River Jam: Into The Fog

Live music takes place throughout the year at a one-of-a-kind outdoor venue in the middle of the world’s largest man-made whitewater river. Genres including roots rock Americana bluegrass folk and funk are featured on Thursday Friday and Saturday nights from May through September and at each of the Whitewater Center’s festivals.

About the band:

Winners of the 2021 MerleFest Band Competition Into The Fog is a genre-jumping string band based out of Raleigh North Carolina. With its members having various backgrounds ranging from bluegrass country rock to funk Into The Fog creates a musical melting pot of sounds in an acoustic/newgrass setting. The band is made up of Brian Stephenson(Guitar Vocals) Winston Mitchell(Mandolin Vocals) and Derek Lane(Bass Vocals).

Originally formed in Wilmington NC Into The Fog immediately hit the ground running as a band by heading across the country to compete at the 2018 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition only a few months after coming together. That cross country trip was recorded by friend of the band and videographer Mason Godwin in his documentary Band #7:The Ride to Telluride.

After the Telluride trip the band got to work playing as much as they could around North Carolina. Becoming a mainstay at over 30 different breweries around the state Into The Fog started to quickly make a name for themselves. Then in November of 2018 the band went to a cabin outside of Waynesville NC and spent a week recording their debut album Wishin’ It Would Rain which was released on February 22 2019.

“The trio crafts a dynamic mix of songs and sounds from the gypsy feel of “Caawphonation” to the running-from-Johnny-Law feel of instrumental “Cedar Island Rendezvous.”- Brian Tucker(Star News)

With their debut album under their belt Into The Fog started to pick up momentum exchanging brewery gigs for music venues and festivals with opportunities like playing Shakori Hills Groove in the Garden FloydFest MerleFest and the NC Homegrown Music Festival along with opening slots for national touring acts Sam Bush Ghost of Paul Revere and Jon Stickley Trio. Into The Fog solidified their sound further with their 14 track sophomore album Runnin’ Blind and Chasin’ Time which was released in May of 2021. 

“While purists might label label their sound as Newgrass those in attendance respond to the gospel they are preaching and seem perfectly content with the foggy genre since the sound is so clear”- Donna Davis(The Daily Reflector)

Host or Publisher Into The Fog