FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feed & Seed Fall Sessions bring traditional bluegrass to historic Fletcher music venue
Starting Sept. 19, Blue Ridge Music Trails and the Jazz Foundation of America co-sponsor three free concerts featuring Finkelstein Three, Backline and Upstream Rebellion
FLETCHER, N.C. – Three bands representing the continuing evolution of bluegrass in and around Western North Carolina will take the stage this fall at Feed & Seed, a historic Fletcher music hall where live music, dancing and community gathering have been part of the rhythm of the place for nearly two decades.
The free Feed & Seed Fall Sessions will feature progressive bluegrass group Finkelstein Three on Sept. 19; five-piece bluegrass band Backline on Oct. 17; and Western North Carolina-based Upstream Rebellion on Nov. 14. All three concerts begin at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public.
This series is presented through a partnership between the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area’s Blue Ridge Music Trails and the Jazz Foundation of America. The two organizations began working together in 2025 following Hurricane Helene, when the Jazz Foundation sought ways to support musicians in Western North Carolina. The Fall Sessions continue that partnership, creating paid performance opportunities for musicians while bringing audiences to a memorable regional music venue.
“Our goal is to help ensure our musicians have paying gigs and that music venues have engaged audiences who value the music traditions in Western North Carolina,” said Angie Chandler, executive director of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. “Western North Carolina has played a key role in the history and development of American music.”
At Feed & Seed, those traditions are not simply presented on a stage. They are part of the community and space.
A place where musicians want to play
Pastor Phillip Trees moved his congregation into the historic Fletcher building in 2007. A musician himself, he began presenting bluegrass music there the following year. Live music has been part of Feed & Seed ever since.
Trees hasn’t had to go looking for bands in many years. Musicians seek out the opportunity to play the intimate room, where performers take center stage under the lights and audiences are only feet away. More than 100 people regularly turn out for shows, often with cloggers and two-steppers dancing directly in front of the stage.
“The bands just love that,” Trees said.
Derek McCoy of Finkelstein Three, which has played Feed & Seed before, counts it among his favorite places to perform.
“Everyone is so into the music. It’s an actual music venue, and it’s a church,” McCoy said. “In my experience, it’s the best music venue in this area.”
Musicians have come to call Feed & Seed the “little Ryman,” Trees said, a nod to Nashville’s storied Ryman Auditorium and its roots as a church. At Feed & Seed, the comparison has another meaning: After the music winds down for the weekend, the room becomes a church on Sunday morning.
Three bands, three takes on Blue Ridge music
Based in Cleveland County, NC, Finkelstein Three is a progressive bluegrass trio featuring Derek McCoy on guitar and vocals, Tommy Brooks on mandolin and vocals, and Phil Simmons on upright bass. F3 is joined by special guest Dean Jenks on the banjo, who has a banjo career spanning almost 50 years. The musicians bring wide-ranging influences to their music, from Bill Monroe to the Beatles, but when they play Feed & Seed, they lean into classic bluegrass and gospel, responding to an audience that comes ready to hear traditional music and participate in it.
Based in the Carolinas, Backline is a five-piece bluegrass band featuring Chris Williamson, David Heavner, Alex Hampton, Katelyn Ingardia and Jacob Carroll. Bringing a modern approach to traditional bluegrass, the band has built a growing regional following. Trees describes Backline as an up-and-coming group whose musicianship has already impressed regional audiences.
Upstream Rebellion, Nov. 14
Rooted in Western North Carolina, Upstream Rebellion is a six-piece bluegrass and Americana band featuring Walker Ballance on mandolin, Max Rogers on banjo, Andrew Bivens on guitar, Cooper Franklin on Dobro, Jared Wills on upright bass and Adam Winebarger on guitar. The newer group brings together regional musicians for a sound grounded in bluegrass while drawing from a broader range of Americana influences.
Music, dancing and community
The Fall Sessions continue a relationship between Feed & Seed and the Blue Ridge Music Trails that dates back to the venue’s early years.
As Feed & Seed became known for its live music, the Blue Ridge Music Trails sought active community venues where visitors and residents could experience the region’s musical traditions as they were played and shared. Trees recalls Feed & Seed becoming something of a “poster child” for that idea. The partnership helped introduce more people to the venue, while Feed & Seed provided a vivid example of the living music culture the trails were created to highlight.
That culture is especially visible on a busy music night.
Audiences sit on a mixture of cushioned church pews, chairs, and theater seats. Bands mix original material with familiar bluegrass standards that bring dancers to the floor. When the music turns to gospel, the dancing often stops, and the room rises to join in singing.
For visitors who come to the mountains hoping to hear the sounds associated with Western North Carolina, Trees said the experience can be memorable. For local audiences and musicians, it is part of a tradition that continues because people still gather to participate.
“Traditional music is an important part of our region’s heritage and culture, and it should be preserved for future generations,” Chandler said. “And we want people to enjoy the evening and tell their friends.”
More than a century of gathering in Fletcher
The building itself has been part of Fletcher’s story for more than a century. Built in 1919 as the Fletcher Supply Company, it has served many purposes over the decades, including a butcher shop, pottery and ceramics studio, television repair shop, bingo hall, and feed store.
Today, Feed & Seed remains intentionally informal and community-oriented. Its music season generally runs from around Easter through Thanksgiving, while the church operates year-round. Most regular performances rely on audience donations rather than traditional ticket sales.
Trees marvels at the number and caliber of musicians who call Western North Carolina home.
“We are so blessed in this area with amazing bands,” he said. “Amazing.”
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About the Blue Ridge Music Trails
The Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina, an initiative of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership and the North Carolina Arts Council, connects residents and visitors with traditional music throughout the North Carolina mountains and foothills, including concerts, festivals, jam sessions, dances, and community music venues. More information is available at www.blueridgemusicnc.com.
About the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area is a nonprofit organization that preserves, cultivates, and promotes the natural and cultural heritage of 25 Western North Carolina counties and the Qualla Boundary to benefit current and future generations. More information is available at www.blueridgeheritage.com.
About Feed & Seed
Feed & Seed is a longtime Fletcher destination for bluegrass, classic country, and Appalachian music, with performances by regional musicians and nationally known artists. Located in a historic former feed and seed store, the music hall seats up to 160 people on cushioned pews, chairs, and theater seats. The building is also home to a church, with services held on Sundays at 11 a.m. More information is available through the Blue Ridge Music Trails at www.blueridgemusicnc.com/event/feed-seed/.
