Born and raised on the family farm in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Chris has always had a deep passion for music, and the sentiment is reciprocated by his audience. Beginning his musical journey at the tender age of 7, Chris took up the fiddle, marking the start of a remarkable career that has seen him share the stage with iconic figures in country music such as the Fiddle King himself, Charlie Daniels, Florida Georgia Line, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Justin Moore, Blake Shelton, and Chris Jansen, among others.
Chris founded the PovertyNeck Hillbillies in 2000. He released his debut self-titled album in 2013, and has release three additional full-length albums and an EP since.
8:30-10:00 pm
From the Steel Mill Hills of Western Pennsylvania, Kevin Dale has over 30 years under his belt, performing in rooms of all sizes. He has taken his version of Top 40 Country/Rock Music, to 6 states and dozens of cities. Although his roots run deep in Pennsylvania, his region reaches stages in Tennessee, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey.
His resume includes opening slots for national artists like Josh Turner, Cam, Wynonna Judd & Poison’s Bret Michaels. He has shared the stage with regional powerhouses like Chris Higbee, the Stickers and the Hobbs Sisters.
7:00-8:00 pm
American roots duo Herb & Hanson features two songwriters expressing themselves with little more than a guitar, a mandolin, and their respective voices. They have performed for audiences spanning the entire country covering 25,000 miles of asphalt, gravel, and dirt every year since 2005. Their musical passion is unsurprisingly conveyed through their deft instrumentation hammering along with sweet harmonies to bring their modern folk songs alive to modern audiences.
Herb & Hanson perform songs from Americana’s oldest influences. Incorporating the blues styles of both the Piedmont and Delta regions, the lyrical themes of the Blue Ridge hills, and the Ragtime bounce of America’s oldest cities into their songwriting and live show, this prodigious pair seeks to relay these traditions in a contemporary way for their audience to ruminate.
5:30-6:30 pm
Hailing from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Even the Odds is a high-energy rock and roll band that captures the sonic evolution of the genre from the 1960s through the present day. While their expansive setlist spans decades of classics, the band truly shines when diving into their favorite era: the powerful, alternative-driven hits of the 1990s. As a fixture in the local music scene, they have become staples at venues such as Jim and Jimmies, Westwood Bar & Grill, and The Wicked Googly, consistently delivering professional and authentic performances. From the community-focused stage of Homegrown Music and Community Festival and Nickie Fest to high-profile milestones—including opening for the legendary Electric Light Orchestra at UPJ—Even the Odds brings a seasoned musicality and an infectious passion to every show, proving that rock and roll is alive and well in the Laurel Highlands.
4:00-5:00 pm
