Rising Appalachia with Paper Wings at The Center For The Arts (Night One), Grass Valley, CA

Rising Appalachia with Paper Wings is a folk concert at The Center For The Arts in Grass Valley, California, billed as Night One of the engagement. It is for anyone drawn to roots music with a conscience: listeners who love Appalachian string-band sound, Southern soul and gospel harmony, and those who come to live music as part of a conscious, community-minded life. Rising Appalachia, the folk duo of sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith, lead the evening, with Paper Wings on the bill.

About Rising Appalachia

Rising Appalachia was founded by sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith in the early 2000s. They were raised in Atlanta and steeped in the musical traditions of the American South. Their sound merges Southern soul, Appalachian string-band traditions and international roots music. It is built on fiddle, banjo, guitar, upright bass and layered vocal harmonies that draw from gospel, work songs and mountain ballads.

What sets them apart from the mainstream Americana revival is how openly their music is tied to environmental activism and cultural preservation. Social justice themes, traditional medicine practices and partnerships with Indigenous and immigrant communities are part of how they work, not an addition to it. The duo has consistently placed itself within the Slow Music Movement, a philosophy that emphasizes sustainable touring.

For a seeker, that means a folk concert that carries conviction as well as craft. The songs come out of work songs, ballads and gospel, and they are sung by two sisters whose harmonies are the center of the sound.

Getting Involved

Rising Appalachia runs a street team for people who want to help bring the music to their own town. Volunteers print and put up flyers at favorite local spots such as yoga studios, coffee shops and colleges. Those interested are asked to write to the street team with their name, age and the city they live in, and the team replies with instructions. It is a simple way for people in the Grass Valley area and beyond to take part in the tour.

The Setting

The concert takes place at The Center For The Arts in Grass Valley, California, a town in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Nevada County.