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Ben Sollee, Justin Wells and more added to Moonshiner’s Ball

The Moonshiner’s Ball has finalized it’s 2017 lineup, with Kentuckians Ben Sollee and Justin Wells leading the pack of new additions.

Matt Wickstrom
March 7, 2017

Hosted by the Blind Corn Liquor Pickers, the 2017 Moonshiner’s Ball has rounded out its lineup for its fourth iteration with Ben Sollee, Justin Wells, Quiet Hollers, May Erlewine, Driftwood Gypsy, HuDost, Matt Fassas Trip, Solid Rock’It Boosters, The Baja Yetis, Restless Leg String Band, DeBraun Thomas Trio, Trucker Hat Coalition, Darby & The Peep Show and Kevin Dalton & the Tuesday Blooms.

The aforementioned bands are joined by poets Eric Scott Sutherland and Bianca Springs and yogis Delia Rose Gibbs, Sam Young and Jamie Brown. The initial Moonshiner’s Ball lineup was revealed in January and included headliners Con Brio, Lydia Loveless and The Marcus King Band.

Ben Sollee is a native Kentuckian known around the world for his expertise as a cellist, breaking the traditional classical style of the instrument for one with hints of pop, rock and folk. Touring with drummer Jordon Ellis, the duo will bring roots and rhythm to their headlining set on Sunday night, capping off the first full Sunday of music in the Ball’s brief history.

Justin Wells, another Kentuckian and former front man of the expired Fifth on the Floor, combines a gritty country voice with raw emotion on his debut solo record “Dawn in the Distance,” which released last August.

Wells is one of many Lexington bands added to the Moonshiner’s Ball roster, which includes Driftwood Gypsy, Baja Yetis, Restless Leg String Band, Debraun Thomas Trio and Trucker Hat Coalition, all of which have been on the lineup for Balls prior. Johnny Conqueroo, The Wooks, Vandaveer and Tyler Childers round out the compilation of band’s on the lineup with Lexington ties.

Other new Kentucky acts to the bill include Louisville’s Quiet Hollers, Paducah’s Solid Rock’It Boosters, Faubush’s Kevin Dalton & The Tuesday Blooms and Hudost, who has ties to Morgantown and Montreal.

Per festival organizer Travis Young, headliner’s for Friday night of the Moonshiner’s Ball include Margaret Glaspy, The Marcus King Band and Golden Dawn Arkestra. On Saturday Aaron Lee Tasjan, Lydia Loveless, Jon Stickley Trio and Con Brio hold the night’s primetime slots.

Full daily lineups will be announced later this month according to Young. Tickets for the Moonshiner’s Ball are at their tier one price of $100. Tickets will increase to $110 when tier one sells out.

The Moonshiner’s Ball is May 19-21 in the Red Lick Valley of Irvine, and is the first year at the venue after spending the last three at Homegrown Hideaways in Berea. For more information visit themoonshinersball.com.

Full Moonshiner’s Ball 2017 music lineup