Rising Appalachia with The Little Mercies at Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder, CO

Rising Appalachia brings an evening of folk music to Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder, Colorado, with The Little Mercies joining the bill. It is a live concert for people drawn to Appalachian string-band music, Southern soul and roots traditions carried by layered vocal harmony, and for anyone who likes their music tied to community, land and cultural memory.

The sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith lead Rising Appalachia, a folk duo whose sound sits where Southern soul, mountain ballads and international roots music meet.

What to Expect

Expect a live roots music show built on fiddle, banjo, guitar, upright bass and the sisters' close vocal harmonies, which draw on gospel, work songs and mountain ballads. Rising Appalachia is known for music that carries real convictions, with themes of environmental activism, social justice and cultural preservation running through its work. The material does not give a set list, set times or a running length, so the shape of the night is best left to the music itself.

About Rising Appalachia

Rising Appalachia is a folk duo founded in the early 2000s by sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith. They were raised in Atlanta and steeped in the musical traditions of the American South. Their reputation rests on a blend of fiddle, banjo, guitar, upright bass and layered vocal harmonies, shaped by gospel, work songs and mountain ballads.

What sets them apart from the mainstream Americana revival is an explicit commitment to social justice, traditional medicine practices, and partnerships with Indigenous and immigrant communities. The duo has long placed itself within the Slow Music Movement, a philosophy centered on sustainable touring.

Get Involved

Rising Appalachia runs a Street Team for fans who want to help spread the word in their own city. Volunteers print and put up flyers at favorite local spots such as yoga studios, coffee shops and colleges. In return, the team offers tickets to the show for the volunteer and a few friends. Those interested are asked to write to the Street Team with their name, age and the city where they live, and instructions follow.

The Setting

The concert takes place at Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder, Colorado, a fitting room for an evening of acoustic, voice-forward music in the Front Range foothills town.