SCOTTOWN -- Friday and Saturday, a farm will be

covered with tents, campers, and music lovers.

No, it’s not Woodstock. It’s Appalachian Uprising.

Earth Productions, Inc. in Columbus is sponsoring the two-day music festival that

features various styles of music, including bluegrass, folk, and rock. Acts

performing include the Ashland, Ky.-based Genuine Junk Band and Louisa, Ky. native Larry Cordle and his band "Lonesome Standard Time," among others.

The show will be held at Eden Valley Farm, owned by Steve Celac, also the owner of three McDonald’s restaurants.

"We want to celebrate American roots music," said Robert DeLong, Director of Operations for Earth Productions.

Besides music performances, the festival also will feature workshops on topics such as songwriting and mandolin and banjo playing.

The hospitality at Eden Valley Farm will be second-to-none as well, organizers say.

"We want people to come here and let this be their home for two days," DeLong said.

Attendees are allowed to camp out at the site and bring tents, campsite decorations, food and musical instruments for campsite jam sessions.

"I believe deep in my heart that we are born with a

certain enlightenment. However, the self-esteem in southern Ohio could really use a pick-me-up," DeLong said.

Particularly, residents of Scottown have the fireworks store incident hanging over their head, he said. DeLong added he wanted to give residents of Scottown something else besides the disaster for which to be known.

The festival headliner is the Sam Bush Band. Bush, a native of Bowling Green, Ky., is a bluegrass musician most known for his work with New Grass Revival, a band formed in 1971. They released 10 albums before disbanding in 1989.

"He completely changed the face of bluegrass," said DeLong.

He mentioned that Bush was one of the first

bluegrass musicians who fused that style with rock and jazz.

One of the festival’s other musicians is particularly excited about being on the same bill as Bush.

"It’s awesome," said Ian Caldwell, a guitarist for the Genuine Junk Band. "I’ve seen him play at Paramount. I have his autograph, and I’ve talked to him. Now, I’m playing with him."

Caldwell said finding a label for the Genuine Junk Band is quite difficult.

"It’s kinda hard to explain because it’s a mixture of styles," said Caldwell. "I don’t know how to explain it." He added that the band tries to fuse styles such as bluegrass, rock, and funk. The band mostly does its own material; however, it also covers such artists as Sublime, Stevie Wonder, the Allman Brothers, and Steely Dan.

Workshops will be conducted under a large tent which will also be used to keep concertgoers dry when it rains.

"We’ve got a topper on the stage," DeLong said. "It’s gonna go on. It’s rain or shine."

Gates will open at 11 a.m. Friday, and the festival will start with a workshop, DeLong said. Bands will begin playing at 5 p.m. Concertgoers are asked not to bring their pets or nitrous oxide. Amelia A. Pridemore/The Ironton Tribune