Food Drive at NC Museum of History featuring Nixon, Blevins & Gage

Nov. 4, 2010 - PRLog -- Nixon, Blevins & Gage are an acoustic trio loosely based in bluegrass. Their music combines folk, traditional, religious and country music with selections ranging from modern songs adapted to their style to true-to-form preservations of older songs. They entertain with the finger-picking, early country music popularized by Doc Watson and Merle Travis. They are some of the latest pioneers to emerge from the acoustic trio tradition as originated by Doc Watson and continued by such groups as the Kruger Brothers and Blue Country. They have released four CDs, including the popular Picking on Christmas, which was heralded in Raleigh's News & Observer with an apt description of their music: "The juxtaposition of Nixon's finger-style playing with guitarist David Blevins' flat-picking results in an acoustic ambiance reminiscent of Doc Watson, Mississippi John Hurt and the late Etta Baker." Their CDs have been critically acclaimed in Bluegrass Unlimited magazine and have received national airplay. On Sunday, Dec. 12, they'll share some holiday tunes in a free concert at the NC Museum of History; canned food donations will be accepted for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC.

The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is a nonprofit organization that has provided food for people at risk of hunger in 34 counties in central and eastern North Carolina for 30 years. The Food Bank serves a network of more than 800 partner agencies such as soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and programs for children and adults through warehouses in Durham, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, the Sandhills (Southern Pines) and Wilmington. Last year alone, the Food Bank distributed more than 41.5 million pounds of food and non-food essentials through these agencies. Sadly, hunger remains a serious problem in central and eastern North Carolina-more than 500,000 struggle each day to provide enough food for their families, and 33% of the people served by the food bank are under the age of 18.

Around the holidays, in particular, there is even more need than normal for the valuable services the Food Bank provides. Children receiving free or reduced lunches at school are out for the holidays and cannot always be assured a meal each day. Holiday food drives are a vital part of the Food Bank's year-end efforts, and you can help! PineCone and the Museum are requesting that concert attendees please bring at least two cans of food to the Nixon, Blevins and Gage concert, and help bring some holiday cheer to members of your community this season!

Since first appearing in 1995, Nixon, Blevins & Gage have continued to evolve with appearances in clubs and festivals, including Merlefest in 2006. The trio has performed in shows with or opened shows for Mike Cross, Del McCoury, Longview, Larry Stephenson Band, The Grass Cats, Don Rigsby, Wayne Stephenson, Bill Leslie, Clyde Edgerton, and Carolina Road, among others; they also recently performed at the benefit concert for local bluegrass musician and music teacher Jan Johansson. Together, they have also performed at many prestigious North Carolina venues, including Merlefest, the Irregardless Café, Garner Historic Auditorium, the Umstead Festival, Sertoma Amphitheater at Cary's Bond Park, and many others. The band is Steven Gage on bass, David Blevins on guitar, and PineCone Bluegrass Radio Show host Larry Nixon on guitar.

Nixon is from Elkin, NC, in the heart of mountain and traditional music country, 30 miles south of Galax, Virginia; 40 miles northeast of Deep Gap, home of Doc Watson; and 25 miles north of Union Grove, home of one of the oldest music and fiddlers' conventions in the country. When Larry was 12, his grandfather gave him the banjo he had played around Surry County, North Carolina until 1929 when a finger injury ended his playing career. Since that time, Nixon has been hooked on music, winning a talent show in the eighth grade. During his years in college, he played in "beach" music bands. Nixon has enjoyed playing all types of music but has returned to his "roots" and first love, the re-creation and preservation of finger-picking styles of guitar that he first heard in the 1960s. He has presented seminars at the NC Thumb and Fingerstyle Guitar Convention in Statesville, NC. Larry attended NC State University and is a consulting engineer in Raleigh.

Nixon was one of PineCone's original board of directors, and he is still one of the hosts of the PineCone Bluegrass Radio Show, which is broadcast from Raleigh on WQDR 94.7 from 6-9 p.m. every Sunday.

Blevins is from Winston-Salem, and his cross-picking and flat-picking provide the smooth background and counterpoint to finger-picking that is a vital component of this style of music. During college, Blevins played in the finals at Union Grove when that event was the largest festival of its type in the country. He has rediscovered his interest and ability on guitar more recently and has been accompanying Nixon since 1994. Blevins graduated from Elon College and later attended NC State. He is a consulting engineer in Raleigh.

Gage is from Columbus, Ohio and ended up in North Carolina because of family trips to the beach that carried him through the state. Liking what he saw in North Carolina, Gage attended Duke University, where he was a radio DJ. He also played various types of music throughout high school and college but has become interested in acoustic and folk music. He provides the rock steady bass that anchors the rhythm for this type of music. Gage graduated from Duke and is a psychotherapist in Raleigh.

This concert is free and open to the public, and program notes will be provided. Large-print program notes will also be available. And don't forget to bring some canned food for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC - get in the giving spirit!

The Music of the Carolinas series features the best home-grown North Carolina traditional artists and showcases the musical traditions of the various cultures that call our state home today. Other upcoming concerts in the series include:

Sparky & Rhonda Rucker - Jan. 9, 2011
Magic of African Rhythm with students from the Community Music School - Feb. 13, 2011
The Thistledown Tinkers - March 13, 2011
Film - TBA - Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sprout Wings & Fly, a film directed by Les Blank - Musician Alice Gerrard and Appalachian State English Professor Cece Conway will introduce the film. Mother's Day - May 8, 2011;
Flamenco Comes Alive! with Carolota Santana - June 12, 2011

Join PineCone and the Museum of History every month through June to discover and celebrate North Carolina's rich musical heritage! All Music of the Carolinas concerts begin at 3 p.m. in the NC Museum of History's Daniels Auditorium. They are free and open to the public, and program notes are provided. Large-print program notes are also available at the concerts.

You can learn more at http://www.pinecone.org; visit the Food Bank's website at http://www.foodbankcenc.org/.

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PineCone—the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, is a private, nonprofit, charitable membership organization dedicated to preserving, presenting and promoting traditional music, dance and other folk performing arts.