Saturday, April 17, 2021, 7:30 PM EDT STEEP CANYON RANGERS with special guest Amythyst Kiah STEEP CANYON RANGERS with special guest Amythyst Kiah Program to be announced from the stage Biographies STEEP CANYON RANGERS Steep Canyon Rangers is Asheville, North Carolina’s Grammy winner, perennial Billboard chart-topper, and frequent collaborator of the renowned banjoist (and occasional comedian) Steve Martin. Steep Canyon Rangers re-signed with Yep Roc Records in 2019. “It feels like coming home,” says banjoist and vocalist Graham Sharp of the partnership. “The Yep Roc family was among the first to welcome Steep Canyon Rangers when we were just pups. As we’ve grown, so have they. We’re incredibly excited for the future and all the music it holds.” Steep Canyon Rangers released three albums in 2020, all on Yep Roc Records. The Grammy-nominated North Carolina Songbook is a recording of the band’s live 2019 performance at Merlefest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in which the band performed a selection of songs by North Carolina songwriters (Ola Belle Reed, Doc Watson, James Taylor, Ben E. King, and others). Be Still Moses—perhaps its most singular musical partnership to date–has the band teaming with Philadelphia soul legends Boyz II Men and its hometown Asheville Symphony to completely overhaul the Rangers’ original Be Still Moses, which was first recorded on its 2007 breakout album, Lovin’ Pretty Women. The album includes re-imagined versions of Steep Canyon’s previously released original songs performed with an orchestra. Its most recent release of all original music, Arm in Arm, came out in October. “Every song on Arm in Arm captures the North Carolina group’s innovative spirit, weaving in jazz, gospel, folk, and even rock phrases, creating an intimate and intricate sound that challenges, cajoles, and comforts.” —No Depression The band is made up of Woody Platt on guitar and vocals, Graham Sharp on banjo and vocals, Mike Guggino on mandolin/mandola and vocals, Nicky Sanders on fiddle and vocals, Mike Ashworth on drums and vocals, and Barrett Smith on bass and vocals. Steep Canyon Rangers has been on a journey that is uniquely its own. The band started in college at UNC-Chapel Hill, then dove head first into bluegrass in its most traditional form. Over the years the group has risen to the top of the bluegrass genre, headlining top festivals such as Merlefest and Grey Fox Bluegrass, only to then be discovered by Steve Martin, famous actor and banjo player. Martin has taken the group on a nearly decade-long tour, introducing it to hundreds of thousands of new fans and giving it prime time TV exposure. This has helped Steep Canyon Biographies (continued) STEEP CANYON RANGERS (continued) Rangers become the most recognizable modern name in bluegrass music. The band has continued to tour extensively on its own, without Martin, and has expanded its genre into country and Americana with the addition of a drummer, alongside an incredibly versatile bassist, to accompany the original core band. The band is a big player in the bluegrass/country and Americana scene today. Steep Canyon Rangers is often compared to predecessors The Band, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and the modern Zac Brown Band. This is Steep Canyon Rangers’ first performance at the Moss Arts Center. AMYTHYST KIAH With an unforgettable voice that’s both unfettered and exquisitely controlled, Tennessee-bred singer/songwriter Amythyst Kiah expands on the uncompromising artistry she most recently revealed as part of Our Native Daughters, an all-women-of-color supergroup whose Kiah- penned standout Black Myself earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best American Roots Song and won Song of the Year at the 2019 Folk Alliance International Awards. When met with the transcendent quality of her newly elevated sound, what emerges is an extraordinary vessel for Kiah’s songwriting: a raw yet nuanced examination of grief, alienation, and the hard-won triumph of total self-acceptance. This new studio version of Black Myself is a glorious collision of two vastly different worlds: the iconoclastic alt-rock that first sparked her musical passion, and the roots/old-time-music scene. Produced by Tony Berg (Phoebe Bridgers, Amos Lee, and Andrew Bird) the track was recorded at the legendary Sound City Studios in Los Angeles. Kiah first performed at the Moss Arts Center in 2017. Engagement Events THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 VIRTUAL CLASS VISIT BY AMYTHYST KIAH Amythyst Kiah led a virtual discussion about her music and personal journey in the context of the region’s history and cultures in an Introduction to Appalachian Studies course at Virginia Tech. Special thanks to Jordan Laney Go Deeper Watch this video of the Steep Canyon Rangers performing I’ve Endured at MerleFest, which was included on its 2019 album North Carolina Songbook. Where do you hear and see traditional bluegrass tropes in the music versus more contemporary influences on the style? In the Galleries UNBEARABLE BEAUTY James Balog | Daniel Beltrá | Edward