Bluegrass Music Endeavors Foundation

Once again we had a successful night, and because of our efforts and your support, we were able to present another check to another great organization. On April 12th, founder and director of BMEF, Jerry Andrews, personally visited Miracles Happen to present the check and was invited to be a guest speaker while he was there.We love Bluegrass music, and we love helping others in need. That is why you will always find BMEF striving toward Pickin' and a Givin'! We look forward to our next event on April 28th with Nashville's "Hillbilly Goddess", Alecia Nugent. We pray for your support, because the more people that come to our concerts, the more we can give to our beneficiaries. See you all there!

We are in a new month. So, that can mean only one thing...There is another concert coming up at the Strand Theatre in Moundsville, WV! On April 28 at 6:30 p.m., we will open the doors to enjoy another Bluegrass filled evening (show starts at 7:00). However, this one is a special one. Nashville's "Hillbilly Goddess", Alecia Nugent, is hitting the road again after taking a break for a few years. We are excited to say that our show will kick off her new tour!Of coarse, it wouldn't be a proper BMEF concert without a few other components. As always, Crandall Creek will be the show's opener. There is always a good cause that our proceeds are donated to. This show will benefit Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, an organization that helps veterans who have been wounded or suffer from PTSD. There will be another silent auction to help boost the amount of our proceeds. Finally, we will be collecting nonperishable food items at the door to give to Feeding Body and Soul Community Kitchen. Come on out and join us as we are PICKIN' AND A GIVIN'!!!

Givin' and a pickin', that is what it is all about. Last night was such a tremendous night! As always, The Jakob's Ferry Stragglers certainly delivered. The band is constantly on tour playing together, and it shows. Their performances are so tight, it is as if the four of them are one unit. That must be why they are called a band, but this is a tightness on a special level. They are all talented as individuals, but this is truly an incredible band. They are a must see if they are ever in your area. Thank you, JFS!Of coarse the night just wouldn't be complete without seeing our favorite local band, Crandall Creek. They too are playing more and more together, making them a stronger force in the Bluegrass world. They continue to expand their repertoire with familiar classics along with more originals of their own. Their potential "Star Power" is being recognized. After being viewed on their YouTube channel, without getting into specifics, because there aren't many specifics to mention, they are receiving some "big time" attention. Keep watching for more from this group.That's the pickin' part. Now comes the givin' part. Again, there would be no point to any of this if it weren't for the fans and supporters. Thank you all for coming out to support us and our causes. Thank you to those who bring in the food donations time and again. You are helping in a much bigger way than you may know.

Thank you to our sponsors, AFP Logs and Lumber, BB&T, and Spadafore Orthodontics. We couldn't do what we do without your support. We ask that everyone keeps our shows' sponsors in mind for their future needs.

Thank you to all of the businesses that donated the auction items; CA House Music, Happy Tails, Kathy Sacra-Anderson, Nana's Pizza and Pie, Home Town Floral and Gift Shop, J&D Ked's ACE Hardware, and Miklas Meat Market. Please know that your items helped bring in a good amount of money, and you are all appreciated.

We hope to see everyone out for the "Hillbilly Goddess", Alecia Nugent with Crandall Creek on April 28th, details to come...

As everyone should know by now, all of our concert events have one thing in common. They are all for some other cause. In the past, we have put on events to raise money for flood victims, a soup kitchen, a couple veterans groups, and so on. This Saturday, March 10th, is no different. We have a repeat concert with The Jakob's Ferry Stragglers with special guests, Crandall Creek.This is not the first time these two bands have played the same stage, and if you missed the last time, you don't want to miss it this time. If you were able to attend the last time, you don't want to miss it this time. With the risk of sounding too cliché, the night was truly electrifying!

Proceeds from the ticket sales and silent auction will go to HealthWays Inc., Miracles Happen of Wheeling. It is a wonderful place that helps people with addiction problems. We would love to be able to pack the house this coming weekend in order to present them with the largest check possible. We cannot do this without everyone's support. Please spread the word and help us make the night a complete success.

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! BMEF Had the opportunity to celebrate Valentine's Day by doing exactly what the foundation was set up to do. Our concerts are geared toward raising money to give to other worth wile organizations. Our last two concerts were organized to raise money for Feeding Body and Soul Community Kitchen in Moundsville, WV and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital respectively.

A check for was presented on site to the Feeding Body and Soul Community Kitchen.St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is receiving a check. WTRF's Paige Madden was there to interview Jerry Andrews. We want to thank WTRF, Rachael Dierkes, and Paige Madden for your support and coverage of our activities.Of coarse, once again, none of us could do what we do if it weren't for the support of those of you who come out to support us. We hope to see another great crowd for our March 10th show with The Jakob's Ferry Stragglers and opening act Crandall Creek!

