tickets, $12, can be purchased at Baine’s Books and Coffee or True Value Hardware. At the gate, tickets will be $15. Children ages 10 and younger will be admitted free.

The festival benefits the Appomattox Presbyterian Church Youth Ministry.

For information, call (434) 352-9562.