Traditional music association celebrates decade with Barefoot Movement
Published 7:44 pm Thursday, February 15, 2018
- MUSICAL MISSION: Barefoot Movement, a stand-out bluegrass band, will perform at the Turnage Theatre tonight as part of Beaufort County Traditional Music Association’s 10-year anniversary. (Barefoot Movement)
Ten years ago, amateur musicians with a love for pickin’ got together to play. Hundreds of concerts, jams, outreach programs and festivals later, members of the Beaufort County Traditional Music Association are still playing — bluegrass, old time, folk and more.
“It’s a lot of picking. It’s a lot of songs and a lot of fellowship, and opportunities to make music. We look back, and we’re kind of surprised it’s been 10 years, and it’s gone really quickly,” said Linda Boyer, one of the founders of the group.
Boyer and many other BCTMA members will be on hand Friday night at the Turnage Theatre, celebrating 10 years with a concert by Barefoot Movement, a bluegrass quartet called “one of the most promising bands on the bluegrass scene,” by CMT Edge, a review website for Americana, bluegrass and country artists. They’ve traveled the country touring, played big-name festivals, been featured in “Country Weekly” magazine and on RollingStone.com, were voted “Band of the Year” by the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2014, yet have also played on the corner of West Main and Gladden streets at Music in the Streets.
According to Boyer, they are a BCTMA favorite.
“This is the fifth time we’ve had them here. We obviously like them very much. They’re a young, energetic group — they first came when they were college students,” Boyer said. “It’s just a good, fun time to get together with a fun group.”
Sponsoring concert series is just one part of BCTMA, a partner of Arts of the Pamlico. The group hosts twice-a-week jams on Thursday nights and Saturday mornings in the Turnage Theatre gallery and board members take turns presenting variety shows. When asked to perform at an event, an ever-changing crew of musicians shows up, and many take turns playing afternoon concerts once a month for clients at the Grace Martin Harwell Senior Center.
“We’ve gone from playing on the street corner to playing at the Turnage,” Boyer said. “We still have a lot of fun — that hasn’t changed.”
Tonight’s concert starts at 7 p.m. at the Turnage Theatre. Tickets are $15 and will be sold at the door.
“$15, cash or check. We take traditional money, because we’re traditional,” Boyer laughed.
The Turnage Theatre is located at 150 W. Main St., Washington.