The first time I traveled to the Eastern Kentucky mountain town of Pikeville for the Mountain Grrl Experience, co-organizer Kris Preston and her bluegrass band Coaltown Dixie were entertaining the audience from the large outdoor stage.
Preston, along with a host of musicians and artists, is preparing for the next Mountain Grrl Experience, scheduled for Oct. 17th and 18th.
“Mountain Grrl Experience is an event that we started here in Pikeville five years ago as an endeavor to uplift, celebrate, and support Appalachian women, the creativity, the strength, the resilience of Appalachian women. And we also want it to be an event that has purpose. So, we raise funds and awareness for domestic violence services in our area. And this year, we’re raising funds for the Pike County Health Department’s Domestic Violence Coalition,” said Preston.
While live music is an ongoing part of the weekend, there are also workshops, a juried art exhibit, and a panel discussion titled Front Porch Panel/The Power of the Appalachian Woman. Co-organizer Bek Smallwood said the women on the panel embody resilience and leadership.
“There’ll be five really strong women from Appalachia that have unbelievable stories and unbelievable careers. One of the ladies on the panel actually sat through one of the first panels that we had with Mountain Grrl and actually decided to move back home after that panel,” said Smallwood.
Smallwood lives in Pike County and is the lead vocalist with Bek and the Starlight Revue. She calls her band’s music a melting pot and said it includes a lot of country influence and a lot of rock and roll. Bek and the Starlight Revue are expected to take the stage Saturday evening to entertain Mountain Grrl’s audience. Smallwood said she writes songs about Appalachia.
The 38-year-old said this weekend experience for her means tradition, keeping art alive, and an opportunity to share Appalachia. She reflects on what it means to be a Mountain Grrl.
“You know, for me, a mountain girl is somebody who has the spirit of the mountains. And for me, that’s resilience. And I think that’s probably the most important thing. What does it look like to be from here? Well, we have to create our own opportunities. We have to be strong and resilient, we have to be all those things, but we’re also soft. So, when I look at the mountains here, they’re rounded, they’re tall and strong and tough, but they’re also soft. That balance, I think, is what a true mountain girl is. Like I think about my Mamaw, who was an original mountain girl to me. And there were times when she was tough, but when it really mattered, she was soft, and she was always dependable,” explained Smallwood.
Smallwood emphasized that the festival is for everyone.
“ It’s not like it’s a female-only festival. We’re just celebrating Appalachia through women. And most of us have those strong Appalachian women that we love. So, it’s for everybody. It’s just been really life-changing for me. It’s brought me new friends. It’s brought me new opportunities. And I don’t want anybody to think, well, is this for me? Because, if you’re breathing, it’s for you,” said Smallwood.
The lineup of musicians is an eclectic mix of vocalists. For the second year in a row, Americana singer-songwriter and Frankfort native Jeri Katherine Howell is participating in Mountain Grrl. She’ll perform at the Downtown stage Saturday, sharing songs from her new album, Woman.
Howell said she’s also looking forward to presenting a songwriting and community singing workshop.
“So, I’ll be singing lead and playing guitar. And we’ll be doing all my songs. But then my husband, Nat Colten, will be playing banjo and maybe electric guitar, and then Ellie Ruth Miller will be playing fiddle. The workshop is called Come Sing. It’s all levels community singing activity. And we’ll bring in some songwriting activities as well. The idea is that everyone is contributing to the music-making. That everyone’s part of the music-making, whether you consider yourself a singer or not. You can come and play percussion on your body if you want. Or you can come and hum or sway,” said Howell.
The weekend schedule is packed with arts and entertainment. Talent like Carla Gover, Grace Rogers, and Zoe Howard are some of the folks also ready to perform.
On opening night, Maggie Noelle, lead singer and rhythm guitarist for Magnolia Boulevard, is expected to headline. Noelle, who’s originally from Clintwood, Virginia, said she’s honored to be part of Mountain Grrl and plans to sing a set that includes her song Strong Willed Women.
"First and foremost, I have always been and I will continue to be until I die an advocate for women and not just women in the music industry but women all over the world,” explained Noelle.
I caught up with Kentucky’s Kelsey Waldon on tour in LA. The singer, songwriter, and performer is on the schedule to headline Saturday night at the Mountain Grrl Experience. The Ballard County native said her childhood dream was to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, which she has now done several times. As the headliner on Saturday evening, her set will include a song dedicated to her late grandma, who had a huge impact on her life and who grew tiger lilies.
“Made a huge impact not just on my life, on a bunch of people’s lives. She just had this beautiful vibrant display of tiger lilies in her yard. When she passed away, I dug up a bunch of her tiger lilies and put them in my yard. And now every time they bloom I think of her,” said Waldon.
The Mountain Grrl Experience is free and open to the public. It’s scheduled to be held in downtown Pikeville, October 17th and 18th.
