Snyder Family Band to play MerleFest

 By VIKKI BROUGHTON HODGES
The Dispatch
In the case of the Snyder Family Band, the family that plays together stays together.

And the Lexington band will soon be playing together for three days, April 29-May 1, at the largest "traditional-plus" music festival in America, MerleFest, a four-day-long event in Wilkesboro founded in 1988 that now annually attracts more than 85,000 fans to 14 stages of primarily bluegrass and old-time music. The festival is hosted by guitar great Doc Watson and is named for his late son, Eddy Merle Watson.
Want to hear?• The Snyder Family Band will be in concert at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Jersey Baptist Church Fellowship Hall in Lexington as part of a fundraiser for the Linwood Lions Club. Tickets for the dessert social and concert are $5. They will also perform at Memorial United Methodist Church in Thomasville at 7 p.m. May 22.

They will be at MerleFest on April 29-May 1 at the welcome stage at the entrance to the festival and will also play a set on the plaza stage and at the 'pickin' place.'

The Snyder Family Band, featuring musical prodigies Zeb Snyder, 14, and Samantha Snyder, 11, joined by their father, Bud Snyder, will perform at the welcome stage of the huge festival, where people arrive at the event entrance and purchase tickets. They will also perform a set on the plaza stage and the "pickin' place" during the festival and sign their new CD, "Comin' On Strong," at the autograph tent, said mom Laine Snyder, who occasionally joins the family on stage for a three-part harmony when not looking after the youngest family member, Owen, 4, who also occasionally joins in the family fun.
The family is thrilled to be playing at a festival with people like Doc Watson and many others they admire.
"It's quite an honor because it's by invitation only," said Bud, who plays upright bass.
They were asked to play by John Adair, artistic director for MerleFest, who has heard them play at The Cook Shack, a bluegrass music venue in China Grove.
"It's exciting because all of my heroes have played there - Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush and the list goes on and on,'' said Zeb, who primarily plays guitar but also mandolin and banjo and sings.
Samantha, who sings and plays fiddle, said she's looking forward to hearing Dailey and Vincent, one of her favorites. Read more...