Dill Pickers bring harmonies to concert series Saturday

The Morgan Arts Council showcases the sweet harmonies of the Dill Pickers for the concert in the park audience on Saturday, July 24 at 5:30 p.m. in Berkeley Springs State Park. Rain location is the Ice House.

Made up of the Dill family, the Dill Pickers are musicians in the American tradition, combining the best elements of blues, bluegrass, cajun, folk, gospel, Irish and rock. Now based in Winchester, Va., the Dills are well known in the Washington, D.C. area.

Keith Dill held his first guitar at age six in the mountains of Virginia. In the years that followed, he performed on pedal steel and electric guitars as well as fiddle for a variety of country bands. Today, he is an award-winning musician and a favorite on recoding projects throughout the DC area as well as part of the family band. His own musical style ranges from Appalachian old-time to Louisiana bayou funk.

Viqui Dill is a West Virginia girl who always dreamed of being a famous rock star. Instead, she's been playing bass with bluegrass and country bands in the DC area with her husband, Keith, for nearly 20 years. A songwriter and player of instruments like flute, percussion and 12-string guitar, her passion is singing harmony.

The Dill's son Jim started with French horn, moved onto piano and eventually found his way to percussion playing djembe and singing in the family band. His bass voice blends with his mother's and his gift for acting finds its way into their shows.

"The Dills may not be a Morgan County music family but they followed the same path of parent to child and church singing to the stage," said Mary Hott, MAC's Executive Director. "We think they'll be a big hit with our local audience."

This concert is funded in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and West Virginia Commission on the Arts as well as hotel/motel tax from the town and county.