Hitching a Ride on the Confederate Railroad Local Band Broadstone Opens for Nashville Favorites Next Weekend in Galax By Jeff Eason Things just keep getting bigger and better for local country-rock band Broadstone. The Watauga County-based quartet has been tabbed to be the opening act for Nashville recording artists Confederate Railroad when the band performs at the Branding Iron in Galax, Virginia. High Country country-rock quartet Broadstone will perform as the opening act at a Confederate Railroad concert in Galax, Virginia next weekend. That concert is set for Friday, March 24th. Tickets are $20 in advance and $30 at the door. Broadstone will take the stage at 9 p.m. with Confederate Railroad scheduled to play a little after 10 p.m. Members of Broadstone will hold a “meet & greet” with the audience starting at 8 p.m. They will be signing photos and meeting with fans at that time. “This is yet another dream come true for the band,” said Kenneth Reece, bassist and vocalist for Broadstone. “Each member of the band continues to put in long hours each week to improve on our sound and stage show in hopes of getting another rung higher on the ladder. Being asked to open for Confederate Railroad, a band that has had several top ten country hits and that we have based our style on, will truly be a highlight of our musical careers.” The Broadstone lineup includes Reece, vocalist and drummer Brad Martin, lead guitarist Joe Crisp, and rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist James Jestes. Jestes, Reece and Crisp are all Watauga County musicians, while Martin originally hails from Dobson, North Carolina. The quartet has been together for the past three years, prior to which Broadstone was a trio for three years. The slot opening up for Confederate Railroad is one of several weekends that Broadstone will be performing at the Branding Iron. The band will return to the venue on April 28th and 29th, and on June 9th and 10th. In 2004 Broadstone was selected to perform four times at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, including a spot as the featured band during the estate’s annual wine festival. The band also finished in the top five at the 2004 Battle of the Bands hosted by WFMX 105.7 FM in Statesville. This year the band will make its first appearance on the North Carolina coast and has a number of shows scheduled in Emerald Isle, NC. Locally, they will appear at The Library Restaurant and Pub on Saturday, April 8th, starting at 10 p.m. “This year we are busier than ever,” said Jestes. “We have added some new shows on the North Carolina coast, Tennessee and Virginia. That combined with school and our jobs is going to make for a very interesting year. But we love playing, so it’s worth every mile and sleepless night.” For more information on next Friday’s show, or to order advance tickets, call the Branding Iron music club in Galax at (276) 236-2165.