Dewey Beach Country/Americana Festival scheduled for April 15, 16
Why does the Rusty Rudder keeping adding music festivals to its off season lineup?
Highway One's Vicki Walls, the company's longtime promoter and booker, says it's all about pride. The company works hard at bringing acts to Dewey that are on their way up in the music industry, she said Walls.
“I like being able to brag about the original music people can hear being played in our venues,” she said recently.
In its second year, the Dewey Beach Country/Americana Festival is the most recent addition to the lineup. This year’s event takes place Friday, April 15, and Saturday, April 16, at the Rusty Rudder, 113 Dickinson St., Dewey Beach. Fourteen acts are scheduled over the two-night festival.
Festival lineup:
Friday, April 15
• 9 p.m. – Supper Break String Band, Greensburg, Pa.
• 9:40 p.m. – DeSoto rust, Philadelphia
• 10:20 p.m. – The Quixote Project, Mt. Laurel, N.J.
• 11 p.m. – Black Horse Motel, Philadelphia
• 11:40 p.m. – The Herd of Main Street, Baltimore
• 12:20 p.m. – The Clifford Keith Band, Sussex County
Saturday, April 16
• 7 p.m. – Sara Ann Garrison, Lewes
• 7:40 p.m. – Leanne Weiss, Riverdale, N.J.
• 8:20 p.m. – Wesley Spangler, Baltimore
• 9 p.m. – DuShane, New York City
• 9:40 p.m. – Eric Karge, Preston, Md.
• 10:20 p.m. – Gooch and the MotioN, Woodstown, N.J.
• 11 p.m. – Pawnshop roses, Philadelphia
• 11:40 p.m. – Logan Brill, Knoxville
Pointing to the Academy of Country Music Awards show held April 3, Walls said Dewey is becoming well-known for showcasing up-and-coming country music acts.
At some point or another, almost all of those acts have been to Dewey, Walls said.
“That’s cool,” she said.
Walls said this year’s Dewey Beach Country/Americana Festival headliner is Logan Brill, a young woman who recently performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. She’s scheduled to perform at 11:40 p.m., Saturday, April 16.
In addition to Brill, Walls said many acts come from outside Delaware, including New York City’s Dushane, Philadelphia’s Pawnshop Roses and Baltimore’s The Herd of Main Street.
It’s an opportunity for locals to see a bunch of acts in one place rather than hit up 10 different locations, said Walls.
Local acts will also perform. Lewes’ Sara Ann Garrison opens the festival's second night at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 16, and Sussex County’s The Clifford Keith Band closes the first night at 12:20 a.m., Friday, April 15.
More information, including a full musician lineup and stage times, can be found at dbcountryfest.com.
Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.
