After their house-rocking debut at Door Community Auditorium (DCA) in 2013, genre-bending sister band Rising Appalachia returns to DCA on Sunday, June 29. Passionate and enthralling, Rising Appalachia centers on multi-instrumentalist sisters Leah and Chloe Smith, who wrap their haunting vocals around banjo, fiddle, kalimba, djembe, spoon, and washboard accompaniment, fusing a broad array of world music traditions with their own deep Appalachian roots.
Though they classify their music as “progressive Appalachian groove,” Rising Appalachia is impossible to pigeonhole, mixing traditional folk songs with soul music, spoken word poetry, and even beatboxing. National Public Radio calls the resulting musical blend “aural divinity.”
Since its inception in 2005, Rising Appalachia has toured almost 20,000 miles, gathering critical acclaim and a devoted fan following along the way. Their prolific self-sculpted career has also included five independently released albums, filled with the rich musical cross-pollination that has become Rising Appalachia’s trademark.
In addition to their prodigious vocal and instrumental skill, Leah and Chloe Smith are known for integrating powerful social messages into their music. Leah says, “Music is the tool with which we wield political prowess….We are building community and tackling social injustice through melody—making the stage reach out with octopus arms to gather a great family.”
Critics and audiences agree that Rising Appalachia has succeeded in their social and musical mission. Huffintgon Post calls their work “the kind of music you can believe in.”
Rising Appalachia is sponsored by Tapuat Kombucha, The Shallows Resort, and FLS Banners.
Rising Appalachia will perform at DCA at 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 29. Tickets for the concert range from $18 to $32. Advance reservations are recommended and can be made through the DCA box office, located at 3926 Highway 42 in Fish Creek. The box office is open Monday-Friday, 12-5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in person, on the phone at (920) 868-2728, or online at www.dcauditorium.org.