Now in its third year, the Deadwood Red Dirt Festival has fast become one of the biggest music festivals in the upper mid-west. After last year’s colossal success, event organizers are eager to bring back two incredible days of music featuring the Casey Donahew, the Josh Abbott Band, Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band, Troy Cartwright and Brock Finn January 12th & 13th in the Deadwood Mountain Grand Event Center. The event debuted in 2015 with nearly 5,000 fans attending two days of the best in music from the Red Dirt genre. Red Dirt is the color of soil found in Oklahoma and Texas. They are the homes of a music genre that spawned Outlaw Country legends like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson and created a home grown movement of Americana, folk and alt-country sounds. Some define Red Dirt music as “country music with attitude”. Others say it’s a state of mind as much as it is a sound – a sound that successfully closes the gap between rock and country. Regardless of definition, Red Dirt fans are loyal and came in droves last year to the show at Deadwood Mountain Grand. “We absolutely love this event,” said Susan Kightlinger, General Manager of Deadwood Mountain Grand. “The music is incredible, the fans come to party and the atmosphere is electric. It really is one of my favorite events of the year.” Headlining the Friday night performances will be the Josh Abbott Band. Hailing from Lubbock, Texas, the Josh Abbott Band has put a modern spin on traditional Lone Star sound, guided by Abbott’s songs that mix a traditionalist sentimentalism with a 21st century feel for a Friday night party. The band was also the fan favorite, garnering the most votes in an online survey from fans who previously attended the Deadwood festival in previous years. Saturday will feature Casey Donahew, Chancey Williams and the Younger Brother’s Band, and local favorite Brock Finn for a full night of music. Casey Donahew has carved out quite a career over the past decade, attracting a solid base of loyal fans that flock to his legendary live shows. Building his career from the ground up one show at a time, he’s managed to perform on countless stages night after night in front of thousands, topped the Texas music charts several times, released four albums independently to critical acclaim, and forged a path all his own through the music scene without the aid or muscle of a major record label or power-suit management company. Warming up for Casey Donahew on Saturday is regional powerhouse from the great state of Wyoming, Chancey Williams and the Younger Brother’s Band. Chancey and his incredibly talented band have relentlessly toured the Western United States, developing a rabid fan base not seen from the Cowboy State since Chris LeDoux. The band has shared the stage with dozens of artists, including Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Brantley Gilbert, Travis Tritt and Thompson Square. They’ve also enjoyed bills with Texas contemporaries Casey Donahew and Stoney LaRue. Troy Cartwright will be opening the show on Friday night and is an artist that Rolling Stone Magazine has said sounds like “a Berkley-trained musician with an affinity for power country, idiosyncratic Seventies singer-songwriter fare and indie rock”. Tickets go on sale for Deadwood Mountain Grand Reward Members at 10 a.m. Wednesday, September 6th and to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday, September 8th. They will be available at the Deadwood Mountain Grand Box Office – The Company Store – or at ticketmaster.com. Both hotel reservations and ticket arrangements may be made by calling 877-907-GRAND.