We’ve all kinds got exciting news to share, beginning with the fact that Seedtime is pleased to announce the addition of two stellar acts to our lineup.   The Tommy Webb Band and Heather Berry will take the stage on the evening of Thursday, June 7, in the intimate Appalshop Theater, to kick off Seedtime 2012.

The Tommy Webb Band

The Tommy Webb Band is an Eastern Kentucky-based bluegrass band that has been winning fans both here at home and across the country since their founding in 2005.  They have released four full-length albums, including the brand-new album From Rock n’ Roll to Bill Monroe.  The album, and its title track especially, is already a favorite here at WMMT, and is charting among the top 35 bluegrass albums nationwide.  Webb is a Floyd County native, and we’re thrilled to bring him and his band back to Appalshop for a rollicking, high-quality performance close to home.

Heather Berry & Tony Mabe

Heather Berry is a Virginia native who combines lovely, affected, “song-bird” vocal work with Mother Maybelle-style arch-top guitar accompaniment to create a captivating mixture of bluegrass and folk.  She is accompanied by the versatile Tony Mabe, who plays everything from the autoharp to the mandolin to the guitar to both Scruggs and clawhammer-style banjo.   The couple have recently signed with Mountain Fever records and have already put out a single, “Walk Slow,” with plans to release more music after the new year.  We here at WMMT can’t wait to hear what they have in store!

We couldn’t be more thrilled to be able to have both The Tommy Webb Band and Heather Berry lead off the 2012 Seedtime festival.  Keep checking back to our site here and our facebook page for more updates as we work out the schedule!

The 25th Annual Seedtime on the Cumberland: A Celebration of Mountain Culture, will take place June 9-11, 2011. Festival events will be held at the Appalshop, the Veterans Memorial Park  and Main Street in downtown Whitesburg, KY.

Featuring performances by:

Seldom Scene, Kenny Baker, Ben Sollee, Woody Pines, Lee Sexton Band, Ann & Phil Case, The Stuart Brothers Band, Jimmy & Ada McCowan w/Paul David Smith, East KY Tyme, Randy Wilson, Mac & Jenny Traynham, Karly Dawn and Little Saree Band, Mike Havens & Blue Mtn. Grass, The Rail Splitters, Nikos Pappas, Rich & the Po’ Folk, The Pea Ridge Ramblers and The Cowan Creek Pick and Bow All-Stars.

Also Featuring:

Appalshop film screenings, shape note singing, arts & crafts vendors, arts & crafts demonstrators, art exhibitions, youth arts activities and exhibitions, literary readings, Youth Bored concert, hiking & biking, food vendors, and the big Seedtime Square Dance.

*All official Seedtime events will be FREE to the public. (With the exception of the Thursday, June 9 performance @ the Appalshop Theater, which costs $15 admission.)

MUSIC & ART GALORE!!

Seedtime 2011’s a summer away, but have no fear! You can catch a glimpse of this year’s excitement and relive the memories by watching this video clip:

Seedtime Festival 2010

And you can buy more Seedtime T-shirts here.

If you celebrated Seedtime with us and took some pictures of your own, we’d be happy to add ‘em to the archive and gallery. Send them to Mark Kidd at mark@appalshop.org

A deep, heartfelt thanks goes out to all of our sponsors, performers, vendors, masters, and absolutely incredible volunteers. We hope to see all of you next year.

In the meantime, don’t be a stranger! Come visit Appalshop and the wonders of Whitesburg any time. We’re always open to suggestions for future Seedtime Festivals and new collaborations.

Until then, friends, have an enjoyable summer and a wonderful day.

For a complete list of this Seedtime weekend’s unique community events, take a gander at the Special Events! section of the website. You can get the full Seedtime line-up in the Schedule section.

Our friends and neighbors have done a lot to make this weekend a special one. This is one Seedtime on the Cumberland bonanza you don’t want to miss!