The Earl Scruggs Center brings exceptional live music to the heart of Cleveland County with the announcement of this year’s Center Stage Concert Series lineup. This outstanding slate of award-winning artists features multiple GRAMMY winners and nominees, IBMA and Americana recognized artists, and showcases the diversity and far-reaching impact of American traditional music.
The Center Stage Concert Series includes six shows running from April 10 to August 7. Tickets may be purchased for individual shows and a limited number of season passes for the entire series are available, with preferred seating as an add-on option.
Center Stage Concert Series shows take place in the Great Hall at the Earl Scruggs Center. This beautiful 100-seat venue allows music fans to experience outstanding performances in an intimate and comfortable setting. Doors to the Great Hall open 30 minutes before show time, and a cash bar will be available. Located in beautiful Shelby, NC, the Earl Scruggs Center is surrounded by a variety of restaurants and shops. Concert attendees are encouraged to arrive early to explore the Earl Scruggs Center’s exhibits and the uptown Shelby area.
To purchase Center Stage season passes or individual show tickets, visit www.earlscruggs.org/events or call 704.487.6233. Earl Scruggs Center hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm, with extended hours on Wednesdays until 6 pm.
2025 Concerts:
The Henhouse Prowlers
Thursday, April 10, 6:00 pm
On stage, the group’s enthralling performances give audiences a sense of how much they love what they do; while on record, the band manages to explore their collective life experiences through songwriting and intricate instrumentation. While bluegrass is the undeniable foundation of the Prowlers music, the band manages to bend and squeeze the traditional form into a sound all their own.
The Faux Paws
Thursday, May 8, 6:00 pm
The Faux Paws have a problem. They’re a triangle band in a land of circles. Musically impossible to describe, they don’t even fit into today’s often hyphenated-genre world. No fan, industry expert, nor member of the band can seem to sum up this band’s sound in any kind of marketable way. They continue to remain a singularly unique outfit in the acoustic music community, always on the fringes, always memorable and with an increasing number of die-hard fans who feel like they’ve uncovered a secret.
Justin Golden
Thursday, June 12, 6:00 pm
Blues isn’t just twelve bars and a hard luck story. On his debut record, Hard Times and a Woman, guitarist and songwriter Justin Golden showcases the full breadth of the genre and its downstream influences, everything from country blues to Americana, soul, indie roots, and beyond. Golden was raised on the Virginia coast and is steeped in the distinctive, fingerpicked Piedmont blues of the central part of the state. He’s studied country blues and can name any number of influences from Blind Boy Fuller to Taj Mahal, but his key inspirations have always come from the indie guitar realm, specifically friends like Phil Cook and J Roddy Walston, with a little Hiss Golden Messenger, Daniel Norgren, and Bon Iver mixed in and maybe a hint of James Taylor.
Charly Lowry
Thursday, July 10, 6:00 pm
Charly Lowry, a musical powerhouse from Pembroke, NC, is proud to be an Indigenous woman belonging to the Lumbee/Tuscarora Tribes. She is passionate about raising awareness around issues that plague underdeveloped and under-served communities. Since her teenage years, Charly has established a career as a professional singer-songwriter with unique passion and voice. In addition to performing solo, for 10+ years Charly has been the front-woman for the multi award-winning band, “Dark Water Rising”. Most recently, Charly and the members of her newest project “Charly & The Sunshine” were selected by the U.S. Department of State and American Music Aboard to participate in the 2021-2022 American Music Abroad Virtual Season.
Bryon, Fitz and Steve McMurry: Behind the Music of Acoustic Syndicate
Thursday, August 7, 6:00 pm
Throughout the last 30 years, Acoustic Syndicate has been a staple of the Americana and roots/rock music scene, where they are often credited with influencing many of today’s popular jamgrass musicians.
Go behind the music of this group hailing from Cleveland County that has cultivated a loyal fanbase dedicated to its critically-acclaimed catalog and dynamic live shows. It was all anchored by the tight harmonies of brothers Bryon and Fitz McMurry and cousin Steve McMurry, whose voices soar with familial bonds and many years of singing together while growing up on the family farm.
Earl Scruggs Center hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm with extended hours on Wednesdays until 6:00 pm.
