The Ramble On Music Festival made its return to Davidson for the second year in a row on Saturday.
The diversity of music genres in the Carolinas region, including jazz, blues, Appalachian folk, bluegrass, and Americana, was well reflected with the lineup of musicians, as well the collaborative spirit between the different groups. On a beautiful, sunny Saturday, Davidson locals and visitors enjoyed all the live music as well as food and beverage vendors the festival had to offer, along with interactive activities for the children in attendance.
The festival brought together the Davidson community, as people of different ages, backgrounds, and origins bonded over the music, and even with the bands themselves. This festival is produced in partnership with the town of Davidson and a Davidson-based indie record label, Downriver Records.
Walking through Davidson, the music could be heard from down the street, along with the sounds of families. “It had a very family friendly vibe. I saw lots of little kids running around with each other, and the parents seemed to be happy with the music,” festival attendee Alexa Fox ’28 said. “I think it’s great that Davidson wants to bring music from other areas of North Carolina to its community.”
The festival began with the Rusty Knox Duo, a Davidson local band that plays Americana and bluegrass. They were followed by the Grateful Dudes, a North Carolinian Grateful Dead tribute band that performed covers comparable to the originals. Both of these bands were thoroughly enjoyed by the festival attendees, especially by the local fans of the Grateful Dead.
Next on the setlist was a Davidson-based indie rock quartet, the Paul Atkinson Band, succeeded by the Goodnight Brothers, then Truegrass Revival. Each group performed a set ranging from 45 minutes to an hour and a half, some of them playing originals, and some covers. Festival attendees watched most of the performances from the shade, listening to the music while sitting on blankets or chairs with family and friends.
Also featured was the Downriver Records all-star band Heidi and the River Down. The Charlotte based quartet play an original Americana songbook, and, as described on their website, “sing songs of heartache and yearning, loss and hope, of seeking and sometimes finding.”
However, the biggest draw were the headlining Kruger Brothers, a band consisting of brothers Uwe and Jens Kruger as well as bassist Joel Landsberg. The Journal of Roots Music describes their music as “a tribute to the very idea that indeed America is a melting pot and the sounds that were birthed from the heartland find a universal touchstone.”
The Kruger brothers played annually at Merlefest, a North Carolinian music festival, and became the headliners for Ramble On when their mandolin player, Jonah Horton, recommended their band for the festival. Jens Kruger, the banjo player for the band, enjoyed both playing for the festival and his time in Davidson. “We’re very happy because it’s very close to home, because we travel a lot around the world, and having to play so close to home is a blessing for us. And Davidson, of course, is very beautiful.”
As a response to musical inspirations, Kruger reflects the feelings of all the bands that played. “I think all music that is honest, it really doesn’t matter what genre it is, if there’s heart, honesty, and truthfulness in the personal performance, it always inspires […] I think inspiration for striving to be better comes not only from other musicians, it comes from people you meet in life.” Kruger said.
“We have a lot of fantastic people in our life that we admire and still do, that sometimes we know, and sometimes we don’t. In all fields of music; classical, jazz, it doesn’t really matter; we don’t make distinctions of music.”
