Inside the gates of the Blue Ridge Barbecue & Music Festival barbecue and music, of course, are the main attractions.
Live music on the Main Stage Friday includes the headliner, Nashville recording star Chuck Wicks, who is set to perform at 9:30 p.m. But before he goes on the crowd will have been warming up with music all day, starting around 11 a.m.

Saturday’s headliners are Acoustic Syndicate (Main Stage, 9:15 p.m.) and Devon Allman (yes, Gregg Allman’s son) and his band Honeytribe. Again, music starts around 11 a.m. and goes all day Saturday also.
There is also a smaller “Riverside” stage where acoustic sounds will be featured all day both days – closing down around 7 p.m.
For more information, visit BlueRidgeBBQFestival.com
Main stage performers
Chuck Wicks – Fri. 9:30-11 p.m.
Wicks, a gifted songwriter and vocalist, made a compelling impression with his Top 5 smash, “Stealing Cinderella,” which was the fastest-rising single by a debut country act in 2007. Expanding upon his musical talents, that same year he was a celebrity cast member of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” then in its eighth season. Wicks was just recently voted AOL’s Sexiest Country Bachelor and made People Magazine’s Sexiest Guys list. He is also an avid hunter and can be seen on numerous hunting shows on TV.

Acoustic Syndicate – Sat. 9:15-11 p.m.
Although the McMurrys (Steve, Bryon and Fitz) grew up playing music together in rural North Carolina, Acoustic Syndicate did not come together officially until 1992, when they enlisted bassist Jay Sanders to round out their trio. The group released their first album, “Acoustic Syndicate,” in 1996. Touring in the southeast, they gradually built a fan base for the band and wider recognition for their “Tributaries” album in 1998. Since, they’ve continued to tour, playing clubs as well as festivals like 2004s Bonnaroo Festival.
“Too bad most contemporary pop music doesn’t have the organic elegance of Acoustic Syndicate.” -Vintage Guitar Long Way Round Sugar Hill Records

The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker – Fri. 7:15-9 p.m.
If the first attention-grabbing horn lines of The Dynamites album “Kaboom!” evoke a dramatic curtain call from a late ’60s funk concert at the Apollo Theater, it’s no accident. After all, that’s exactly where Charles Walker, the band’s singer and front man, first cut his teeth as a performer. When the revolutionary “new bag” now known as funk first made the scene, Walker was right there in the thick of it, opening for the likes of James Brown, Etta James and Wilson Pickett, and imbibing himself in a cultural movement’s genesis.

Devon Allman’s Honeytribe – Sat. 7:15-8:45 p.m.
Slowly building a solid, loyal fan base worldwide over the past decade, Devon Allman and Honeytribe continue building this army one gig at a time. They have been in constant motion, averaging 250 to 300 shows a year across the globe.
Reflecting on the past, looking towards the future, Allman said, “It’s time for us to really bring our A-game. The three of us have delivered an album we feel is a quantum leap from anything we have recorded in the past. Artists and bands get to the point where you either have to stay in the sandbox or go to beach. And with Space Age Blues, I hope we’ve made that transition.”

The Shane Pruitt Band (x2) – Fri. 5:15-6:45 p.m. (Main); Sat. 1:45-2:45 p.m. (River)
Living and breathing the blues and gospel, The Shane Pruitt Band embodies a regional tradition while bringing its original tone and flare to every performance. Finding itself ever-searching in musical traditions between Delta Blues, Gospel, and Southern Rock, The Shane Pruitt Band embraces in the jam band traditions of improvisation and an ever-evolving musical experience.

Big Daddy Love (x2) – Fri. 3-4 p.m. (River); Sat. 5:30-6:45 p.m. (Main)
Asheville, N.C.’s Big Daddy Love brings a unique and natural blend of jam, grass, roots, and rock to the emerging North Carolina music scene. With fiery vocals, sweet-sugary harmonies, authentic song-craft, and undeniable musicianship, the quintet delivers high-energy performances of “Appalachian Rock” – their own brand of good-time music.

