Darren Nicholson & Friends All-Star Review

The Balsam Range’s Darren Nicholson returns to Folkmoot’s Queen Auditorium October 13th for his biggest show yet, a rare, one-time combination high-powered bluegrass stars.

Nicholson, mandolinist for bluegrass supergroup Balsam Range, will be joined onstage by

two-time national banjo champion Charles Wood, by bassist and vocalist Eli Johnston – formerly of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver – and by stellar guitarist and former Volume Five member Colby Laney.

A Haywood County native, Nicholson is a Grammy Award nominee and recipient of five International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year (2014), Song of the Year (2011), and Album of the Year (2006). He has appeared on WSM's Grand Ole Opry, at the Ryman Auditorium, on Country Music Television and on Great American Country. Currently, he records and tours as a full-time, founding member of Balsam Range with all sorts of collaborative efforts each year.

Eli Johnston, who joins the ensemble on bass and vocals, is a former member of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver and a triple-threat singer, songwriter, and musician.

“Eli is a powerhouse is the bluegrass world,” says Nicholson

Nicholson describes Laney, who was most recently a four-year member of Volume Five, as a “must-see guitarist”.

Wood is two-time champion of Walnut Valley Festival Banjo Championship in Winfield, Kansas – widely considered the national banjo championship – and joined Earl Scruggs and Steve Martin on stage on the David Letterman Show.

“Doing a show like this is so much fun because it’s a rare combination, and it’s as exciting for the musicians as it is for the audience,” says Nicholson. “I’m excluding myself, but these are some of the most talented musicians and singers on the planet. I’m just honored to be a part of this and will just try to ‘hang on’!”

Tickets are $20 in advance and $23 at the door. Food and beverages will be available onsite. 

Limited seating is available. Please purchase tickets in advance. Parking is available in the back of the Folkmoot building for year-round events.

Folkmoot’s year-round programming initiatives have been made possible by the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.

Folkmoot is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating many cultures in one community.