First things first, thank you to everyone who came out to support the show. You are truly the ones who make these events successful. Last night's crowd was great in size and enthusiasm! That kind of support is what helps the performers really come alive, and come alive they did!

Crandall Creek just keeps getting better and better, and they started out really good. They continue to please everyone with old Bluegrass classics, but they are really building up a nice repertoire of originals too. If you didn't come out to see them last night, do yourself a favor and get to their next show. As of this moment, that will be March 3rd at the Ebert Brother's Show at the Lincoln Theatre in New Martinsville, WV.

If you know who's image this is, then enough said...

Roger Hoard is truly amazing! Even as a show opener, he is a headliner. I challenge anyone to find a finer man or musician in the Ohio Valley. His professionalism is astounding, and his music is equally as impressive. If you want to check out more of Roger's work, see C.A. House's commercials or go to www.hoardandjones.com.

Do you love Oldies? Doo Wop? A Capella? Gospel? One-A-Chord landed right between Roger Hoard and Crandall Creek. Actually, landed is the exact opposite of what they did. This group of guys soared to the outer limits of our atmosphere last night. They can entertain as well as any band, and they have no instruments. There is no wonder, to anyone in attendance, that they had the "Best A Capella Doo Wop Album of the Year" in 2005. They love to perform at all sorts of venues. If you have any need for entertainment, check them out at www.one-a-chord.com.

A special thanks goes out to our sound man, Josh Blakemore. It is too bad sound cannot be captured by camera. His mixing deserves to be recognized. Also, thank you to Ryan Yanik for his lighting skills and for the perfect animation shown behind the performers. As usual, the lovely Suzanne Polinski did a remarkable job as the night's emcee. Thank you, to the Board of Directors at the Strand Theatre for hosting in such a wonderful venue.

Finally, thank you to our event and program sponsors, Wheeling Hospital and Nana's Pizza and Pie in Moundsville, WV.

Everyone keep your eye out for our upcoming dates. Again, The Jakob's Ferry Stragglers will be our next headliner on March 10th with Crandall Creek as the opener. If you aren't a Bluegrass fan, you will walk away from that show a "new convert". We hope to see you there! Remember, these are fun and entertaining nights, but they ALWAYS are a means to support great causes. Even if St. Jude Children's Research Hospital can save only one child with the money raised by our event, the night was well worth it.

If you have been a part of or heard the buzz going around about Moundsville, WV's historic Strand Theatre, you know things are happening there. They have been using it to produce plays, show movies, and here recently, host bluegrass events that have certainly left concert goers with some warm, happy feelings. Earlier this month, Donna Ulisse came back for a repeat performance of her Christmas show which is like no other.

If you have been in our audiences in the past and want more, or if you have wanted to come, but missed out, you are in luck. Mark you calendars for February 2 at 7:00 p.m., because we are doing it again. This will be the first concert at the Strand Theatre in which Crandall Creek will be the headliner, and they are well worth the $10 tickets. Sadly, we have seen a great talent leave the band, but we are excited to hear the two new editions to the band's lineup.Along with Crandall Creek, we will be graced with performances from One-A-Chord, a quartet of Christian men who sing Christian and Doo Wop oldies a Capella style. One of the Ohio Valley's gems, Roger Hoard, will be doing some solo selections.

All of our concerts have a cause, as does this one. We will again be taking nonperishable food items at the door that will be given to Feeding Body and Soul Community Kitchen. Proceeds from ticket sales and sales of silent auction items will be given to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Do yourself a favor, and don't miss this certain to please night!

When you hear of a Christmas concert coming to a nearby venue, what do you think of? How about if you heard it was a bluegrass Christmas Show? Many would probably think, "We just heard Ms. Vanderpump's 4th grade music class sing Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman, and I'm Getting Nothin' for Christmas! Do we really need to hear these same tunes screeched out on a fiddle?"

Well, Donna Ulisse and the Poor Mountain Boys just rolled into Moundsville, WV yesterday afternoon. Their plan? Play another Christmas show at the Strand Theatre. Last night was nothing like what you would expect from a Christmas show. With the exception of a song or two at the beginning, the set that this amazing band out of Nashville, TN played was comprised of all original songs written by Donna herself.The story is certainly not her own, but she tells the story of the announcement, conception, and birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ like never heard before. These songs were written from the perspective of the players in the story as though they were normal, everyday people, and guess what. They were! The lyrics of each song paints such a vivid picture in the minds of the listeners. Then of coarse, there is the typical bluegrass sound you would come to expect from a bluegrass band. The Story, lyrics, and music come together to present a Christmas show like no other. Thank you, Donna and the Poor Mountain Boys for such a magical night.

