This article, and others that will come this week as Sideline tours the western US, is a contribution from Glenn Wright of Guy Raleigh Management. He is accompanying the band and will provide regular updates on their road exploits and stage performances.
Sideline Bluegrass is headed out west, the bus loaded up this morning in Graham North Carolina for the trek to Bullhead City Arizona. It’s expected to take three days to reach their destination. Steve Dilling said he is excited to be headed west for this leg of the Colors and Crossroads Tour, named after their newest album release. Traveling out west on the bus will be Dilling, banjo player and former member of III Tyme Out, Skip Cherryholmes, guitar player, Jason Moore, upright bass player, Brad Hudson, dobro player, Nathan Aldridge, fiddle player, and the band’s newest member from Erwin TN, 22-year-old Troy Boone.
According to Dilling, today was uneventful. He said, “We spent most of the morning stopping in Pigeon Forge and Black Mountain, North Carolina picking up band members and supplies.” Weather for the trip is looking good and Dilling says they expect to drive straight through to Phoenix, Arizona for a house concert at Porter Barn Wood. Although Dilling did admit he’d like to get the bus washed to clean off all the grime from last week’s trip to Nashville for the WSM interview and WOBO and Rudy Fest showcase shows they performed at SPBGMA.
In addition to the Thursday show in Phoenix, Sideline is scheduled to play at a Veterans Benefit Show in support of Tri-State Military Moms and Veterans Resource Center of Bullhead City. Skip Cherryholmes is looking forward to this special benefit show and stated, “It’s the least we could do to support those who fought for this country. It’s an honor to be invited.”
Sideline will close out the weekend with four shows over two days at the long running and very popular Bullhead City Colorado River Bluegrass Music Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Jason Moore will be playing with both Sideline and Lost and Found during the festival. Moore is definitely one of the hardest workers out there, playing with two bands at the festival and sharing bus driver duties with fellow band member Brad Hudson.
The guys are excited to be spending time with new and old friends from the west coast bluegrass community, and will continue to update everyone on their journey out west and back through social media and Bluegrass Today.