With their snappy Southern bluegrass beat, Tennessee's Blue Moon Rising is bringing their music back to North Dakota for a two-night session at Bismarck State College.

They will be returning to Bismarck for their third show. They will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 11 and 12 at BSC.

Chris West from Blue Moon Rising described the band as a 90 percent original band that plays traditional bluegrass music.

"In the past, Blue Moon Rising has had a very successful weekend in Bismarck. There aren't a lot of bluegrass bands in North Dakota, so they have a good fan base here," said Jill Wiese, concert promoter.

"This is the one show we always look forward to playing," said West. "It's our favorite show of the year and there's always a good crowd."

BSC concerts also will feature local group Cotton Wood and the East Tennessee State University Bluegrass Band.

Local fiddler Preston Schmidt, a BSC graduate, and guitarist Ashley Wiese, of Washburn, attend ETSU and perform with the six-piece college group.

"Having two local kids playing in this show is really putting North Dakota on the map. It's been really fun for them to play with a real bluegrass group," Wiese said.

Blue Moon Rising will announce the national release of its self-titled new album in Bismarck during their show.

"This will be the first chance for anyone to buy it," said West.

The group has three records out, with their most recent album, "On the Rise," still charting and named among the Cmt.com Top 10 bluegrass albums. The recording helped earn a 2006 nomination for Emerging Artists of the Year from the International Bluegrass Music Association.

This year, Blue Moon Rising received another honor with its selection for the 2007 IBMA's Fan Fest and World of Bluegrass Showcase in Nashville. A song from their performance, "The Hanging Tree," is included in the IBMA showcase sampler CD.

"They're really setting the bar," said Wiese. "They've sold out shows and a lot of people haven't even heard of them."

In addition to their BSC performances, Blue Moon Rising will present hands-on technique workshops for singers and musicians from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 12 at the BSC Leach Music Center. The fee is $5. No preregistration necessary.

The band also will be traveling to Center for a free public concert at 10 a.m. on Jan. 11 in the Center-Stanton High School gym.

On Jan. 10, the Eastern Tennessee State University Bluegrass Band performs a free community concert at 8:30 a.m. in the Washburn Public School. The group also will be playing at 4:30 at Medcenter One's rehabilitation unit in Bismarck.

General admission tickets are $15 and can be purchased in advance at Eckroth Music, String Bean, Jacobson Music and Night Life Music in Bismarck. They also are available in Washburn at Java Rose and Chase Drug, and in Center at Corner Express.

The North Dakota Council on the Arts is a major sponsor of the bluegrass weekend.

In the past, said Wiese, tickets have sold out for these concerts, and this year it should be a good turnout.

For more information, contact Jill Wiese at 315-0017.

(Megan Nitschke is a senior at Mandan High School.)