Junior Sisk at the 2025 Industrial Bluegrass Summer Fest – photo © Bill Warren
Industrial Strength Summer Fest number one is in the books. It was a successful one. Joe and Daniel Mullins put a lot of thought and effort into providing a great experience for musicians and fans alike. They were prepared for whatever was thrown at them, including an indoor stage with a sound system ready to go at the first crack of thunder!
Daryl Mosley kicked off Friday with a songwriting workshop. He provided insight in how to keep a story simple, but still tell the whole story.
The Next Paige was the first band on stage. The band is the brainchild of Lisa and Bryan Paige, the owners of Paige Capo Company, who have relocated their business from Michigan to North Carolina. Some of their music goes back to the days of the R&L Express, which was Bryan’s Dad’s band.
Daryl Mosley did a one-man show of his great original music. Many of the songs take the audience on a trip to the small towns many grew up in.
Kenny and Amanda Smith then brought their band to the show. Amanda showed the reason she has been the IBMA Female Vocalist award winner. Ten-year-old Annabelle joins them for a song on each show. She is going to be a force to be reckoned with in years to come.
Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers did the second of their three shows on Friday. They are great bluegrass ambassadors.
Larry Stephenson was up next. When he cuts a song, he makes it his own. Go see Larry and his band if they are in your area.
Not much can be said about the Junior Sisk Band that hasn’t already been said. When Junior steps back, Red Camel Collective doesn’t miss a beat.
The Malpass Brothers closed out the Friday show. They have become a crowd favorite wherever they appear.
Kenny Smith did a Master Guitar class on Saturday morning.
Preacher Mike and Mary Robinson did a gospel sing Saturday morning, and they had an enthusiastic audience.
The Lincoln Highway Band opened the stage show. They are an Ohio Band from the Mansfield area, as the weekend featured several Ohio bands.
Kenny and Amanda also did a duo show. Annabelle joined them at one point, as did Zack Arnold.
Tony Holt has brought the Wildwood Valley Boys back to prominence. They take the audience back to the days of the Boys from Indiana, along with some of Tony’s new music.
Hammertowne was preparing to take the stage when the first crack of thunder moved the show inside a large adjoining building. That’s when the prior planning paid off. The indoor stage and sound system was ready. Hammertowne was off and running in a matter of minutes. The band gathered around a single mic and did a great show. Dave Carroll told me later that they liked the single mic dynamic, and may do it more on future shows.
Fast Track does their shows with a single vocal mic. Dale Perry and Elijah Doty tweaked the set up a little, and were ready to go.
The Radio Ramblers then did their final set of the weekend. They featured music from their newest gospel and secular recordings. Joe invited the Froggy Mountain Brothers on stage to do a couple tunes, who are visiting from French Polynesia.
The Queen, Rhonda Vincent, closed out the festival as only she can. There was a humorous moment in her show when Joe was supposed to sing with her, but was not around. An audience member in the front row called him and handed the phone to Rhonda. She said, “You’re supposed to sing with me. Where are you??” Joe replied, “I’ll be there in two minutes!” He was, and they sang!
Congratulations to Joe, Daniel, and their whole crew for putting on a wonderful, inaugural Industrial Strength Summer Fest.
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