Mountain Music

Welcome to Virginia's Crooked Road music trail, where the scenery's fine, the people are friendly and the songs are toe-tappingly good

March 4, 2014 6:55 a.m.

On Tuesday nights, musicians jam at the Stringbean Coffee Shop while locals play Rook, a regional card game, at the tables. They’ll let you join in if you know how to play. But watch out, says Galax tourism director Ray Kohl, who plays a bit of Rook himself: “Some of those ladies can be aggressive.”

In August, Galax holds a weeklong Old Fiddlers’ Convention. Children as young as 6, along with teens, adults, old-timers and family bands, play fiddles, mandolins, guitars, Dobros, Autoharps and banjos, vying for prizes on stage or jamming late into the night at the campground.

After lunch at the Smokehouse, I head to the Blue Ridge Music Center, about a 10-minute drive or “just two songs away” on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There, among the vintage songbooks, old vinyls, Edison cylinders and early banjos, I linger at the oral histories, listening to late bluegrass legend Doc Watson describe his dad making him his first banjo out of cat skin.

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This is the only place in the area with live music scheduled daily from May through October, including weekend concerts in the amphitheater and on the indoor stage, and informal “Mid-Day Mountain Music” in the scenic breezeway on weekdays. On this particular day, the midday music has been moved indoors, and it’s there that I catch that ringing rendition of “Where the Mountain Laurel Blooms.”

An energetic woman with white hair coaxes me from my seat and onto the dance floor.

“Can’t let good music go to waste,” she says.

Virginia Myers lives in Takoma Park and frequently writes about the arts. To comment on this story, email comments@moco360.media.

IF YOU GO

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– Getting there: From Bethesda, it’s about a 4½-hour drive to the eastern end of The Crooked Road in Rocky Mount, Va.; alternatively, Floyd is four hours and 40 minutes away. Take Interstate 66 west, then I-81 south for both. To go to Rocky Mount, stay on I-81 for 157 miles, then go left just north of Roanoke onto U.S. 220 south. After 30 miles, take Virginia state Route 40 for about a mile toward Rocky Mount. To go to Floyd, stay on I-81, go about 22 miles past the Roanoke exits and take Virginia state Route 8 south for about 20 miles to Floyd.

– Where to stay: A number of B&Bs and home rentals are available in and around Floyd, Va. Here are a few options (for others, go to www.floydvirginialodging.com):

  • Hotel Floyd (120 Wilson St., Floyd; 540-745-6080; www.hotelfloyd.com) is as local as you can get. Across the street from The Floyd Country Store, one of The Crooked Road’s main music venues, Hotel Floyd features locally crafted furniture and art and its own summer concert series to complement the Friday Night Jamboree just steps from its doors. There are 16 rooms, expanding to 40 by June 1. Rates: $85.50 to $179.50; includes Wi-Fi, in-room coffee, cable HDTV.
  • Bella La Vita Inn (582 New Haven Road SE, Floyd; 540-745-2541; www.bellalavitainn.com) is an Italian-themed B&B with friendly hosts, an ornate fountain, sculpture and other Italianate décor. The inviting common space features gardens and decks with rockers. Breakfast often includes locally sourced and organic foods. Four rooms. Rates: $99-$160; includes full breakfast, private bath, private balconies or porches, Wi-Fi, afternoon refreshments and satellite HDTV.  
  • The Claiborne House (185 Claiborne Ave., Rocky Mount; 540-483-4616; www.claibornehouse.net) is a circa 1895 Victorian home with furnishings to match the era and a wraparound porch that’s perfect for pickin’ (the innkeepers invite guests to bring their instruments). It’s within walking distance of Rocky Mount eateries and close to jam venues. Five rooms. Rates: $120-$150; includes full breakfast (optional room service in select rooms), private bath, Wi-Fi and cable TV.
  • Comfort Inn (1730 N. Main St., Rocky Mount; 540-489-4000; www.comfortinn.com/hotel-rocky_mount-virginia-VA120) is an older property that was recently renovated. Located right off U.S. 220, it has a seasonal outdoor pool and 61 rooms. Rates: $65-$119; includes hot breakfast, weekday newspaper, Wi-Fi and cable TV.
  • Holiday Inn Express (395 Old Franklin Turnpike, Rocky Mount; 540-489-5001; www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/rocky-mount/rcmva/hoteldetail) is a popular accommodation on Route 40, with an indoor pool, spa and fitness center. There are 63 rooms. Rates: $89.95-$169.95; includes hot breakfast bar, Wi-Fi and cable TV.

