Mumford & Sons, Dawes, Justin Townes Earle and others plan “Stopover” in Bristol, TN/VA, August 11.

Bristol TN/VA, known as “The Birthplace of Country Music,” will play host to the all-day “Gentlemen of the Road” festival event, an all-day “stopover” created by Mumford & Sons.

Dawes and Justin Townes Earle are among the scheduled performers in this outdoor event in downtown Bristol. 

Tickets are on sale now, first-come, first-served, for $69; $1 of every ticket sold will benefit The Birthplace of Country Music Cultural Heritage Center building project.

“Something of this magnitude for any Main Street program is amazing. We are truly honored to have this group come to our community,” says Christina Blevins, the Executive Director of Believe in Bristol.  “Mumford & Sons are coming here because we came together as a community to embrace our music heritage.  We are a live music destination.”

A release from Mumford and Sons says, “The ‘stopovers’ combine the intimacy of a community celebration with the excitement of a world-class music festival. Featuring local vendors and activities, each Stopover will begin with a concert at a unique site and end with a series of smaller events involving local businesses, venues, and, most importantly, local people. Mumford & Sons will headline the main event, alongside an eclectic and energetic roster of artists curated by the band themselves.”

Bristol was chosen for one of the events after a “clandestine” visit by Mumford & Sons to the town earlier this year.

The one-day, outdoor festivals are set for four unique locations across the country. In addition to the Bristol stopover are events planned for the Eastern Promenade in Portland, ME; Page Park in Dixon, IL; and the legendary Fairgrounds in Monterey, CA.

The band statement adds, “The Gentlemen of the Road Stopover is based loosely upon our favorite festivals like Colorado’s Telluride Bluegrass and Scotland’s Loopallu Festivals. We want to stop off in towns where bands don’t usually tour, and celebrate the local people, food and music.

“We’re keen to promote the town’s local businesses, and we’ll be using the local bars and venues for after-show parties, whilst working closely with the local people to get everyone involved in making these shows spectacular. There will be a host of our friends playing too, and the vibe falls somewhere between ‘travelling Victorian circus’ and ‘Victorian travelling circus’. It should be a whole lot of fun.”

Concert dates and musicians for each “stopover” are as follows:

August 4 – Gentlemen of the Road Stopover In Portland, ME (The Eastern Promenade) – Mumford & Sons + St. Vincent, Dawes, The Maccabees, Apache Relay, Simone Felice, Haim.

August 11 – Gentlemen of the Road Stopover In Bristol, VA/TN (Off State Street in Downtown Bristol) – Mumford & Sons + Dawes, JEFF The Brotherhood, The Very Best, Justin Townes Earle, Apache Relay, Simone Felice, Haim.

August 18 – Gentlemen of the Road Stopover In Dixon, IL (Page Park) – Mumford & Sons + Gogol Bordello, Dawes, Abigail Washburn, The Very Best, Apache Relay, Haim.

August 25 – Gentlemen of the Road Stopover In Monterey, CA (Monterey County Fairgrounds) – Mumford & Sons + Gogol Bordello, The Very Best, Grouplove, Two Gallants, Apache Relay, Haim.

Visitors to the region should search accommodations at www.MyBristolLodging.com.  For more information about Bristol, log on towww.MyBristolVisit.com.

Information on Mumford & Sons can be found at http://www.mumfordandsons.com/

 For more information please contact Christina Blevins, Executive Director, Believe in Bristol.  423-573-2200 or emailinfo@believeinbristol.org.