Grammy-nominated musicians, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, will take the stage on November 8, 2025, at White Horse Black Mountain. The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area hosts this Blue Ridge Music Trails concert and is excited to present the duo with two Warren Wilson College bands opening the concert–The Bowbenders (bluegrass) and the Frog Tone Stringband (old-time music). The concert is part of the 1925 Asheville Sessions Celebration led by Explore Asheville, celebrating the historic recording that put Appalachian music from North Carolina on the map.
About Darin & Brooke Alridge:
“Darin and Brooke Aldridge continue to ascend to new heights in the music industry while keeping their easy-going, down-to-earth connection with audiences everywhere. Brooke is a four-time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award for Female Vocalist of the Year, while Darin, once a former member of The Country Gentlemen,is a former IBMA Mentor of the Year and a truly gifted singer and multi-instrumentalist. They have had numerous nominations over the years from the IBMA, the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA), the Gospel Music Association (GMA Dove Awards) and the Inspirational Country Music Association. In April 2023, they were named “Bluegrass Artists of the Year” at the Absolutely Gospel Music Awards. Also in 2023, the IBMA nominated the smash hit “Jordan,” featuring Ricky Skaggs, Mo Pitney and Mark Fain, in the Gospel Recording of the Year category while the GMA nominated the song for its Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year award.” Read more.
About the Warren Wilson College bands:
The Bowbenders (Olde-Time Music) and Frog Tone Stringband (Bluegrass) are bands from Warren Wilson College, located in nearby Swannanoa, NC. The college’s music program focuses on traditional music. Students participate in the bluegrass and old-time music bands as part of the studies. This concert will provide an opportunity for students to showcase their own interpretations of songs from the 1925 Asheville Sessions.
About the Blue Ridge Music Trails:
The Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina is an initiative led by the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Many, many partners across Western North Carolina—arts councils, tourism agencies, music venues, event organizers, musicians, and dancers—are participating in the effort.
Our vision is to create an environment in Western North Carolina where the rich music traditions of the region are sustained and utilized in appropriate ways to improve the lives of residents; where traditional musicians thrive and feel supported in their creative lives; where visitors and residents alike can appreciate and enjoy the richness of the music; and where youth are provided with first-hand traditional music experiences that spark interest in the music of the region.
Tickets: Proceeds from the show will directly support the organization’s Blue Ridge Music Trails, which preserves and promotes the traditional music of Western North Carolina.
Suggested donation of $20, $10 for students. For tickets, visit WhiteHorseBlackMountain.org or purchase at the door.
