“The Folkstone Stringband is one of the busiest musical groups in Wilmington. They perform bluegrass and old-time music seemingly everywhere, from bars and restaurants to private events and, recently, even the opening night for the Wilmington Sharks baseball team at Legion Stadium. On Sunday, June 17, Folkstone will open up for country star Clay Walker at Cape Fear Community College’s Wilson Center, which is Wilmington’s largest indoor venue. The band — Jones Smith (mandolin), Ben Chontos (vocals, bass), Randy Hawse (banjo) and Charlie Coulter (fiddle) — is playing as part of the Emerging Artists Series presented by the Wilson Center with Our State Magazine. The series pairs established touring artists with up-and-coming acts from around North Carolina.”

“Wilmington-area bluegrass bands will get together on Friday at Thalian Hall for the historic venue’s second annual Bluegrass Bash.”

“When Melissa McCarthy's comedy “Tammy” hits screens nationwide Wednesday, local music fans will hear some familiar tunes. Big Al Hall & Possum Creek, a bluegrass and old-time music band based in Wilmington, is featured on the film's soundtrack and appears in a lengthy bar scene that was shot last summer, when the movie filmed in town for nearly two months. The band's brush with fame came about when McCarthy handpicked them after seeing them play. Early last June, while performing during a weekly Sunday night jam session at Satellite Bar and Lounge, Jones Smith, who plays mandolin for Possum Creek, was told that McCarthy was in the crowd. Smith said he At the time, the band was performing as a trio, with Hall on banjo and lead vocals, Ben Chontos on bass and Smith, who plays in a number of area bands including The Phantom Playboys and Da Howlies, on mandolin.  the trio pulled in two frequent collaborators – Sean Gould on guitar and Joe Baxter on the fiddle.”