The Steep Canyon Rangers will perform at 7 p.m., Saturday, July 5, at the Blue Ridge Music Center’s amphitheater at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway just south of Galax, VIrginia, as part of the “Deep Roots, Many Voices†summer concert series.
The Steep Canyon Rangers have long held traditional bluegrass paramount, while possessing an exceptional ability to incorporate influences from other genres such as country, jam and Americana.
The North Carolina natives rose to the top of the bluegrass genre, headlining festivals such as MerleFest and Grey Fox Bluegrass after forming in college. Over its 25 year career, the band has received recognition from well beyond the world of bluegrass and its members have earned a reputation as some of the most influential songwriters in Americana today. In a 2024 interview, Garret K. Woodward of “Rolling Stone†called the band, “one of the most sought-after groups in Americana, bluegrass and indie-folk.â€
The Steep Canyon Rangers has released 14 studio albums including the Grammy-winning “Nobody Knows You†(2012) and the Grammy-nominated live album “North Carolina Songbook†(2019), which was recorded at MerleFest and features covers of songs by North Carolina-born artists, including James Taylor, Doc Watson and Thelonious Monk. The album drew acclaim and topped the Billboard Bluegrass Chart for multiple weeks after its release.
The band recently released a new album, “Live at Greenfield Lake,†that captures the magic of the group’s chemistry, their unparalleled harmonies and the rich songwriting that has made them one of the most critically-acclaimed groups in Americana music.
The Steep Canyon Rangers members are Graham Sharp (banjo, vocals), Mike Guggino (mandolin/mandola, vocals), Aaron Burdett (guitar, vocals), Nicky Sanders (fiddle, vocals), Mike Ashworth (drums, dobro, guitar, vocals) and Barrett Smith (bass, guitar, vocals).
This concert is sponsored by the Yadkin Arts Council. Advance tickets are available at . Tickets can be purchased on the evening of the performance at the admission gates.
Parking opens at 5:15 p.m. and is free. The amphitheater gates open at 5:45 p.m. The concert begins at 7 p.m. The Bluffs Restaurant will be on site with food for purchase. Concertgoers may bring their own food and beverages. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted.
The Blue Ridge Music Center, located at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Galax, Va., celebrates the music and musicians of the mountains. The Music Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily May through October. It is a national park facility, a major attraction along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and a venue partner of The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail and Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Parkway/National Park Service maintains and operates the facility, and staffs the Music Center Visitor/Interpretive Center. The programs are managed, coordinated, promoted, and produced by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, a nonprofit partner organization. For more information, visit .
The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway connects Shenandoah National Park to the north with Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the south. The route travels the crests, ridges, and valleys of five major mountain ranges, encompassing several geographic and vegetative zones ranging from 600 to more than 6,000 feet above sea level. It provides visitors with many varied vistas of scenic Appalachian landscapes ranging from forested ridgetops and mountain slopes to rural farm lands and urban areas. The Parkway offers a “ride-a-while, stop-a-while” experience that includes scenic pullouts, recreation areas, historic sites, and visitor contact stations. It is known nationally and internationally for its designed landscape as a scenic motorway. Learn more at .
