EVENTS THAT SING MUSIC EVENTS IN ATHENS, GA

Darol Anger and Bruce Molsky are two of the most influential living fiddlers. These creative powerhouses have been friends and musical collaborators for 20 years.

Leader of Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, Bruce Molsky also holds a key position in the “American Roots Music Program” at Berklee College of Music. A short list of musicians with whom he has collaborated include Mark Knopfler, Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny, Tony Trischka, Aly Bain, Jerry Douglas, Michael Doucet, Allison deGroot, and others. He is partially responsible for brilliant players such as Brittany Haas and Tatiana Hargreaves.

Freestyle fiddler, composer, producer and educator, Darol Anger is at home in a number of musical genres, some of which he helped to invent. A Professor Emeritus at Berklee, he was the recipient of an ASTA Artist-Teacher Award in 2023 and an IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award in 2023. He helped found the David Grisman Quintet, Turtle Island String Quartet, The Montreux Band, his Republic Of Strings, the Fiddlers 4, the Duo with Mike Marshall, his current touring group Mr Sun, Psychograss, and other projects. His list of important recordings is too long to include here, but dates back to 1976.

Hog-Eyed Man is an Athens-based acoustic duo featuring fiddler Jason Cade and multi-instrumentalist Rob McMaken. Rooted in the archaic tunes and pre-radio aesthetics of Southern Appalachian traditions, they’ve crafted a compelling, deeply informed style of old-time music that honors past masters while pushing the tradition forward. The duo has released six albums, including three on Tiki Parlour Recordings.

Jason grew up in western North Carolina learning rare tunes and an older fiddle style from master musician Bruce Greene, and was also influenced by his mother’s fiddle teacher, Byard Ray, along with regional field recordings from the Blue Ridge Mountains. In 2016 he won the fiddle contest at the Appalachian String Band Festival in Clifftop, WV. His playing has been praised as “pure fiddle joy,” "heartfelt artistry," and “a seamless fusion of rhythm and melody.”

Georgia native Rob began began his live music journey in the eclectic music scene of New Orleans, later touring the US and Europe with the global-folk band Dromedary. After settling in Athens, he recorded with artists such as Jonathan Byrd and Jim White. With Hog-Eyed Man, his expressive accompaniment style on lap dulcimer, mandolin, and guitar has been described as “glorious,” “emotional,” and “a revelation.”

TICKETS

Perpetual Groove is headed back home for a special two-night storyteller weekend at The Rialto Room at Hotel Indigo — March 13 & 14, 2026. We’re calling it “The Best Place to Begin,” a unique and intimate way to celebrate 25 years of PGroove with the fans who have carried this music with us.

These shows aren’t unplugged — they’re full electric, but with a twist. Across both nights, we’ll be diving into the tales behind the tunes: the origins, the late-night moments, the inside jokes, and the stories that shaped the songs that shaped the band.

Expect a weekend built around community and connection!

If you're looking for the most immersive PGroove experience we’ve ever put together, this is the one. We can’t wait to share this weekend with you. Truly, the best place to begin.

• Two full-length electric sets each night
• Song histories and behind-the-scenes storytelling woven throughout
• VIP options, hotel packages, and a Saturday afternoon cocktail hang + Q&A
• Late-night shows with our friends at Live Wire Athens

Tickets and packages go on sale Thursday, December 4th at 4pm EST!

VIP WEEKEND PASS ($200) includes:

• Access to both Rialto Room performances on Friday & Saturday nights with preferred seating in the first two center rows.
• Entry to the Saturday afternoon cocktail party + Q&A with the band from 2-4pm
• Access to both late-night events at Live Wire Athens (3/13 - The Core: H.O.R.D.E. Festival Revival + 3/14 - Funk You)
• A Commemorative poster
• A Commemorative VIP pass w/ lanyard
• Free downloads of both shows from Community Musician

WEEKEND PASS ($95) includes:

• Access to both Rialto Room performances on Friday & Saturday Nights

COCKTAIL PARTY + Q&A WITH THE BAND ($10) includes:

• Access to the Hotel Indigo patio terrace from 2-4pm on Saturday March 14th. Come mingle with the band and enjoy a fun Q&A with the band as they work their way through their version of the HOT ONES CHALLENGE!

ACCOMODATIONS: To book your stay at Hotel Indigo, in Downtown Athens, call IHG Hotel Reservations directly at 1-866-808-1483 and reference the Perpetual Groove Room Block (block code: PGR) or use this link: Perpetual Groove Rooms

Randall Bramblett is a lifer. For decades, he's explored the deep corners and outer orbits of American roots music, creating a southern sound that's every bit as eclectic as its maker. He is a highly accomplished musician, singer, songwriter and bandleader known for his genre-blending style and creative song imagery. Bramblett first became known as a skilled touring sideman, his talent earned him the respect of rock’s finest. Highlights – he toured in the Gregg Allman Band, joined Sea Level, recorded/toured with Cowboy, spent 16 years in Steve Winwood’s band. His songs were covered by Bonnie Raitt, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Delbert McClinton, and more. He’s been the horn leader for Widespread Panic, and also tours in Marc Cohn’s band.

It’s a huge tribute to his songwriting to have soul/blues icon Bettye LaVette release an entire album of his songs in 2023, and have that album nominated for a Grammy this February.

