Rising Appalachia with Paper Wings at Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA

Rising Appalachia brings its folk concert to the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, California, with Paper Wings on the bill. It is an evening for anyone who loves roots music with a conscience: Appalachian string-band songs, Southern soul and gospel, and a politically engaged sound that has long been tied to environmental activism and cultural preservation. Listeners who come to kirtan, sound healing and other gatherings for the sense of community around music will find a good deal in common here.

What to Expect

This is a live concert, led by the folk duo Rising Appalachia. Their sound rests on fiddle, banjo, guitar, upright bass and layered vocal harmonies, drawing on gospel, work songs and mountain ballads. Alongside that Southern foundation, the music takes in international roots traditions, so the evening moves between porch-style string-band playing and something wider and more global.

The songs carry themes of social justice, traditional medicine practices and partnership with Indigenous and immigrant communities. That sets the duo apart from the mainstream Americana revival, and it shapes the feel of their shows as much as the instruments do. Paper Wings appear on the bill with them at the Lobero Theatre.

About Rising Appalachia

Rising Appalachia is a folk duo founded by sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith in the early 2000s. The two were raised in Atlanta and steeped in the musical traditions of the American South, and they built their reputation on close harmony singing and a multi-instrumental sound.

The duo has consistently placed itself within the Slow Music Movement, a philosophy that emphasizes sustainable touring. Their work treats music as a way to carry stories, protect cultural heritage and care for the land, and that thread runs through their songwriting and their collaborations.

The Setting

The concert takes place at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, California, a seated theatre evening rather than a festival field or club standing room.

Before You Go

Rising Appalachia runs a volunteer street team for its tour. Fans who want to help spread the word can put up flyers in favorite local spots such as yoga studios, coffee shops and colleges. It is a small sign of how much of the band's following grows through community rather than advertising.

No prior knowledge of the band or of folk music is needed. If you enjoy live acoustic music, layered voices and songs with something to say, this is a welcoming place to start.