Better Than Ezra and Tonic vocalists join Josh Gracin and more at Blue Ridge Winery in Saylorsburg on Sept. 7
The Blue Ridge Estate Vineyard & Winery in Saylorsburg will host its inaugural Blue Ridge Live festival on Saturday, Sept. 7 with music, food, beer and, of course, plenty of wine.
The five-hour event will kick off at noon and feature performances by Kevin Griffin of Better Than Ezra, country superstar Josh Gracin, Emerson Hart of Tonic, Crystal Bowersox, and local rising star Kulick from West Penn Township (in Schuylkill County).
Tickets, which are $40 or $100 for VIP, are on sale now and can be purchased at blueridgeestatewinery.com and Eventbrite. Fans can also win tickets through local radio station promotions, and this event will benefit local police and fire departments in the area.
Better Than Ezra singer Kevin Griffin has been producing alt rock hits since 1995. Better Than Ezra ruled the airwaves with smash hits like “Good,” “In the Blood,” and “Desperately Wanting.” He is also an accomplished songwriter who has had hits with Barenaked Ladies and Howie Day. Griffin will release his first full-length solo album, “Anywhere You Go,” on Oct. 4 via BMG.
Emerson Hart tours as a solo artist as well as with his platinum-selling band Tonic. Tonic is most recognized for their huge 1996 hit “If You Could Only See,” which has been played over 600,000 times on U.S. radio alone. Other Tonic hits written by Emerson include “You Wanted More” and “Open Up Your Eyes.”
Josh Gracin was serving in the Marine Corps when he made it all the way to the final four on Season 2 of “American Idol.” What followed was a slew of hits, including the No. 1 country song “Nothing to Lose.” He landed in the Top 10 of country charts three more times and still tours all over the U.S. He is preparing a new EP for a fall release.
Crystal Bowersox is also an “American Idol” alum, the Season 8 runner-up noted for her dreadlocks and her willingness to go toe-to-toe with judge Simon Cowell. She grabbed the nation’s attention with her stellar version of “Me and Bobby McGee” and tours relentlessly around the country playing her special brand of Americana.
Kicking off the day is a new alternative band called Kulick, fronted by Jacob Kulick, who grew up in West Penn Township and went to school in Tamaqua. As an RCA recording artist, Kulick is currently getting airplay around the country for his single “Scatterbrain.”
At Blue Ridge Estate Vineyard & Winery (239 Blue Ridge Rd., Saylorsburg), there are 360 degree views of the vineyards, the Pocono Mountains, and a beautiful Christmas tree farm off in the valley. Crafting the finest wines from dry Bordeaux varietals to sweet American hybrids, Blue Ridge Winery creates masterful pieces of artwork with every bottle. It was ranked the 13th best winery in the country and No. 1 on the East Coast by Travel + Leisure.
The winery has been aggressively providing artists a scenic place to reach passionate music fans over the last two years. Artists who have played the vineyard already are Collective Soul, Blue October, Haley Reinhart, Jon McLaughlin, and Maggie Rose, among others.
Blue Ridge Winery is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturdays through Thursdays and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Fridays. On Saturdays and Sundays, there is live music from 2 p.m.-5 p.m. and free wine cellar tours at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
See NEPA Scene’s photos of Kulick performing at Stage West with Flora Cash and The Charming Beards back in March here.
