2025 just keeps on giving when it comes to gettin’ the ol’ band back together, including some that we never thought we’d have an opportunity to ever see again. You can officially add pioneering Black roots collective the Carolina Chocolate Drops with Oasis, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and (*cough*) Rascal Flatts.
First formed in 2005, the Carolina Chocolate Drops launched the careers of Rhiannon Giddens and Dom Flemons, with Leyla McCalla, Hubby Jenkins, and others using the group as a proving ground early in their careers. Though they never officially broke up, Dom Flemons left the group in 2013 to pursue a solo career, and after 2014, the group ceased touring as Rhiannon Giddens focused on solo projects.
The occasion for the reunification is the inaugural Biscuits & Banjos Festival being organized by Rhiannon Giddens set for April 25th-27th, 2025 in downtown Durham, North Carolina. The Carolina Chocolate Drops will headline the festival, with Rhiannon Giddens, Dom Flemons, and Leyla McCalla all performing solo as well. Taj Mahal, jazz performer Christian McBride, Rissi Palmer, The Legendary Ingrammettes, and New Dangerfield will also perform.
Along with music, the festival will also have a strong food and storytelling component as it takes place in various venues and spaces in downtown Durham. There will also be lectures, square dancing, banjo lessons, and a biscuit cook-off. The event was inspired by the Black Banjo Gatherings that first helped introduce Rhiannon Giddens to the Black legacy of the banjo…