Burtynsky | Chris Jordan | Steve Norton Through Saturday, April 24 All galleries Expansive in theme and panoramic in scope, this exhibition presents works of art that are visually engaging, impactful, and even beautiful, while conveying the difficult reality that the consequences of human activity have imperiled the Earth. Featuring large-scale photographic works by three nationally and internationally recognized artists, a stunning video installation of one of the largest arctic glacier calving incidents to date, and an arresting soundscape of birdsongs of species that no longer exist, the exhibition articulates in striking, aesthetic terms the damage inflicted on our ecosystems by human activity. This exhibition presents a visual journey, poignantly bringing into focus a number of these critical ecological issues, the enormity of which are difficult for most of us to grasp or fully comprehend. For the most up to date gallery hours, please visit our website. Edward Burtynsky Nickel Tailings #30; Sudbury, Ontario, 1996 Chromogenic print 48 x 72 inches © Edward Burtynsky Courtesy of Howard Greenberg Gallery and Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery, New York / Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto Online Resources Join us for a special series of events featuring notable artists live from their homes and studios. Not another livestream or pre-recorded performance that’s widely available to everyone, our HomeStage series is exclusive to the Moss Arts Center and designed specifically to be presented online. For a full list of our online events and resources, please click here. Reopening Updates The health and wellness of our community is our top priority, and you can be assured that we are doing everything we can to keep you and our staff safe and healthy. Find more information about our re-opening plans here. Box Office Hours Wednesday-Friday, 10 AM-5 PM Saturday, 10 AM-4 PM For more information, please call the box office at 540-231-5300 during these hours, or email us anytime at [email protected]. Land Acknowledgement The Moss Center acknowledges the Tutelo and Monacan people, who are the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and live, and recognizes their continuing connection to the land, water, and air that Virginia Tech consumes. We pay respect to the Tutelo and Monacan Nations, and to their elders past, present, and emerging. We also acknowledge the university’s historical ties to the indentured and enslaved whose labors built this institution. We pay respect to these people for their contributions to Virginia Tech. As you engage with one another and the arts we present, we invite you to reflect on the history of this space and its possibilities for reconciliation, truth, and humanity. In the spirit of Ut Prosim, let this acknowledgment be but a single step in the Moss Arts Center’s commitment to these values. Support the Moss Arts Center as we continue setting the stage for the arts in our community. Our community needs the arts to lift us up and bring us together, and artists need the support of arts organizations and audiences to keep their work alive and relevant. Your continued support of the Moss Arts Center is critical. Your gift of any level makes a difference. Learn how you can support the Moss Arts Center by texting “VTArts” to 41444 or visiting give.vt.edu/mac. The names of donors making any gift by June 30, 2021, will be recognized in the Moss Arts Center’s 2021-2022 season programs. We appreciate your friendship and loyalty! PERFORMANCES l EXHIBITIONS l EXPERIENCES 190 Alumni Mall, Blacksburg, VA 24061 artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300 Moss Arts Center Staff Office of the Executive Director Ruth Waalkes, executive director, Moss Arts Susan Bland, associate director of Center, and associate provost for the arts communication David Ehrlich, outreach fellow for the fine arts Jonathan Boulter, associate director of Molly Parker, executive assistant patron services Avery Eliades, content manager Development Tracie Hughes, marketing manager Rachael Carberry, associate director of Kacy McAllister, box office and student advancement engagement manager JP Paul, leadership gift officer Production Finance and Administration Doug Witney, director of production Liz Scharman, director of administration Gustavo Araoz, lighting supervisor Kevin Ayoub, facilities and rentals manager Nick Corrigan, senior technician Toni Cartee, business manager Robert Gainer, audio supervisor Austin Elliot, assistant facility manager Laine Goerner, production coordinator Matt Hudson, IT specialist Ryan Hasler, stage and rigging supervisor Jamie McReynolds, fiscal, HR, and Joe Ingram, staff technician grants technician Shirley Rose, housekeeping worker Programming Margaret Lawrence, director of programming Marketing and Communications Jon Catherwood-Ginn, associate director of Katie Gehrt, director of marketing and programming communication Margo Crutchfield, curator at large Reneé Alarid, associate director of Meggin Hicklin, exhibitions program manager creative services Sarah M.