Of coarse, like our previous concerts, Crandall Creek was there to grace the audience with their musical stylings. They opened the show with one song, Don't Cry Mary, written by Jerry Andrews. It is such a beautiful song that will bring tears to many eyes. Crandall Creek again took the stage after Donna's performance to finish out the night, playing some well known and loved songs as well as some newer songs also written by Jerry. It is always a great time and performance when the bands join together on stage to play together, and Donna and her band did not disappoint. How fun it was to watch the two bands collaborate.Crandall Creek is a young band, and by that we mean, hasn't been playing together long. Only two of the five can be classified as young. However, they are gaining traction in the bluegrass world. Their performance was stretched out by audience request, and rumor has it, they have been booked a couple places in the near future.

Once again, we cannot do these shows without the support of our sponsors, the local community, and our audience. Thank you Wheeling Hospital, Bordas and Bordas Law, Dr. Charles Wylie, and Dr. Harold Pickens for your monetary support. Thank you Moundsville Pharmacy for sponsoring our program. Thank you concert goers for coming out and supporting us!

Finally, thank you to the Feeding Body and Soul Community Kitchen for the work you do in our community. We hope and pray that the food donations and proceeds raised from the concert will be a blessing to many this Christmas season. God bless us all!

Donna Ulisse will return to The Strand Theater in Moundsville, WV on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017 and perform her landmark Christmas CD All The Way to Bethlehem. She wrote all of the album and tells the story of the birth of Christ from the perspective of all of the characters in the greatest story ever told. After the intermission, she will return to the stage and perform some of her bluegrass hits. Advance tickets are available through Jerry Andrews at 304-281-5776 and are available at the door for $10.00, $5.00/Ages 5-12, Free Admission for Children under 5. Ulisse is a key figure in the bluegrass, folk and acoustic music scene as a singer and songwriter. Her co-written single “It Could Have Been The Mandolin” topped the Bluegrass Unlimited chart at #1 for two months in a row in 2016. She also was named 2016 IBMA Songwriter of the Year. Her eleventh album “Breakin’ Easy” was released September 22, 2017 by Mountain Home Music Company and was produced by bluegrass legend Doyle Lawson. 

As a songwriter she has had songs recorded by bluegrass artists Claire Lynch, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Doyle Lawson, Larry Stephenson Band and many more..Her song “Butler Brothers” was on the 2014 Grammy winning album Streets of Baltimore by the Del McCoury Band, and she also co-wrote the Volume Five hit “I Am A Drifter” which won IBMA Song of the Year for 2017. She authored the book The Songwriter in Me: Snapshots of My Creative Process and is a sought after songwriting instructor at workshops across the country when she is not touring with her band performing at festivals and concerts with her band.

Also appearing on stage on Dec. 2 is Crandall Creek. Crandall Creek is a bluegrass band made up of talent from the local area. Lilli Gadd is featured on the upright bass and vocals. Wyatt Kidd plays fiddle, banjo, guitar and anything else you can stretch a string between. Bob Meade and Jerry Andrews are featured on guitar and vocals. Doug Baker will delight you with his guitar. This will be the band's third time performing on the stage of the Strand Theatre.

Proceeds from ticket sales and silent auction items will be given to Feeding Body and Soul Community Kitchen. As all of our previous concerts, nonperishable food donations will be collected at the door.We would like to thank all of our sponsors and the community for your continued support.

Last night, another great and successful event occurred. If you haven't been to one of the bluegrass concerts, you really need to check these things out! Even if the concert was the worst music you could imagine, the causes are ALWAYS worth it. However, that cannot be said of the concerts that are being held in Moundsville, WV at the Strand Theatre.

Crandall Creek just keeps getting better and better. It will not be long before word gets out about this group and they start getting booked other places. In fact, that has already started, as they were invited to play at Independence Hall in Wheeling, WV for the Veterans' Day Memorial that was conducted there. They are little known, but could easily be a headlining act.

The actual headline act last night was Jakob's Ferry Stragglers. This band is truly amazing. They literally played more than a couple hundred shows this year, and there is still time for them to put in more. They are obviously in demand, and it shows! This band has some incredible vocals along with some of the tightest instrumental performances you can find.

All music aside, the true focus of the night is just giving back to others. This is what we believe we are on this planet for, to help each other. We are proud to give proceeds of our concerts to other organizations like Helping Heroes. Thank you to all of our sponsors, donors, and anyone who contributed in any way. There really are too many to mention.

Please keep in mind, Donna Ulisse will be back at the Strand Theatre on December 6th at 7:00 p.m. If you caught her Christmas show last year, you know you don't want to miss it. If you missed it last year, and you have any interest in the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, this concert will blow you away with the imagery the songs will develop in your mind. Like all of our other concerts, the proceeds from this show will go to another good cause, the Feeding Body and Soul Community Kitchen. Watch for more information coming. We hope to see you there, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!