Hickory – Hickory Museum of Art welcomes the bluegrass trio Red June for a live performance in the Drendel Auditorium on Friday, July 6. The evening begins with a pre-concert party starting at 5:30 pm. Blowing Rock Brewery will be onsite with a selection of the top craft beers for sale to guests 21 and older. Red June takes the stage in the Drendel Auditorium at 7pm.
With a genre-defying sound featuring striking harmonies, award-winning songwriting and electrifying instrumental work, Asheville NC’s Red June has been capturing the hearts of audiences all across the country since 2009.
A powerful trio consisting of veteran musicians Will Straughan on dobro and guitar, Natalya Zoe Weinstein on fiddle, and John Cloyd Miller on mandolin and guitar, Red June seamlessly blends country, bluegrass, and American roots music with a dash of indie rock sensibility to create something entirely original and inspiring. The band’s most recent album, Ancient Dreams, was released in April 2014 on Organic Records and showcases all original material written by the three band members. Reviewer Steve Swift calls the record “a masterclass in organic roots Americana, resplendent in velvet three-part harmonies, an effortless fusion of old and new.”
Natalya, Will and John have been longtime friends, first jamming together at an Asheville music party in 2005. In 2009 they formed Red June and went on to release their first album, Remember Me Well, two years later. Their debut was very well received, and was voted the #1 regional release of 2010 by the discerning listeners of WNCW. Their follow up studio project, Beauty Will Come (2012) also garnered much attention, with Chuck Dauphin of Music News Nashville proclaiming,
“Red June possesses an airtight harmony that will impress even the toughest critic. Listen to their vocal blend on I’m Willing To Try, and you may need to have your jaw surgically removed from the floor – they are that good!”
In 2015 the band went on hiatus as Will began a job with an international non-profit agency and Natalya and John welcomed a new daughter into the world in February. Natalya and John continue to perform as a duo under their middle names, Zoe & Cloyd. Their most recent recording, Eyes Brand New was recently named one of the “Favorite Musical Picks of 2017” by Huffington Post. Even as their lives have taken them in different directions as of late, Red June comes together a few times each year for special performances.
Tickets are $15 for Members/$20 for Non-Members and may be purchased at HickoryArt.org.
Photo Caption: Will Straughan on dobro and guitar, Natalya Zoe Weinstein on fiddle, and John Cloyd Miller on mandolin and guitar. Photography by Charley Akers.
