PICKENS — Hagood Mill’s Banjo Extravaganza, set for July 16, will feature Nitrograss with Charles Wood, The Blue Ridge Rounders, instrument workshops and a two-hour fiddlers workshop.

Wood is a veteran showman with appearances on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “A Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keillor. He has toured in Austria and Germany with The Lonesome Road Band and taught at the Munich, Germany Banjo Camp in 2009.

Wood has also starred at many regional and national Bluegrass festivals. Other members of Nitrograss include Caleb Hanks on mandolin, Micah Hanks on guitar, and Dakota “Smokey” Waddell on the stand up base.

The Blue Ridge Rounders — Bob and Amy Buckingham — will take the stage around 11:30 a.m. to play traditional, country roots music and Appalachian dance tunes. Nitrograss will perform from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

A variety of instrument workshops will be held throughout the day, one of which will be hosted by Bob Buckingham from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. This workshop will emphasize the intricate and melodic “Clawhammer” and finger styles most often associated with the instrument.

A two-hour workshop for fiddlers will be held from 10 a.m. to noon for participants to sharpen their skills in Appalachian fiddling, the featured fiddle style of the S.C. Old Time Fiddling Championship that will be held at Hagood Mill on Sept. 17.

Marion “Weasel” Boatwright of Brevard, N.C., will showcase bowing style, competition song selection, and demonstrate how to create dynamism in a performance. The cost is $5 to be paid 15 minutes before class starts.

Admission is free, but there is a $5 parking fee for the event, which will be held rain or shine.

The Hagood Mill is located at 138 Hagood Mill Road. Call 864-898-2936 or visit www.visitpickenscounty.com/calendar for more information.

Hagood Mill’s Banjo Extravaganza, set for July 16, will feature Nitrograss with Charles Wood, The Blue Ridge Rounders, instrument workshops and a two-hour fiddlers workshop.
http://pickenssentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_026.jpgHagood Mill’s Banjo Extravaganza, set for July 16, will feature Nitrograss with Charles Wood, The Blue Ridge Rounders, instrument workshops and a two-hour fiddlers workshop. File Photo

Staff Report