– Where to eat:

  • Dogtown Roadhouse (302 S. Locust St., Floyd; 540-745-6836; www.dogtownroadhouse.com). Open 5-10 p.m. Thursdays, noon-12 a.m. Saturdays, and noon-8 p.m. Sundays. A favorite of younger locals and middle-aged homesteaders, this is a great place to grab a craft beer and a wood-fired pizza from the hand-built oven. Ingredients are locally sourced, and the menu changes seasonally. Live music is often featured in the intimate front room or the more expansive hall adjacent. One- or two-person pizzas, $10-$15; salads and starters, $3-$6; beer and wine (by the glass), $5-$6. You also can purchase wine by the bottle.
  • Oddfella’s Cantina & Tapas (110 N. Locust St., Floyd; 540-745-3463; www.oddfellascantina.com). Sunday brunch from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; tapas bar from 4-10 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; lunch from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; dinner from 5-9 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Sustainable, locally grown “Appalachian Latino” food served in a bright, cozy space, with vegan selections as well as locally raised meat. (Try the “chimichanga.”) There’s also beer and wine, plus live music on weekends. Dinner entrées, $13-$22.
  • The Galax Smokehouse (101 N. Main St., Galax; 276-236-1000; www.thegalaxsmokehouse.com). Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays. A lively place serving all things barbecue, from pulled pork to ribs, along with smokehouse burgers and dogs, with sides such as fried okra, apple fritters and hush puppies. It’s nothing fancy (think Styrofoam plates), but it’s friendly and there are vintage photos on the walls of local musicians and the town’s history. Dinner entrées (with two sides plus hush puppies or “BBQ bread”), $9 (for a sloppy Joe) to $20 (for a “pig out platter” three-meat combo).

 Music Venues & Info

The Crooked Road website lists all the venues, along with an updated schedule of music jams. There’s also information about the towns along the road, attractions such as hiking and art galleries, and links to dining options and accommodations. Go to www.thecrookedroad.org or get the brochure at one of the venues or by calling 276-492-2409. Here are a few of the main venues where you can either learn about or experience the region’s music firsthand:

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  • The Floyd Country Store (206 S. Locust St., Floyd; 540-745-4563; www.floydcountrystore.com). The store’s Friday Night Jamboree is from 6:30-10:30 p.m. year-round and features three bands and dancing for $5 admission (get there early for a seat; it’s often standing room only). Outdoor gatherings nearby, held around the same time each Friday night, are free. Details about Saturday’s Americana Afternoon show, with acoustic music showcasing American folk tradition, and about the Sunday music jam and monthly old-time radio show are available on the website. Call for holiday hours.
  •  Blue Ridge Institute & Museum (20 Museum Drive, Ferrum, just off Route 40; 540-365-4416; www.blueridgeinstitute.org). Galleries and music exhibits in the museum are open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays (open till 4:30 p.m. from mid-May to mid-August) and 1-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Farm museum weekends are from early May through early September (call for exact dates and times). Visit the galleries for free; farm museum admission is $6 ($4 for group tours arranged in advance). Call for holiday hours.
  •  Blue Ridge Music Center (Milepost 213, Blue Ridge Parkway, Galax; 276-236-5309; www.blueridgemusiccenter.org). There’s live music on weekends, and Mid-Day Mountain Musicians daily from noon-4 p.m. from early May through late October. The “Roots of American Music” exhibit is open during the same time frame (call for exact dates and times). Admission to the exhibit and Mid-Day Mountain Musician sessions is free; tickets for weekend music vary but are usually $10 to $15. Call for holiday hours.
  • Dairy Queen (995 Franklin St., Rocky Mount; 540-483-7754; blueridgemusic.org). Local jam session, mostly bluegrass, at 9 a.m. every Thursday from September through May.
  • Stringbean Coffee Shop (215 S. Main St., Galax; 276-236-0567). Two jam sessions, one bluegrass, one old-time music, held simultaneously at 7 p.m. every Tuesday year-round.
  • Rex Theater (113 E. Grayson St., Galax; 276-238-8130; rextheatergalax.com). Live radio show at 8 p.m. every Friday; old-time music and dance on the last Saturday of every month; other shows scheduled in various locations throughout the year. Due to theater renovations, shows are temporarily at the Galax Municipal Golf Course through April.
  • Galax Leaf & String Festival (downtown Galax; 276-238-8130; visitgalax.com/gfvirginia_bluegrass). A two-day festival of local music, luthiers (instrument makers), arts and crafts, held at various venues, including the Rex Theater, on June 13 and 14 this year.

—Virginia Myers

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