Pickamania 2021 – An Outdoor Acoustic Music Festival, Sept. 10, 11, 12

A project of the non-profit Sierra County Arts Council (SCAC), Pickamania 2021 will feature a talented line-up of musicians performing at the outdoor pavilion at the Black Range Lodge in Kingston, New Mexico. This outdoor event offers a covid-safe environment for music and socializing. Your support helps the SCAC volunteers bring live music to Sierra County.

Pickamania 2021 will kick off on Friday, Sept. 10 at 5pm with rock and roll originals from Truth or Consequences recording artist and engineer, Rob Stroup, followed by acoustic blues from the Back Porch Blues Band featuring Pat Dutton, Bill Bussmann & Mark Kashmar.

Saturday, Sept. 11 at 4pm the Creosote Ramblers from TorC, will entertain with an acoustic blend of folk, country, and classic rock. The Creosote Ramblers features Burt Ferguson on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, with brother and sister duo Stephen Almquist on lead vocals, fiddle, harmonica, and lead guitar and Blanch Almquist on upright bass and vocal harmonies.

At 5pm, Santa Fe’s The Fast Peso String Band will reach back to the old-time Appalachian roots of country music, with Gary Ashkin and Jim Hughes on fiddles, John Eddy on mandolin, Bo Olcott on guitar, and Tom Adler on banjo.

At 6pm, national flat-picking guitar champion, singer/songwriter Peter McLaughlin and his multi-instrumentalist collaborator Chris Brashear will offer an original blend of acoustic bluegrass music shaped by the landscapes and legends of the west. They will be debuting a new CD of original songs “Desert Heart, Mountain Soul.” (www.petermclaughlin.info) Chris and Peter have been playing and singing together since 1992, and their performances include sibling-like harmonies, intricate arrangements, and stunning instrumental virtuosity. Though steeped in bluegrass tradition, they perform many original songs inspired by western landscapes, history and wild rivers.

The evening culminates with the touring duo of Wil Maring and Robert Bowlin joining McLaughlin and Brashear for a “super jam” of musical professionals.

Sunday, Sept. 12 at 12 noon, Socorro, NM, native Francis Deters will lead off with Americana classics, followed by TorC’s Pint & a Half (Tammy & Duke Shepard) offering Americana and original songs.

From 2-4pm Sunday singer/songwriter Wil Maring and multi-instrumentalist Robert Bowlin will mesmerize with folk, country and bluegrass. Maring is an acclaimed songwriter, a winner of the prestigious Merlefest songwriting competition and a Kerrville NewFolk finalist. She has performed on the Grand Ole Opry and NPRs Whaddya Know program, in addition to touring extensively in the U.S., Europe and Japan. (wilmaring.com)

Bowlin is a National Fingerpicking and Flatpicking Guitar champion, and has played onstage with artists such as BB King, Ricky Scaggs, Peter Rowan, and Vassar Clements. He’s been a session guitarist and fiddler in Nashville for countless recordings. His professional career has included stints with artists such as Maura O’ Connell, Kathy Mattea, Tom T. Hall, the Osborne Brothers,Ray Price, Bobby Bare, Faron Young, Ricky Van Shelton and Bill Monroe. (www.robertbowlin.com) Bowlin will be available the week before Pickamania for guitar and fiddle lessons.

An added attraction on Saturday will be unique booths of art and crafts from local artists, and on Sunday artists from the Truth or Consequences “Makers Market”.

Seating at the Black Range Lodge outdoor pavilion includes chairs on the grass, with scattered benches under shade trees. Feel free to bring your own picnic basket, camp chair and/or pop-up canopy. Kingston is generally 10 degrees cooler than Rio Grande valley communities, and parking is free. Black Range Vineyards will also be on hand to offer wine and beer for purchase.

Admissions are $15 for Friday, $30 for Saturday and $15 for Sunday, and will include a ticket for a fresh grilled cheeseburger (vegetarian options, too), ice tea or lemonade. A 3-day Festival Pass is just $50 per person. Tickets will be available at the gate. The Black Range Lodge is at 50 Main Steet in Kingston, NM.

Attendees will be encouraged to follow covid-safe practices, masking and distancing as appropriate. Chairs and tables will be situated at a 6-feet distance and the event will be limited to 150 people.

This event is sponsored by the Sierra County Arts Council (www.sierracountyarts.org) and supported by a grant from New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information call the Black Range Lodge at 575-895-5652, or visit www.blackrangelodge.com

SEE VIDEOS FROM PAST PICKAMANIAS