A Tapestry of Talent

Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue:

Black Pumas
photo by Jody Dominque

On the evening of Saturday May 11, the Bear Shadow Music Festival will, for the fourth year, thrum to life at its “base camp” at Winfield Farms in Scaly Mountain.

Dreamed up in the months preceding the Pandemic, the idea from the start was to create a spring counterpart to the widely beloved Highlands Food & Wine Festival. The vision – to engage a broader, more local audience while extending a warm invitation to music enthusiasts from beyond the town’s borders to experience the charms of Highlands.

Transcending its initial aspirations, Bear Shadow has become a phenomenon in its own right. Drawing attendees from 32 states and earning recognition from Southern Living as one of the Top 10 Festivals in the South, it has established itself as a must-attend musical celebration.

The stage is set to host an impressive lineup, bringing together a tapestry of talent and renowned artists.

Headliners:

Saturday, May 11: JJ Grey & Mofro

JJ Grey, of Jacksonville, plays music that mixes raw rural blues with tough, swampy Southern rock, generating a sound that has a loose, natural feel while maintaining a potent edge that ignites when live. Then the band’s jams and Grey’s singing become a kind of combustible testimony that’s as exciting for those onstage as it is for anyone in the audience.”

Sunday, May 12: Black Pumas

The soul duo Black Pumas surfaced out of nowhere when it scored a surprise Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 2020, and then, a year later, crashed the Record and Album of the Year categories. Its odd-couple members – Eric Burton and Adrian Quesada – have a provincial origin story and stirring, ageless music sound, juke-joint-tested and stage-ready, tender yet massive.

JJ Grey & Mofro
photo by Tom Britt

Beyond the marquee events, bands equally talented:

Saturday: May 11

Futurebirds: Known for their Laid-back country rock, Futurebirds incorporates tuneful melodies of pop along with the Southern sound that made them hometown heroes in Athens, Georgia.

American Aquarium: An alt-country band from North Carolina with a sound that skillfully mixes grit, twang, and some straight-ahead rock’n roll.
North Mississippi Allstars: Grammy nominees with an astonishing diversity of style under a muddy roots umbrella, spanning from Delta blues to bluegrass.

Sunday, May 12:

The Record Company: A swaggering three-piece rock band with a lean, rootsy sound. Their 2016 debut album was a strong roots rock session that garnered a Grammy nomination.

White Denim: A freewheeling indie rock combo from Austin, Texas, drawing influences from psychedelic/garage rock, punk, funk, jazz, blues, and rock influences.

Grace Bowers: A 17-year-old guitar phenom inspired by blues and rock, promising a sizzling performance.

Single and weekend tickets packages are available.  All tickets include complimentary beverages and shuttles to and from Highlands. For more information visit bearshadownc.com.