But it’s Bramblett’s own career as frontman where his artistry is truly on full display as an original, respected talent. His catalog reaches a new milestone with Paradise Breakdown, his thirteenth record, a unique sound he calls Modern Roots Music. Living in Athens, Georgia, Bramblett's talents are repeatedly praised by musicians, critics, DJs and fans. His live shows are soulful, profound, funky and fun and his band boasts the South’s very best musicians.

Maybe this — an historic career that's still unfolding, reaching new milestones with each passing year — is what paradise looks like, after all.

TICKETS

Murray Attaway is a phantom. After years of silence, he's resurfaced with a new album, Tense Music Plays, released May 9th on Moon Ray Sound. The legendary Guadalcanal Diary lead singer and songwriter explains, "I kept meaning to do another record, but I'm easily distracted. It took me a while to focus."

With their four classic albums on Elektra Records, Guadalcanal Diary cemented their place in the pantheon of 80’s alternative bands. Rolling Stone described them as a "great second-generation Georgia band" defined by “searching earnestness”. Trouser Press opined, “"Guadalcanal Diary distinguished itself from any smart, tuneful American guitar combos” with “Attaway's songs which reflect a bizarre variety of far-flung interests … with provocatively twisted lyrics.”

For Tense Music Plays, Attaway teamed up with veteran engineer and sometimes producer Mark Williams (Southern Culture on the Skids, Joe Walsh, Pat DiNizio, Tammy Faye Bakker.) "When Mark got involved, that's when I knew it would become a real record. Mark is a consummate pro, with credits on countless albums, so I had to get myself ‘back in shape’".

Murray spent two years writing and arranging the songs or Tense Music Plays. The whole album was tracked in his home studio with Attaway playing almost all the instruments. “I wasn't targeting any particular listener during the sessions. I was thinking of a record that, if I heard it in passing, I would want to hear more."

Tense Music Plays wanders through Murray Attaway's unique landscape, always staying close to the styles he's known for but creating a few new ones along the way. “It's always been my goal to do music that goes somewhere different, but it invariably ends up in my yard," Attaway says.

And that's a very good yard.

TICKETS

Jontavious Willis is resolved in his mission: to reinvigorate today’s Blues with the spirit of the past. Inspired by a time when the Blues were plentiful and rhythm reigned supreme, Jontavious leverages his unique sound—a synthesis of his Georgia heritage and reverence for traditional Blues—to get the world dancing again. A Grammy-nominated musician and songwriter, Jontavious performs original, toe-tapping tunes in the style of Delta, Piedmont, Texas, and Gospel Blues. Dynamic vocals, technical prowess, and an abundance of Southern charm keep Jontavious sending jolts of vitality through the Blues community.

Jontavious was born and raised in rural Georgia, an environment with deep cultural roots that provides the inspiration he has continuously drawn upon to create his unique sound. He spent much of his childhood singing Gospel music at the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church with his grandfather, which provided him his first setting to perform for an audience. An early phenom, his passion for the Blues was sparked at age 14 when he came across a YouTube video of Muddy Waters playing “Hoochie Coochie Man.” He achieved widespread acclaim when living legend Taj Mahal invited Jontavious to accompany him onstage in 2015, with Taj describing him as his “Wonderboy.” Jontavious was invited to open for Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ during their joint TajMo tour in 2018, giving him an opportunity to present his work on a national stage.

Blue Metamorphosis, his acoustic debut album released in 2016, garnered rave reviews in Living Blues and Blues & Rhythm and won the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge 2018 Award for Best Self-Produced CD. His Grammy-nominated sophomore album, Spectacular Class, sees Jontavious survey an array of Blues styles with lively ensemble performances.

His upcoming album, signed with Strolling Bones Records, is a testament to his love for songwriting. With solo tracks as well as duo, trio, and full band works, he articulates a totally original take on traditional Blues.

Jontavious features prominently in shows and festivals across the world, sharing his unique blend of time-honored yet modern, intellectual yet danceable Blues with all.

TICKETS

Liz Melendez Considered by many to be one of the top lead guitarists in the country, her live performances demonstrate her versatility, often paying homage to her influences as a highlight to her own clearly defined lead guitar and vocal style. Her guitar playing has been compared to everyone from Carlos Santana to Stevie Ray Vaughan and her voice has been compared to everyone from Bonnie Raitt to Janis Joplin.

Liz currently has 3 album releases to her credit showcasing her talents as a songwriter, arranger, and producer. She has performed on stage with such notables as Bob Margolin, Henry Butler, Francine Reed, Hubert Sumlin, E.G. Kight, Chris Duarte and Candye Kane. Born and raised in the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Liz currently resides and tours out of Atlanta, Georgia.

TICKETS

Ralph Roddenbery Singer, songwriter, storyteller, and retired circus clown! Ralph Roddenbery is a unique and impressionable singer/songwriter who has been part of the Athens and Atlanta music scene for many years. He honed his songwriting & performance skills under the tutelage of Bill Berry (R.E.M), John Keane, Randall Bramblett, Davis Causey and Dave Schools (Widespread Panic) Paul "Crumpy" Edwards", Joyce Bramblett and many others while he was living in Athens.

TICKETS

Caroline Aiken is an internationally recognized musician and songwriter. She is a Georgia music icon and mentor to well-known artists including the Indigo Girls and Shawn Mullins. Her remarkable command of multiple instruments parallels her masterful songwriting and inimitable vocal style. She is a mainstay of the international folk scene, headlining major festivals such as the Kerrville Folk Festival and Mendicino Music Festival with Ruthie Foster. Caroline's fanbase spans the globe as she tours venues and festivals across the United States and Europe.

TICKETS