In Medieval times, troubadours traveled Europe’s countryside, entertaining townfolk with songs, mostly romantic, heroic, or lost love.
A thousand years later, performers still travel traditional routes, singing guess what – romantic, heroic, or lost love songs.
If you look at a today’s performer tour map, you’ll see a giant music dot at Nashville, a whopper dot at Atlanta, a fairly good size dot at Asheville.
Mallory Samson
But when you look at Highlands, it’s a teeny dot. Not a lot of troubadours rise up a few thousand feet to perform. If we want to bring the best to the Plateau, we have to spread the word.
That’s where Mallory and Bill Samson, longtime residents from Chicago, come onto the scene. They never imagined moving to Highlands in 2018 would immerse them in such a rich cultural landscape.
Drawn by the area’s natural beauty and warm community, they were surprised to find an arts scene rivaling larger cities with the Center for Life Enrichment, Highlands Performing Arts Center, The Bascom Fine Art Center, and Highlands Food & Wine and the Bear Shadow festivals.
A chance meeting at Highlander Mountain House with owner Jason Reeves and musician Shelly Colvin sparked an idea that became Rock the Plateau, a nonprofit supporting intimate performances by acclaimed singer-songwriters through the Salon Series and beyond—celebrating how a small town can make a big sound.
Rock the Plateau, uses the power of music as a community-connector. Imagine James Taylor, Bob Dylan, or Emmy Lou Harris in an intimate setting.
At the Highlander Mountain House candles glow, lighting these legendary balladeers as they fill the room with their musical magic.
Mallory says, “The Salon Series is about connection—artists and audience sharing a moment that lingers well past the last note.” Unlike typical concert models, Rock the Plateau ensures that artists are paid directly by the nonprofit—independent of the hotel or ticket sales – creating a sustainable and reliable way to support world-class talent in a small-town setting.
This collaboration has created buzz within the artistic community as well – putting Highlands on the map for musicians who value connection over commerce. Every show strengthens the local economy, bringing visitors who fill the restaurants, hotels, amplifying the town’s creative heartbeat.
Mallory says, “We’re not just hosting concerts; we’re building the kind of community we want to live in year-round.”
Visit rocktheplateau.org for more info.
Favorites Count: 0