A rising country star and a classic Southern rock band entertained a crowd of more than 1,000 Saturday at Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery.
The Marshall Tucker Band and Ashland Craft had the crowd on their feet with classic Southern rock as well as Craft’s new country sounds.
Joey Schultz, president of White Dog Entertainment, brought the concert to the vineyard, and said more are on the way. He said the venue presents a warm family atmosphere and is the perfect spot for a day trip or a weeks’ vacation.
Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery is 15 minutes from White Lake and a little over an hour from the Carolina coast, and Schultz said he is excited about what the vineyard can bring to Bladen County.
Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery is much more than a place to pick up a good bottle of wine. The winery sits on a beautiful estate filled with charm, and offers a breathtaking view of the lake and its Southern-style cottages. It is set up for many different events, such as weddings, live concerts, shopping, vacations, or cottages to book a special event. Some of the shops include the Tipsy Toad Gift Shop, the Distillery, The Cork Room, a Southern-style inspired restaurant, and they have cottages to rent for a lovely family vacation.
And of course, the concerts.
The Cape Fear Vineland and Winery has put together some great artists for the summer. Tracy Byrd, Tracy Lawrence, and Craig Morgan are on the list of upcoming musicians to appear at Cape Fear Vineland.
They previously hosted Little Texas and most recently, Ashland Craft and the Marshall Tucker Band.
Approximately 1,000 spectators showed up for Saturday’s concert featuring the Marshall Tucker Band and Ashland Craft.
The rising country singer opened for MTB. She was born on April 30, 1996 in Piedmont, S.C. Her mother passed away at an early age, and her father was a mechanic. Ashland taught herself how to play guitar at 10 years old. Her father – whose name isn’t usually publicized – believed in his daughter’s musical talent so much that he built her a music studio.
After graduating from Woodmont High School in 2014 she went on to cut her teeth in music as the lead singer for a bar band called the Whiskey Branch Band, performing at Wendell’s Dippin Branch in Anderson, S.C.
Craft’s big opportunity came along in 2017 to perform on The Voice with Team Miley Cyrus, placing in the Top 10. She has since performed at the Grand Ole Opry and with country stars Brothers Osborne and Ashley McBride. Craft has produced two albums with her most recent one being “Dive Bar Beauty Queen.”
On Saturday, she showed why she has a faithful following by entertaining the crowd with her songs off her two albums, including “Yard Sale”, “Momma Don’t Pray Like She Used To”, “Make Past Georgia”, “Last 20 Dollars”, and “Hangin’ Up The Honky-tonk”.
She stated her influences includes Bonnie Raitt and Shania Twain but her rock-n-roll tastes came through when she performed the James Gang’s “Rocky Mountain Way” and the Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider”. Miss Craft put on a show that explained why she is an up-and-coming country artist. For those who want a good show and are itching for country/Southern rock, Ashland Craft is an entertainer that you must go see.
The lead act didn’t need much of an introduction as they have a major part in music history.
The Marshall Tucker Band (named after a blind piano tuner) got its start in Spartanburg, S.C. in the early 1970’s. The band came together because of a common interest: the Vietnam War.
Several of their members served in Vietnam, including lead guitarist Toy Caldwell, who was injured and received a Purple Heart. Marshall Tucker fused country, rock, with a taste of jazz to form their unique Southern-rock sound that dominated the FM airwaves with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Charlie Daniels, and the Allman Brothers.
In the 70’s they produced top hits like “Can’t You See”, “Searchin’ For A Rainbow”, Fire On The Mountain”, “Heard It In A Love Song”, and “This Ol’ Cowboy” from albums such as “Searchin’ For A Rainbow”, and “Carolina Dreams”.
The original 70’s line-up included lead singer Doug Gray, brothers Toy and Tommy Caldwell, flautist Jerry Eubanks, George McKorkle, and Paul Riddle.
Time and years have changed the line-up of the group. The Caldwell brothers passed away. Their current line-up consists of only one original member, lead singer Doug Gray along with Chris Hicks, Rick Willis Chris Anderson, Marcus James Henderson, Ryan Ware, and Leroy Wilson.
The line-up may have changed but the beautiful sound this band puts outs out did not. They played all the songs foretold mentioned and the other favorites like “Take To The Highway”, and” I’ll Be Loving You”. Their sound was tight and spot-on.
For us who miss the 70’s Southern rock sound, do not be afraid to go see The Marshall Tucker Band. You will get you fix and they will not disappoint.
Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery has a full lineup of concerts and other events. For more information go to https://www.capefearwinery.com.
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