St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Railroad Earth, Punch Brothers, and many more announced for the 11th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que!
It is hard to believe but we are already at the 11th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que and it just seems like this festival started a few years ago. So many incredible and unforgettable memories over the years from such greats as Ricky Skaggs, Drive-By Truckers, Willie Nelson & Family, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Greensky Bluegrass, and Trampled by Turtles just to name a few. This year’s Banjo-B-Que is planned for Memorial Day weekend – May 22nd- 23rd, 2020 and will take place at last year’s location (and hopefully the forever location!), Lake Olmstead Stadium. So who does Banjo-B-Que have in store for us with #11? Well let’s just dive right into this lineup and discuss it right now!
Starting off this year’s incredible line up is St. Paul & the Broken Bones and Railroad Earth, followed by Punch Brothers, Mt. Joy, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Allman Betts Band, Shovels & Rope, Futurebirds, The Lil Smokies, Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Town Mountain, Larry Keel Experience, The Artisanals, Old Salt Union, Little Roy & Lizzy Show, Trongone Band, The Josephines, Grassland String Band, and my local boys- The Mason Jars! This lineup is stacked from top to bottom and there are so many reason why we all need to go enjoy ourselves at Banjo-B-Que this upcoming Memorial Day weekend. But I can narrow it down to three artists that you have to see:
The Allman Betts Band – Devon Allman (son of Gregg Allman) and Duane Betts (son of Dickey Betts) will be bringing the heat with their band of gifted and talented musicians at the 11th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que. The Allman Betts Band will be playing non-stop from now until July: SweetWater 420 Festival, Lockn’ Festival, and Peach Music Fest are just some of the notable national stages they will share this year on the festival circuit. Joining Devon and Duane is Berry Oakley Jr. (son of Allman Brothers Band bass player Berry Oakley), Johnny Stachela (slide guitar), R. Scott Bryan (percussion), and John Lum (percussion). They are going to play one of the wildest sets all weekend. Mark my words. In the meantime, check out this live video of their rendition of The Allman Brothers Band classic, “Jessica”.
Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band (roots/country blues) consists of The Reverend Peyton (vocals/guitar), “Washboard” Breezy “The Miss Elizabeth of Country Blues” Peyton (washboard), and Max Senteney (drums). They last played this event in 2018 at the 10th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que to a very excited crowd that gathered around the main stage for this intriguing spectacle. I was told from a few friends to definitely check out their set and let me tell you sometimes I am really glad I listen to my friends. Incidentally, they are also veterans from a very stacked 2016 the 7th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que. Check out this official video of their song, “Raise A Little Hell”, and see what you think!
Larry Keel Experience (bluegrass) is my white whale that I have been chasing for a few years. They normally would play the Aiken Bluegrass Festival (which is on a hiatus this year) in May, so we have not had the pleasure of the Larry Keel Experience to play the festivities at Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que. This year they will make their Banjo-B-Que debut. The Larry Keel Experience consists of Larry Keel (vocals/guitar) and Jenny Keel (bass). Keller Williams said it best, “There is a certain genuine authenticity that Larry and Jenny possess.” You can experience Larry and Jenny Keel at the 11th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que this Memorial Day weekend. Need your Larry Keel Experience fix before May? Don’t worry! Watch this live video of the Larry Keel Experience at Pisgah Brewing Company and get you fix until May!
Now that we discussed the lineup in depth, let’s talk about two more attractions at Banjo-B-Que: the plethora of tasty food vendors AND $4 domestic/craft beer (and I do mean REAL craft beer) tents with over 80 flavors to choose from on location! Some of the previous brewers included; Monday Night Brewing, Left Nut Brewing Co., Hi-Wire Brewing, Reformation, Savannah Brewing Company, Jekyll Brewing, Southern Brewing Co., Red Hare Brewing Company, Prairie Artisan Ales, Riverwatch Brewery, Nantahala Brewing Co., Jailhouse Brewing Company, Southern Tier Brewing Company, and Eagle Creek Brewing Company. To me, that is one helluva lineup for a craft beer selection at a festival that I would attend for multiple days. Believe me, I am a proud beer snob. I would gladly pass on the status quo domestic brands in a heartbeat with no qualms about it.
Since we discussed the lineup, food, and beer for the 11th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que, I feel it is time for us all to go and grab our tickets for this upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Head over to their Official ticket page to secure your ticket today!
If you are coming from out of town and need a place to stay? Don’t worry, we have you covered there too! Head over to Booking.com or Airbnb.com for all your lodging needs while you are out of town picking and grinning at Banjo-B-Que. Need a ride while out of town? No sweat! First time users can use the following codes for discounts on local ride shares: Lyft – XERXES28549 or Uber – hristost3ue. If you want to camp by Olmstead Lake, then there is also that option at Banjo-B-Que! You can head over to their Official website and look into the camping prices, map of the camping area, amenities, rules & guidelines by following this link over to their camping section. Still have some questions about Banjo-B-Que? Then head over to their Official FAQ page and see if they have an answer (or email them @ info@banjobque.com).
Also, don’t forget to check out our previous coverage from Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que over the years at Concerthopper.com: 2017 Gallery, 2018 Gallery, 2019 Gallery, 2018 review & 2019 review.
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