Folk Songs of Appalachia — Deep Roots & Common Threads

Join Janet McGarry and band for an intimate, single-mic performance tracing the legacy from the Carter Family to Cash, Dylan, and Dolly—while uncovering the shared roots that connect Appalachia to Atlantic Canada at the Victoria Playhouse on September 5 at 7:30 pm and September 6 at 2 pm.

Folk Songs of Appalachia – Deep Roots & Common Threads is an intimate musical journey into the heart of a sound that shaped generations. From the pioneering recordings of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers in the late 1920s—often called the “big bang” of country music—to the enduring influence heard in artists like Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris, this show traces the powerful lineage of Appalachian song.

Led by Island bluegrass artist Janet McGarry, whose travels through the rural mountain communities of Appalachia bring rare authenticity to the stage, the performance blends music, storytelling, and personal reflection. Presented with a four-piece acoustic band gathered around a single condenser microphone, the show recreates the warmth and immediacy of those earliest recordings, offering audiences a listening experience that is both historic and deeply alive.

Along the way, Deep Roots & Common Threads reveals the shared musical heritage linking Appalachia to Atlantic Canada—uncovering the Irish, Scottish, and Acadian influences that traveled across oceans and generations to shape the songs we still recognize in our kitchens, community halls, and dance floors today.

Marking nearly a century since Ralph Peer first carried a recording machine into the mountains, and following landmark moments such as the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” revival and the enduring legacy of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?,” this program offers a timely and moving reflection on music that continues to connect.