Bluegrass Icon Missy Raines and Allegheny to Headline Appalachian Festival Capstone Concert
Sep 3, 2026 10:00 AM
The Frostburg State University Cultural Events Series will present Grammy-nominated bluegrass artist Missy Raines and Allegheny on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 7:30 p.m. at the Frostburg Palace Theatre, 31 E. Main St., Frostburg, as the capstone event of the 21st annual Appalachian Festival. The event is presented in partnership with FSU Folklore and Folklife Programming.
A pioneering force in bluegrass and American roots music, Raines returns to the region with a performance that celebrates both her remarkable career and her local roots. Born in Cumberland, Maryland, and raised in nearby Short Gap, West Virginia, Raines has become one of the most influential bass players and vocalists in contemporary bluegrass music.
"The countless miles Raines has traveled are a gorgeous, weathered patina on her songwriting as well as the careful, intentional arrangements — and rearrangements — of these songs," wrote The Bluegrass Situation.
A 10-time International Bluegrass Music Association Bass Player of the Year, Raines has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including IBMA awards for Recorded Event of the Year and Song of the Year. Her contributions to American roots music were recognized in 2019 when she was featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's "American Currents" exhibit. In 2020, she made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry stage.
Known for honoring bluegrass traditions while pushing the genre forward, Raines combines hard-driving musicianship with innovative arrangements and contemporary influences. Her current ensemble, Allegheny, takes its name from the Appalachian highlands where she grew up and features some of the brightest young talents in bluegrass music: Ben Garnett on guitar, Eli Gilbert on banjo, Ellie Hakanson on fiddle and Tristan Scroggins on mandolin.
As part of the Appalachian Festival, Raines will also lead an event, A Conversation with Missy Raines: Leading a Bluegrass Band as a Woman and a Bass Player, on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 3 p.m. on the FSU Upper Quad at the Chapel Happenings Outdoor Stage. During this free public conversation, Raines will discuss the challenges and opportunities of leading a bluegrass band, the dynamics of collaboration in a working ensemble and what creative leadership looks like as a woman in a genre that remains largely male-dominated.
In addition to the evening performance, audience members are invited to stay for Offstage with WFWM, an informal post-show conversation hosted by Chuck Dicken, station director of WFWM-FM. The interactive discussion will give audience members an opportunity to hear directly from the artists about their music, careers and connections to the Appalachian region.
Ticket pricing and fee information can be found at tickets.frostburg.edu. Discounts are available for youth, military and FSU employees; tickets are free for FSU students. The University Box Office, located in FSU’s Lane University Center, is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please visit the CES webpage at ces.frostburg.edu or contact the box office at 301-687-3137.
CES is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org) and receives financial support from the Allegany Arts Council and the City of Frostburg.