The Groovin’ With The Grove festival rocks a fourth year October 8 and 9—this time in Albright.
Quickly becoming a late-season staple on the music festival circuit, Groovin’ with the Grove is back this weekend with a great line-up and a new, closer-to-home location: the Cheat River Festival grounds at Albright.
Friday and Saturday, festivalgoers will enjoy more than 20 local, regional, and national bands. Longtime local favorites the Hillbilly Gypsies and the Tom Batchelor Band are joined by newer bands like The Kind Thieves and Intoxicated Zen. First-timers at the festival include Aristotle Jones, Emmy of the Mountains, and Spike Yee.
Friday night’s headliner is Black Masala, a treat we’ve occasionally been lucky to dance to in Morgantown. For those who haven’t seen them, they’re a fun seven-piece Balkan band from D.C., says festival organizer Adam Payne of Music To Your Ears Productions. “Mediterranean-style, lots of horns, polka music—they were named D.C.’s best party dance band by one of the papers there.”
Headlining Saturday night is Cris Jacobs Band. Jacobs will be familiar to a lot of locals. “He was the former front man for The Bridge out of Baltimore, which headlined at the All Good festivals and played 123 a lot a decade ago,” Payne says. “Now he has this five-piece band. Rolling Stone called him one of ‘10 New Country Artists You Need to Know,’ but he’s also more of a blues and soul singer.”
There will be a “stewedcoustic” late-night jam with members of longtime Morgantown favorites Stewed Mulligan—plus two shows and another acoustic late-night set with event hosts Fletcher’s Grove.
Many more bands rock the schedule and, if that’s not enough, there’s fire-based variety show entertainment, too.
This is the festival’s first time at the Friends of Cheat campground in Albright—if you’ve ever been to the Cheat River Festival, you know the spot. Past Groovin’ with the Grove attendees in Philippi will like the new services here, Payne says: city water pumps, a bathroom building, and a short drive to grocery and gas stations for unanticipated needs.
There will be food and craft vendors on-site, and alcohol is BYOB. No pets!
The two days of good feels plus general admission camping for what may be the last music festival of the season in these parts is $80 in advance, a little more for premium camping. Saturday-only is $50 for the day or GA camping. Tickets can be bought at the gate.
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