2024 ARTISTS
Here is the 2024 Beaverdale Bluegrass Festival's artist lineup! Our festival is a celebration of local music and community, located in the heart of Des Moines, Iowa. Our lineup features talented local bluegrass artists, playing for free for the public to enjoy. Check out our artists below, and get ready for a Saturday of great music!
RIVER CITY OPRY
9:00 pm :: Bringing the Honky tonk music to the Midwest!
RCO was formed around the love of a Nashville style honky tonk. Covering artists from Johnny Cash to Chris Stapleton, we are your good time, dancing band! At the Beaverdale Bluegrass fest, you’ll enjoy hearing members Steph Graham, Seth Hedquist, Eric Quiner, Dustin Smith, Bryan Vanderpool, Dave Alfstad and Greg Valentine. Whether you're a die-hard country fan or just looking for a night to let loose, the River City Opry Band is here to deliver a high-energy performance that keeps the spirit of the honky-tonk alive and swinging!
FLASH IN A PAN
7:00 pm :: Stringband From The Heartland
Flash in a Pan is folk and grass stringband from Iowa City, IA. Founded in 2012, the band was named on the assumption that they would play two shows and dissolve. After many line-up changes the band is still playing with no end in sight. In their 5 years, they have played with big names in bluegrass including Yonder Mountain, Green Sky Bluegrass, Jeff Austin, and The Travellin’ McCourys, as well as up-and-coming artists like The Lil Smokies, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, and Old Salt Union. Not out of place at large music festivals, you might catch this band anywhere from street corners or weddings to barn parties or red carpet events. The current line-up, comprised of Blake Daly, Alex Flesher, Max Lipnick, and Loxley Eckles released their first studio album Off The Rails in April of 2017 and their sophomore album Folklore in June of 2018. Both albums were recorded at Flat Black Studios by engineer Luke Tweedy.
Flash in a Pan brings a fun mix of folk music of many shades. Noted for their shining harmonies, provocative compositions, and heart-felt performances, Flash in a Pan dishes out a sound that is all at once familiar and refreshingly different.
MILES OVER MOUNTAINS
5:15pm :: Progressive, high-energy bluegrass from Northern Illinois.
Hailing from McHenry Illinois, Miles Over Mountains plays a modernized style of progressive bluegrass covering a wide spectrum of genres, dynamics, and feeling. Their live show captivates the audience with anything from lightning fast picking to strong 3 part harmonies to heartfelt ballads. Their extensive repertoire draws from their 4 studio albums “Five Star Heart Breaker” (2015) -“Ballads & Burners” (2017) - “Work Harder Not Smarter" (2020) - "Burn The Ships" (2023). The band has been performing, touring, and making records since early 2014 playing an average of 150+ shows per year throughout the Midwest regions and beyond. The band looks ahead with excitement and ambition to touring thru a town near you! ​Collectively the members of the group have thousands of shows under their belt, giving their songs, sound, and performances a musical maturity that echoes their collective years of passion and experience for their craft.
The group features Phil Hoffman (upright bass), Caleb Peters (guitar), Sean Shiel (mandolin) & Pete Smith (banjo).
The Baberhood Bluegrass Band
3:30pm :: Central Iowa Bluegrass Favorites
The Baberhood Bluegrass Band pays tribute to Jeff Blanchard, the original founder, heart and soul of the long-time purveyor of bluegrass music in Iowa and the Midwest, Mr. Babers Neighbors. The Baberhood Bluegrass Band consists of various members who participated in the multi-decade history of Mr. Babers Neighbors. Their mission is to carry the torch lit by Jeff to bring a good time filled with traditional and original bluegrass music to audiences in Central Iowa and beyond.
