Homegrown Music is WVIA-FM's exclusive series which each week showcases the talents of regional contemporary music artists in recordings produced in the WVIA-FM studios by series host George Graham and is broadcast Tuesdays at 9:00 PM. A special feature during September is an encore of a 2005 live performance by Dakota founding members Bill Kelly and Jerry Hludzik in a reunion concert. Further information on Homegrown Music may be obtained via the World Wide Web at http://homegrownmusic.info andhttp://www.wvia.org/radio/local/homegrown-music/

Sept. 1 The Packway Handle Band. This popular Georgia-based national bluegrass-jam band recently performed shows in Northeastern PA. As part of their itinerary, they paid a visit to WVIA for a great energetic performance of their original music.

The Packway Handle Band in the studio at WVIA

Jerry Hludzik (left) and Bill Kelly performing live at WVIA in 2005.

Sept. 8. A Homegrown Music Concert Encore: Dakota Reunion. The Homegrown Music live monthly concert series returns next month, but for this final of the summer concert encores from the archive, we have a memorable 2005 concert by Bill Kelly and Kerry Hludzik, founders of the band Dakota, who achieved worldwide success in the 1980s, opening for Queen on their tour. The band was actually founded at WVIA for a Homegrown Music session in 1977 when Kelly and Hludzik, then members of another internationally popular, locally-based band The Buoys were looking to create new music as an outside project. Those WVIA sessions led to the band being signed. Twenty eight years later, Kelly and Hludzik reunited for a series of performances, including this duo concert in which they do acoustic versions of their well-known songs and some newer ones. With a new Dakota project due out soon, it was a good time to revisit this great concert.

Sept. 15 Dan Masterson. A fine singer-songwriter-pianist, Dan Masterson has released two EPs that have been featured on WVIA’s Mixed Bag program. Masterson also appeared on a Homegrown Music live concert. This is an encore of his first WVIA session in 2014 for Homegrown Music.

Dan Masterson recording for Homegrown Music

The Cosmic American Derelicts in the studio.

Sept. 22 The Cosmic American Derelicts. This long-running and versatile New Jersey based band, returns to Homegrown Music for their seventh appearance on the show with a new collection of rootsy original rock.

Sept. 29 Jefferson Thomas. Singer-songwriter Jefferson Thomas has been on the scene since the 1990s, with his albums featured on WVIA’s Mixed Bag since then. After living in Atlanta for a while, he returned to his native Northeast, and has been maintaining a steady touring schedule. He makes his Homegrown Music debut with a solo acoustic performance of a number of new songs.

Jefferson Thomas wields his guitars

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