Organizers announce that Labor Day weekend in the High Sierra will see the return of the annual Plumas Homegrown Americana Festival to the Plumas-Sierra County Fairgrounds in Quincy. The event, which began in 2017, runs Aug. 29 through 31.
As the lineup of bands plays on the fairgrounds stages, a full schedule of square dancing featuring top West Coast callers and cuers is set for the weekend at the Tulsa Scott Pavilion. Organizers encourage festival attendees to view the dancing, a “truly American activity.” Tickets, $60, are sold for either the festival or the dancing, and tickets for either event include admission to the other.
Barky’s Stage returns to the festival this year with an eclectic schedule of everything from rock to hip-hop. Organizers point out that the venue, which features local musicians, is also a great place to chill, jam or take in a workshop.
Tent or RV camping on the shaded grass at the fairgrounds is available for the weekend. Prices, schedules, tickets and camping information are available at http://www.plumasamericana.com.
Friday, Aug. 29
The event kicks off with a free open mic night Friday, Aug. 29. Locals and even some of the festival performers will take the stage; the audience has the option to purchase a spaghetti dinner prepared by Chef Mike.
Saturday, Aug. 30
The festival opens at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, with Reno’s Wheatstone Bridge, an eclectic acoustic band with roots in folk, Americana, Celtic and bluegrass traditions. Their original music features gorgeous, intertwining harmonies, haunting melodies and an ever-evolving lineup of folk players.
Next up is the official house band of the Plumas Homegrown Americana Festival: the Wildcat Mountain Ramblers. This high-energy group of Bay Area musicians has shown its versatility and musicianship at every Plumas Homegrown Americana Festival, say organizers. In addition to performing at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, the group will lead the Sunday morning gospel service and also make an appearance in the square dance hall.
Rubicon Gold is a Truckee-based bluegrass band that brings a fresh and lively energy to the traditional sounds of the genre, playing at 4 p.m. Mining inspiration from bluegrass standards, contemporary and classic Americana and even reimagined popular hits, Rubicon Gold infuses its music with a modern flair, creating a unique and dynamic sound that captures the mountain life of Tahoe.
The evening’s main event starts around 6:30 p.m. with the wildly popular Sourdough Slim and Robert Armstrong. “Hold on to your seat and get ready for a rollicking evening of outrageous humor and song,” say organizers. A marvel of musical ingenuity and vaudevillian stagecraft, yodeling cowboy songster Sourdough Slim and stringed instrument wizard Robert Armstrong joyously rekindle the country blues, vintage jazz, cowboy classics and string band repertoire of pre-World War II America.
The evening continues with Heifer Belles from the Grass Valley area. The group began as friends getting together for casual picking and singing; their songs range from tongue-in-cheek to heartfelt to socially insightful. Juliet Gobert, songwriter and lead singer, plays guitar alongside bassist Toni Valenta, of Belly Love, who brings harmony vocals. Nici Van Kreidt is a highly sought-after violin teacher whose influences range from classical to Grateful Dead to gypsy jazz.
The first day of the festival finishes with Mission Hill, a group that creates contemporary acoustic music mixed with liberal doses of classic country and bluegrass styles. Mission Hill’s original music seems familiar, remaining approachable and fun even when it sometimes delves into the dark and ambiguous. The band will feature tunes from its 2024 full-length album “So It Goes.” Hailing from San Francisco’s Mission district, the band has been playing in the Bay Area for over 15 years.
Sunday, Aug. 31
Sunday starts at 10 a.m. with a gospel service put on by the Wildcat Mountain Ramblers on the Old Town Stage.
Members of SugarPine Bluegrass, of Northern Nevada, play bluegrass in their own unique style with all acoustic instruments. They are set to perform on the Main Stage at 12:30 p.m. and offer arrangements as a duo, trio or full quartet.
At 2 p.m. The Old 395 takes the stage, stitching together American folk and roots traditions to create a sound at once familiar and all their own. Inspired by artists like Bob Dylan, The Band and Guy Clark, The Old 395 brings both joy and depth to the stage for both those who want to sit back and listen and those who want to get up and dance.
Organizers announce that the festival is thrilled to have Poi Roger return to Quincy after last year’s amazing performance evoking a space somewhere between the tropical lounges of 1930s Los Angeles and the honky-tonk beer joints of rural 1950s California. Hailing from Santa Cruz, the duo performs original and vintage country and western swing, Hawaiian steel guitar ballads and cowboy tunes.
The festival wraps up with Newport Nightingales, a trio that dazzled 2019 Plumas Homegrown Americana Festival audiences with spot-on renditions of 1940s swing tunes, backed up by a band reminiscent of Glenn Miller.
