DEADWOOD, SD. (02/15/21) – Now in its sixth year, the Deadwood Red Dirt Festival has fast become one of the biggest music festivals in the upper mid-west. The event, originally scheduled for January of 2021 had been postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis has now been transformed to a one-day event this year only, on Saturday, May 15th.
Event organizers are excited to bring the festival back to Deadwood with some of the biggest names in Red Dirt music, including the Casey Donahew Band, Ian Munsick and Randy Burghardt.
The event debuted in 2015 with nearly 5,000 fans attending two days of the best in music from the Red Dirt genre. Red Dirt is the color of soil found in Oklahoma and Texas. They are the homes of a music genre that spawned Outlaw Country legends like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson and created a home grown movement of Americana, folk and alt-country sounds. Some define Red Dirt music as “country music with attitude”. Others say it’s a state of mind as much as it is a sound – a sound that successfully closes the gap between rock and country.
Regardless of definition, Red Dirt fans are loyal and have come in droves in previous years to Deadwood Mountain Grand. “We absolutely love this event,” said Susan Kightlinger, General Manager of Deadwood Mountain Grand. “The music is incredible, the fans come to party and the atmosphere is electric. It really is one of my favorite events of the year.”
Headlining the festival is the wildly popular Casey Donahew Band. Casey Donahew has carved out quite a career over the past decade, attracting a solid base of loyal fans that flock to his legendary live shows. Building his career from the ground up one show at a time, he’s managed to perform on countless stages night after night in front of thousands, topped the Texas music charts several times, released four albums independently to critical acclaim, and forged a path all his own through the music scene without the aid or muscle of a major record label or power-suit management company.
Warming up for Donahew will be rising star and regional favorite Ian Munsick Breathing fresh Rocky Mountain air into the Nashville music scene, Munsick is pioneering a new brand of country.
The Wyoming-born singer/songwriter’s upbringing was a mix of working the ranch and working crowds. Under the tutelage of their fiddle-playing father, Munsick and his two older brothers grew up playing everything from bluegrass to The Beatles. Incorporating elements across genres, he has now begun to establish himself as a progressive artist with an old soul.
Captivated by traditional lyrical truth and the modern soundscape, Ian followed his ear to Music City. In 2017 he released a self-titled EP, winning iHeartRadio’s Rocky Mountain Song of the Year for the rootsy “Horses Are Faster” and becoming the only artist who simultaneously qualified two tracks as finalists in the NSAI/CMT songwriting competition.
Equipped with a full ready-for-release collection of songs, the 27-year-old has signed his first major label deal with Warner Music Nashville. His debut album Coyote Cry, due February 26, features his mile-high tenor underscoring self-penned songs that conjure equal parts epic adventure and down-to-earth wisdom. The record marks the dawn of western pop-laced country, pulling a thread straight from Chris LeDoux through Post Malone. Munsick’s recent releases include “Long Haul,” “Me Against the Mountain” and “Humble” – and with them, western country is being reborn.
Kicking off the festival will be Cheyenne, WY singer/songwriter and 2017 Rocky Mountain CMA Songwriter of the Year Nominee, Randy Burghardt.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday, February 16th. They will be available at The Spotlight Box Office at Deadwood Mountain Grand – or at ticketmaster.com. Both hotel reservations and ticket arrangements may be made by calling 877-907-GRAND. Please be aware of third party ticket brokers as Ticketmaster is the only official ticket outlet for Deadwood Mountain Grand.
For more information, visit www.deadwoodmountaingrand.com or call 605-559-1188. To open your free Grand Rewards Center membership and enjoy the benefits of purchasing advance tickets ahead of the general public, bring a photo ID to the Grand Rewards Center counter, located in the Deadwood Mountain Grand Resort Casino.
