Robert Plant and Band of Joy Set to Join MerleFest

Posted by Jacob Ryan on 02/10/2011
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Robert-Plant
Robert Plant is set to take his Grammy Award nominated act to Wilkesboro, N.C., for a four-day festival that will include performances from more than ninety other artists.
 
Host Doc Watson has labeled MerleFest 2011 a celebration of “traditional plus” music.
 
The term “traditional plus” was created by Watson to describe the mix of traditional sounds of the Appalachian region, old-time bluegrass and Americana.
 
“Plus whatever other styles we were in the mood to play,” Watson said.
 
Plant has been known to explore the diverse musical arena since his days with Led Zeppelin, and critics have praised his ability to correlate different musical foundations into his own.
 
A recent review by The Boston Herald said The Band of Joy “easily followed [Plant’s] detours into English folk, Delta blues and North African rhythms, while always helping him find his way back to his Americana foundation.”
 
Robert Plant and the Band of Joy released their self-titled album in the fall of 2010 and were nominated for two Grammy Awards.
 
MerleFest 2011 will be held on the campus of Wilkes Community College from April 28 to May 1. Tickets are available at www.merlefest.com .