American Roots is father/son guitar and vocal harmony duo Fred and Jon Benfield who have performed around the New River Valley for about 30 years. They’ll close out the Fine Arts Center’s First Friday Listening Room 2024-25 season with a performance on Friday, May 2.

Based in Blacksburg, American Roots’ repertoire includes the roots of Americana music from the "Carter Family to Gershwin”.  They are "Crooked Road Artists” interested in preserving the music of the southern Appalachians but also enjoy performing tunes from other genres.  A typical performance may include traditional ballads, Appalachian blues, Piedmont blues, Delta blues, trad-country, trad-jazz, tin-pan alley toe tappers, western swing, hot fiddle tunes (on guitar), and “folkgrass” (folk tunes played at bluegrass tempo).

The Listening Room is held at 21 West Main Street in Pulaski and opens at 5 p.m. with light refreshments and a cash bar serving beer and wine. Music is from 6-8 p.m. Event entry is free; a $5 donation is suggested. There is free parking on the streets in downtown as well as several free lots, including one behind the Pulaski Theatre across the street from the Fine Arts Center.