With its latest album “Fortune Favors The Bold” set to release on May 13, Virginia-based 49 Winchester is ready and roaring to break onto the national scene with its unique brand of tear-in-your-beer alt-country, sticky barroom floor rock-n-roll, and high-octane Appalachian folk.
“As we’ve aged and matured, our sound has gone from a softer place to this grittier, edgier tone that we have now,” says lead singer/guitarist Isaac Gibson. “So, we’re trending more towards being a rock band instead of a country band. But, at the same time, I don’t think anybody’s ever known quite what to call it.”
Although it’s 49 Winchester’s fourth studio album, “Fortune Favors The Bold” marks its debut for Nashville’s New West Records — one of the premier labels for Americana, indie and rock acts on the cutting edge of sound, scope and spectacle.
Formed eight years ago on Winchester Street in the small mountain town of Castlewood, Virginia (population: 2,045), the band started as a rag tag bunch of neighborhood teenagers who just wanted to get together for the sake of playing together.
Aside from Gibson, there’s also his childhood friend, bassist Chase Chafin, alongside other Castlewood cronies — guitarist Bus Shelton, and Noah Patrick on pedal steel.
“From day one, it’s always been a band and it will always be about being a band. This is everything, everything we love about music — we’re going for broke with this thing,” says Gibson. “And that gives us a unique perspective because it’s still the same guys. It’s still all of us from Castlewood traveling around, playing music and making this band a reality — this is a story of growth.”
And it’s that sense of growth — more so, a sense of self — at the core of “Fortune Favors The Bold.” It’s not only a record that showcases the current state of 49 Winchester, it’s a melodic stake in the ground of how this group is constantly evolving and taking shape, sonically and lyrically.
Reflecting on his early days as a jack-of-all-trades stone mason in Castlewood, where it was about trying to make ends meet in an effort to keep 49 Winchester rolling along, Gibson can’t help but be grateful for a well-earned notion at the core of the band’s ethos — anything worthwhile in life is built brick-by-brick.
“Everything has to be built. And very few people are going to achieve success overnight,” says Gibson. “There’s going to be people you see succeed in front of you. Maybe you don’t think they deserve it as much as you, haven’t worked as hard as you, haven’t done it as long as you. But, none of that matters — they ain’t you. They’re not living your life. They’re not part of your experience.”
At its essence, “Fortune Favors The Bold” is about going against all odds to bring your art into fruition and into the world. It’s about leaving your hometown and heading for the unknown horizon. And it’s about proving those wrong who snickered and waited for the day you’d give up somewhere down the line, only to circle back home with your tail between your legs.
But, it’s also about looking into the rearview mirror with a genuine appreciation for where you came from and what you’re made of, those hardscrabble, salt-of-the-earth traits in your blood and character that define what it actually takes to climb that damn mountain of dreams — come hell or high water.
It’s going to be an awesome weekend. We hope you’ll join us.
All General Admission Tickets are sold via the Print At Home option. You must print out your General Admission Tickets from your computer or download them to your phone and bring them with you to the festival for admission. Be prepared to show a photo ID.
All single-day General Admission Tickets are day-specific, so when ordering please make sure you indicate which day you wish to attend.
For our Ticket Polices/Info/Disclaimer, CLICK HERE.
Camping is the best way to experience Rock, Ribs & Ridges 2018. Make a weekend of it, partying with friends old and new. The campgrounds are only a 3-minute walk from the festival!
Buy your camping (and RV passes) now and save big!! Prices subject to change without notice.
EXCLUSIVELY FOR OUR CAMPERS:
Friday campers-only concert.
Friday night bonfire, following the campers-only concert.
Saturday evening campers-only concert.
24-hour access to restrooms and showers.
NEW FOR 2018! Sunday Morning Get Together
Join us on Sunday morning for:
- Free coffee and donuts
- Complimentary copies of The Sunday Star Ledger
- 30-minute walking tours of the beautiful Sussex County Fairgrounds (get that blood flowing)
- “Storytime With Howard”. Howard Freeman, founder and president of Promo 1, will regale you with stories of life in the festival business, and take your questions
IF YOU’RE THINKING OF CAMPING, PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO READ THESE IMPORTANT NOTES
Each camper must purchase either Camping With General Admission or Camping With VIP Admission. Please don’t purchase a General Admission Weekend Pass or VIP Weekend Pass. Those don’t include the ability to camp.
