Bluegrass

It is said that you can find any of the major bluegrass and country music stars within 100 miles of Johnson City, TN. With Asheville located just 50 miles south, we are well within that range. In fact, there is so much bluegrass in this mountain region, there is a bluegrass degree program at Eastern Tennessee State University in Johnson City. The three Asheville-surrounding counties of Buncombe, Madison and Haywood provide some of the best local banjo, fiddle and guitar pickers in the region. From greats and local enthusiasts like Bascom Lamar Lunsford to Jimmy Rogers, the Green Grass Cloggers, The Freight Hoppers to the awesome Bryan Sutton of Hot Rize, this area is rich in its quality as it is dense in musicians.

Target Entertainment uses many of the best from the region to make up quality bluegrass entertainment bands for all sorts of occasions. Many have won regional and national competitions and tour in recognized outfits throughout the country. Target Entertainment works with a core set of groups who can play the hot favorites and sing the best of the high and lonesome. For special situations, we provide Gospel bluegrass done in the old-time tradition: Here are many of the popular songs requested by our customers:

  1. Rocky Top
  2. Fox on the Run
  3. Orange Blossom Special
  4. I’ll Fly Away
  5. Dueling Banjos
  6. The Beverly Hillbillies theme
  7. The Andy Griffith Show theme and songs from the Darling family
  8. Rolling in My Sweet Baby’s Arms
  9. Man of Constant Sorrow
  10. Wagon Wheel

There are, of course, many more, but customers looking for good bluegrass music often request these tunes as part of any performance. All bands usually include a banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and bass. Additional instruments are the dobro, the rubboard, the spoons, the jug, jaw harp and others. The bands include great harmony vocals and are versatile in country humor as well as hundreds of fiddle and dance tunes from around the country. Often times, the musicians can play a tune named after or from each of the 50 states in the Union.

Some of the great bluegrass groups that influence all of our musicians are:

  • Bill Monroe
  • Flatt and Scruggs
  • The Stanley Brothers
  • The Osborne Brothers
  • David Grisman/Jerry Garcia
  • The Tony Rice Unit
  • Bela Fleck
  • Hot Rize
  • Leftover Salmon

This list demonstrates the wide variety of Traditional to Progressive bluegrass that we can play and perform. Without being set on a particular style, we enjoy doing all styles. That can include the  jazz and swing influences of David Grisman and Bela Fleck to the rock and roll style of Leftover Salmon to the great high and lonesome harmony singing of Bill Monroe. But, all you need to get a shindig going is a fiddle and a banjo. Our “house” band is the “the Good Ol’ Mountain Dewds”. Learn more about them.

You can find more info about other bluegrass bands or similar mountain music here