David Parmley Band at the 2025 North Carolina State Bluegrass Festival – photo © Bill Warren
The 2025 edition of the North Carolina State Bluegrass Festival has come to a close. Lorraine Jordan, Allen Dyer, Edgar Loudermilk, and all of their staff deserve a big thank you for a well-run festival. It was one for the books. Great music and wonderful fellowship made for a fun week. Susanna, Mollie, Donna, Bill, Barb, Clarence, and a host of others made everything smooth. Lorraine, Allen, and Edgar took the stage at the close of the festival thanking everyone. The festival will return to the Happy Holidays Campground next year as the Marion venue will not be available.
Carson Peters & Iron Mountain kicked off the Friday show. This group of youngsters are letting everyone know that bluegrass is alive and well with the upcoming generation. Keep them on your radar.
David Parmley, among the newest inductees to the IBMA Hall of Fame brought his band to Cherokee. He has long been a crowd favorite. He had a short retirement from music, but is back full force. Bluegrass Today’s own John Curtis Goad is the bass player and he played with a taped-up finger this weekend. He said he burned it working on his car. John is an entertainer’s entertainer. He is completely serious about his music but has fun with it. David welcomed Warren Blair to the stage for a couple tunes, a former member of The Bluegrass Cardinals. David has recorded many Randall Hylton songs over the years, and plays them in his current shows. 32 Acres has always been a personal favorite.
Host band Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road played their first set of the weekend. Garrett Newton filled in for the ailing Ben Greene. All of the band members worked on the festival grounds as well as playing with the boss lady. I’m sure they were all tired by Saturday night. Royce Jordan, Lorraine’s dad, presented the military tribute with a group of veterans holding the service flags as the band played each service’s song.
Larry Cordle has become a regular part of the Country Grass show. He tells the stories and sings the songs he has written. He will be at Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies and Bluegrass in the Blueridge as part of the Country Grass show.
Rhonda Vincent always does a top-notch show. Her first set was briefly interrupted by a thunderstorm. One crack of thunder sent her and the band scurrying! The sun came out a few minutes later and the show continued. Her evening set also had its moments. In the middle of a song, she put her mandolin down and grabbed a broom from the back of the stage and took a couple swipes at the ceiling. She picked her mandolin up and finished the song, declaring the area free of spiders and bugs! David Parmley and Doug Bartlett joined her for a couple tunes.
Deeper Shade of Blue closed out the show with their tight harmonies. They are a favorite North Carolina band.
Saturday was kicked off by a group of youngsters that all have ETSU roots. The Lydia Hamby Band is newly formed and one to see. Lydia graduated from ETSU in May and was a Pride Band member.
The Gospel Plowboys brought their testimony to the Cherokee stage. They are a bluegrass gospel band that needs to be seen to be appreciated. See them if they are in your area.
Greg Cahill is celebrating the 50th year of leading Special Consensus. All of those years are marked with successes. Later this year there will be a 50th anniversary show in Chicago that will include many of the alums of the band. Many have gone on to form their own successful bands.
The Malpass Brothers have become a staple at bluegrass festivals. They take the audience back to the days when traditional country music and bluegrass music were close kin. They brought 14 year-old Carley to the stage to do a couple banjo tunes. She is one talented youngster.
Carolina Road did a final set winding toward the close of the festival.
The Tennessee Bluegrass Band closed out the festival. Tim Laughlin broke a thumb and is in a cast. The band brought in Keith Williams to play guitar while Tim heals. Of course there were jokes about how Tim broke his thumb! It did not affect his singing! The band was joined by a host of people for a grand finale singing Will the Circle Be Unbroken.
Again, Allen emphasized that the festival will be back in Cherokee next August, and not in Marion.
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