Dawsonville is abuzz about the headliner for Saturday night's concert at the 46th Annual Mountain Moonshine Festival.
Grammy-nominated country music act Confederate Railroad will take the stage behind Dawsonville City Hall following performances by Peyton Porter, Kevin Woody, Across the Wide and Feedback, which are scheduled from 4 to 10 p.m. Admission to the concert is $5.
"We're very excited to have a national act," said K.A.R.E. for Kids President Calvin Byrd. "They all have a large following and we expect them to bring in more people, especially Saturday night, that might not have come in before."
Few acts have carved as distinctive a niche as Confederate Railroad. With their high-energy combination of honky-tonk rock, sensitive ballads and offbeat humor, they have created a unique identity that has brought them chart success, multi-platinum sales and enduring popularity.
Founded in 1987 in Marietta, Confederate Railroad includes frontman Danny Shirley, lead guitar Rusty Hendrix, drummer Mark Dufresne, steel guitarist and fiddler Bobby Randall and bassist Wayne Secrest.
The band has gained and shed members over the years, but has never lost its signature sound.
Selling nearly 3 million copies, the band's first album shot to the top of county charts with the popular anthems "Trashy Women" and "Queen of Memphis."
The band has received several awards, including the Academy of Country Music's Best New Group in 1993, a Grammy nomination and a host of nominations from the Country Music Association and the British Country Music Foundation.