This week, ballads tell stories about all kinds of real-life events, but after Hurricane Helene, one group of ballad singers felt some topics were still too raw. Also, the author of a new book on ancient Ohio credits a former grad student with introducing him to the region’s mysterious earthworks. And, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage.
At the 16th annual Blues Fest in Wheeling this weekend it rained hard and shined hot, and at Wheeling’s Heritage Area Port the weekend blues musicians rocked on through it all. About 2,400 paying blues fans came from far and wide and dealt with both deluges of rain and sweltering sun.
The festival’s producer Bruce Wheeler says dedicated fans flock to Wheeling every year for several reasons:
“It’s a combination of the talent that’s on the stage, the volunteer crew that puts it together so well, and the setting of the Heritage Port in Wheeling, West Virginia.
“To sit here and look at the historic suspension bridge, listening to blues music right on the bank of the Ohio River that has it’s connections down to the delta where the blue started,” Wheeler said, “I think there’s some magic here.”
Fans and musicians came from Ohio, Georgia, Florida, California, Canada – and there were also local die-hards like West Virginia’s poet laureate, and Wheeling resident Marc Harshman. This is his 15th BluesFest:
“It’s such a shot in the arm – this high energy blues music. It ends the summer with just the right note for me. I feel like I’ve been revived after being here for three days listening to old time country acoustic blues, to high-powered electric rhythm and blues. I love it. And the best names in the business it’s really an incredible lineup year and year.”
Credit Glynis Board / West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
On Sunday when the rain really came hard, the Blues festival moved here into a nearby restaurant, River City Ale Works, and carried on.
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Appalachia is home to many types of music: Old-time and bluegrass, of course, but also rock and hip hop, Americana and jazz, metal and hardcore — and dungeon synth. In fact, that genre, which spun out of black metal, will be showcased outside Whitesburg, Kentucky this weekend, June 13 and 14, at Appalachian Dungeon Fest.
The WVPB News Department was honored with Overall Excellence in the Radio Small Market category. Us & Them, which is hosted by Trey Kay, was honored with Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the episode Us & Them: Black West Virginians With Substance Use Disorder Face Unique Challenges. Regional winners automatically move on to the national round for consideration.
On this West Virginia Morning, Appalachian music comes in all kinds. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams spoke with Mason Salomeini, organizer of electronic music celebration Dungeon Fest.