If you are bringing an RV, you must purchase an RV pass in addition to your Camping With General Admission (or VIP) Passes. As for what qualifies as an RV, please see below.
Children ages 4 – 12 camp for free, but must have either a Children’s General Admission Pass or Children’s VIP Weekend Pass.
Choose either Campgrounds West (quieter, lots of tent camping, electrical hookups available for RV’s), or Campgrounds East (the place for the hard-core partyers). Make your selection when you place your order. (For a map of the campground locations, CLICK HERE.)
For more RV info, CLICK HERE.
For all the Camping Do’s and Don’ts, CLICK HERE.
Camping is the best way to experience Rock, Ribs & Ridges 2018. Make a weekend of it, partying with friends old and new. The campgrounds are only a 3-minute walk from the festival!
Buy your camping (and RV passes) now and save big!! Prices subject to change without notice.
EXCLUSIVELY FOR OUR CAMPERS:
Friday campers-only concert.
Friday night bonfire, following the campers-only concert.
Saturday evening campers-only concert.
24-hour access to restrooms and showers.
NEW FOR 2018! Sunday Morning Get Together
Join us on Sunday morning for:
- Free coffee and donuts
- Complimentary copies of The Sunday Star Ledger
- 30-minute walking tours of the beautiful Sussex County Fairgrounds (get that blood flowing)
- “Storytime With Howard”. Howard Freeman, founder and president of Promo 1, will regale you with stories of life in the festival business, and take your questions
IF YOU’RE BRINGING AN RV, PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO READ THESE IMPORTANT NOTES
If you are bringing an RV, you must purchase an RV pass. As for what qualifies as an RV, please see below.
Then – and this is really important - each person in the RV must purchase either Camping With General Admission or Camping With VIP Admission. Please don’t purchase a General Admission Weekend Pass or VIP Weekend Pass. Those don’t include the ability to camp.
Children ages 4 – 12 camp for free, but must have either a Children’s General Admission Pass or Children’s VIP Weekend Pass.
Choose either Campgrounds West (quieter, lots of tent camping, electrical hookups available for RV’s), or Campgrounds East (the place for the hard-core partyers). Make your selection when you place your order. (For a map of the campground locations, CLICK HERE.)
For all the Camping Do’s and Don’ts, CLICK HERE.
OTHER IMPORTANT RV STUFF
An RV is any vehicle equal to or larger than a 15-passenger van. All oversized vehicles, trailers, campers that are towed, and buses are considered RV’s. These vehicles, if staying with us the entire weekend, need an RV Pass.
RV spots are 20′ X 40′.
20, 30 and 50-amp electrical service is available in Campgrounds East. However, the number of 50-amp hookups is limited, so please order early. Campgrounds West only has 20-amp electrical service.
All RV’s have access to a water spigot (gravity feed) and to the waste water dump site on the festival grounds (you empty your own waste tank). If you desire, you can make arrangements with our portable toilet company to have them pump out your waste water tank on Sunday morning, June 24. The contact information for this service will be given to you on site at check-in.
Looking to park your RV next to your friends? We’ll make every effort to accommodate you; there’s a place to indicate your preference when you’re buying your RV Pass.
A Miller Mezzanine Reserved Table is a fantastic way to enjoy the festival with your friends, valued employees or key clients.
Tables can be reserved for 4, 6 or 10 guests. But hurry – Miller Mezzanine Tables ALWAYS sell out.
Miller Mezzanine Tables come complete with:
- A reserved table for 4, 6 or 10 guests
- A close-up, unobstructed view of The Main Entertainment Stage;
- One (1) complimentary, mouth-watering barbeque meal for each guest, courtesy of one of our bbq concessionaires;
- T-shirt for each of your guests;
- Free bottles of water;
- Private restroom facilities;
- Private cash bar – no standing in line.
All single-day Miller Mezzanine Reserved Tables are day-specific, so when ordering please make sure you indicate which day you wish to attend.