Wednesday
Oct 9, 2019 at 11:14 AM
Belleville Roots Music will present Martha Spencer and the Whitetop Mountain Band at 8 p.m. Oct. 19 at Belleville Stage, 300 High St., Newburyport.
The show will begin with clogging lessons from band member Spencer. Spencer is a singer-songwriter, mountain musician and dancer from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The current lineup includes Emily Spencer on clawhammer banjo and vocals, and her children-Martha Spencer on guitar, fiddle, vocals and dance, and Kilby Spencer on fiddle. The band is rounded out by Debbie Bramer on bass, vocals, dance, Ersel Fletcher on guitar and vocals and Frank Rische on mandolin, guitar and vocals.
The Whitetop Mountain Band is a family-based group hailing from the highest mountains of southwest Virginia. Founded by the late Albert Hash and the Spencer family, the band has roots that lead back to the 1940s. Steeped in the mountain traditions of southwestern Virginia and a mainstay of the Appalachian dance scene, they frequently play local venues such as the Carter Family Fold. The band has travelled extensively, performing in venues, festivals and workshops across the U.S., Australia, the UK, Europe and Canada. Their shows reflect a variety of mountain music traditions mixed with old country, original material and high energy flatfoot dancing.
Tickets cost $30 in advance, $35 day of show and $10 for children 18 and younger. For tickets, visit https://bellevilleroots.org.