MerleFest BY MARK DOLEJS 7:15 PM, Saturday, April 25, 2026 Donna the Buffalo Donna the Buffalo rocked the stage and had the crowd in ...
BY MARK DOLEJS
7:15 PM, Saturday, April 25, 2026
Donna the Buffalo rocked the stage and had the crowd in a frenzy on the Dance Stage during a break in the rain. Donna the Buffalo performed several times throughout the weekend, but the Dance Stage is a fan favorite.
Ketch Secor did a solo set with his band on the Cabin Stage. At one point he invited local traditional dancers on stage with them for a song, which was a really nice touch. Secor is one of the founders of Old Crow Medicine Show.
Up next was Sam Bush on the Watson Stage. Bush has performed at all 38 MerleFest’s. Bush opened up his 90 minute set with Bob Dylan’s “Girl From The North Country.” Such a great song to hear on the mandolin. A three-time Grammy winner, Bush is a master on the mandolin and is a complete joy to listen to. He ended his set with an All-Star compliment of about a dozen musicians to the stage for his own version of “Mama Don’t.”
Maggie Rose started off with encouraging the crowd to come over in front of her stage for her set. Her silky vocals wafted through the rain-drenched attendees for her 45-minute set. She is a first time performer at MerleFest and the crowd seemed to enjoy listening to her.
The headliner for the day was Blackberry Smoke. Celebrating 25 years as a band, these seasoned Southern rockers really know how to put on a show. The crowd was singing and dancing along on every song. It was a great way to end a somewhat soggy day.
2:00 PM, Saturday, April 25, 2026
Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band started off with a bit of a technical delay with audio. But, once they got going they rocked our socks off. Peyton, and his wife Breezy have great report on stage and interact frequently.
Peyton is crazy talented on the guitar, playing both the bass line and lead at the same time. I’ve been a big fan of theirs for at least the last ten years and every show is as good or better than the last. They had many in the crowd on their feet dancing along.
I ventured over across campus to the Little Pickers Stage. This is a stage that features younger up and coming artists. I decided to take in the set from Myles Gee and his band. I’ve heard good things about him, as he’s played with the likes of Billy Strings. He did not disappoint and he has quite a bit of talent and spunk. I like him!
After walking nearly 14,000 steps on Friday, I ended up with a blister and now it's raining. I will resume a bit later as there are plenty of artists to see and hear as this festival has 12 stages spread out over the campus of Wilkes Community College.
12:00 PM, Saturday, April 25, 2026
I started the third day of MerleFest 2026 with the MerleFest Veterans Jam, featuring musicians that have played at many of the festivals in the past. Sam Bush, Peter Rowan, Joe Smothers and Michael Coleman were just a couple of the talented folks that took the stage that I have not see before. I’m looking forward to sets later in the day with a couple of these guys.
I scooted over to the Cabin Stage for Buffalo Traffic Jam, who came into town from Montana. The four piece band is fronted by guitarist Frankie Cassidy, who has a great gritty vocal. Really nice sound to these guys
I found Jason Scott & The High Heat on the Dance Stage. Scott proclaimed, “We’re a 1am kind of band, but we’ll pretend today since it is 1pm.” The crowd enjoyed dancing to their tunes as the band jammed.
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- MARK DOLEJS
Photography is an avenue that
Mark Dolejs uses to learn about the people and places that cross his path. After more than 30 years as a photojournalist, Mark enjoys concert, macro, and roadside photography. Follow Mark on Instagram at @solidrockpix.
Read Mark's posts here.
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