Damon Fowler – Sat. 4-5 p.m.
With his hybrid of roots rock, blues and sacred steel, Florida native Damon Fowler started wowing audiences with his musical exploits as a teenager, building a reputation as one of the hottest young players on the scene. Adding song writing and vocal skills to his repertoire over the years has brought him many accolades, with critics extolling his originality and maturity as well as his technical guitar expertise. In last year’s “Best of Tampa” poll, “Creative Loafing” magazine named him “Best Guitarist… And Slide Guitarist… and Lap Steel Player… And Dobro Player.”

Chris Green – Fri 4:40 p.m. (River)
Chris Green plays acoustic guitar with a passion that has quickly earned him a reputation as North Carolina’s “best kept little secret.” Green is an amazing guitarist with a “wow factor” that has let to radio and TV appearances. Green currently resides in Lake Lure. His unique style of playing incorporates heavy, flat-picking blues and sound scape instrumentals with simultaneous percussion on the soundboard to create a wall of sound. He is often referred to as sounding like two or three guitars.
Green’s music is his own unique weave of deeply textured melody and story. Lyrical and compelling, his original songs are notes of exploration—some passionate and haunting, some hard-driven, others light and teasing. In quiet pieces or pushing right to the edge, Green’s phenomenal playing and rich voice captivate.

Jenna Lindbo – Fri. 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
A songwriter with serious spark, Jenna Lindbo stands out. With her magnetic presence and a voice that resonates across generations, rooms fall silent when she sings. Hear her once and she’ll take hold of your heart. From the 11-year-old fan to the 87-year-old groupie, Lindbo brings audiences on a compelling journey through toe tapping, guitar smacking, joyful songwriting abandon. Her grace and ease on stage, coupled with positive, intricately crafted music creates an avenue where wide-eyed optimists and skeptics alike find themselves laughing from the belly one moment and shedding quiet tears of wonder the next.

The Tryon Music Review (x2) – Fri. 2:15-3 p.m. (Main); Sat. 2:30-3:30 p.m. (River)
This mixed grouping of local musicians will celebrate what our community has to offer in a good ol’ fashioned jam session! Lead by Tryon’s own Jim Peterman – best known as a founding member of The Steve Miller Band and current member of The Shane Pruitt Band – the Tryon Music Review is a way to showcase the individual talents of some amazing musicians found right here in our backyard. Some of you folks may have enjoyed this music time and again at local venues and clubs, now we are bringing it to the big stage (and the river stage).

Project X – Sat. 1:15-2 p.m.
This local group of seasoned professionals brings a mix of rock classics with a touch of the obscure, interlaced with originals by Carey Upton. Along with Upton on guitar and keyboard; band members include Julie Miller, Woody Cowan, Mark Burrell, Bo Pryor, Calem Upton and Brandon Chase. Project X’s set is sponsored by Henson’s Inc. and Kelly C Photography.

Blue Ridge BBQ Festival entertainment schedule
Friday, June 10
Main Stage
11 a.m.         Julie Miller sings the national anthem
11:15 a.m.    Jenna Lindbo
12:15 p.m.    King Pup Radio Show
2:15 p.m.    Tryon Music Review
3:30 p.m.    The Zealots
5:15 p.m.    The Shane Pruitt Band
7:15 p.m.    The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker
9:30 p.m.    Chuck Wicks

Riverside Stage
1:45 p.m.    TBA
3:00 p.m.    Big Daddy Love
4:30 p.m.    Chris Green
6:15 p.m.    New Five Cents

Saturday, June 11
Main Stage
12 p.m        Star Makers Dance Company
12:30 p.m.    Dance Dynamics
1:15 p.m.    Project X
2:30 p.m.    Tryon Music Review
4 p.m.        Damon Fowler
5:30 p.m.    Big Daddy Love
7:15 p.m.    Devon Allman’s Honeytribe
9:15 p.m.    Acoustic Syndicate

Riverside Stage
11 a.m.        The Undecided
12:30 p.m.    The Jack Roper Magic Show
1:45 p.m.    The Shane Pruitt Band
3:15 p.m.    Winkie and Red Dog
4:30  p.m.    Speedwell
6:15 p.m.    The Antibodies