Moonshine and Motorsports Music (Museum of the Albemarle)

Join us for the third in a special, three-part series of concerts celebrating North Carolina’s unique story of moonshine and motorsports featuring NC legend of Americana, Jim Lauderdale, the iconic bluegrass trio, the Kruger Brothers, and Special Guests: Sheila Kay Adams, Donna Ray Norton, Melanie Penland, and William Ritter. This concert will be held at the Museum of the Albemarle on March 29 in Elizabeth City. Tickets are required for each performance.

Inspired by the Moonshine and Motorsports Trail developed by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), this series will blend music with storytelling as it has moved from Raleigh to Charlotte to Elizabeth City over the next six months, highlighting the historic places on that very trail.

About the Performers

At any given time, you’re likely to find Jim Lauderdale making music, whether he’s laying down a new track in the studio or working through a spontaneous melody at his home in Nashville. And if he’s not actively crafting new music, he’s certainly thinking about it. “It's a constant challenge to try to keep making better and better records, write better and better songs. I still always feel like I'm a developing artist,” he says. This may be a surprising sentiment from a man who’s won two Grammys, released 37 full-length albums, and taken home the Americana Music Association’s coveted Wagonmaster Lifetime Achievement Award among other awards. But his latest album, My Favorite Place, is convincing evidence that the North Carolina native is only continuing to hone his craft. Read more about Jim or listen to his latest release.

Born and raised in Europe, brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger started singing and playing instruments at a very young age. Growing up in a family where music was an important part of life, they were exposed to a wide diversity of musical influences. The brothers were performing regularly by the time they were eleven and twelve years old, and they began their professional career in 1979. Several years later the brothers teamed up with bass player Joel Landsberg, forming a trio that has been playing professionally together since 1995. Together, they established the incomparable sound that the Kruger Brothers are known for today. The trio moved to the United States in 2002 and is based in Wilkesboro, NC. Read more about the Kruger Brothers or listen to them now.

Sheila Kay Adams is a 7th generation ballad singer, storyteller, and banjo player. She is a recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts and the North Carolina Heritage Award. Her daughter, Melanie Penland, along with Donna Ray Norton are 8th generation ballad singers. They will be performing with old-time traditional fiddle player, William Ritter.

Host or Publisher NC Museum of History with support from CapTrust