Neil Cribbs at Flipside Saturday

Neil Cribbs is no stranger to the High Country stage. The three-time MusicFest 'n Sugar Grove veteran finished his master's degree in English literature at Appalachian State, and, on Saturday, he returns to the Flipside Stage.

"It's kind of a nod to folk, country, rock, blues, that kind of thing," he said.

And it's done in a rootsy, Americana style. It's straight from the Appalachians and his studies at Appalachian State University in folklore.

"I did a lot of stuff with the Appalachian Folk Museum up there," he said.

As part of his studies, he interviewed musicians in the hills. Research into his own past brought about a link to mountain music he never knew existed.

"My great-grandmother was from the Ozarks," he said. "I found this old tape of her singing, and, apparently, she sang in that same mountain style."

Cribbs, whose parents are both music teachers, has developed his own brand of roots music. "It's got a nod to soul and blues," he said.

And the songs he covers aren't what you'd expect. Take "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson.
"People seem to enjoy the way I cover songs," he said. "It's just different enough that it's in my own style."

Add in a Talking Heads cover and you have what Cribbs is all about: Originality.
The free show starts Saturday at 10 p.m. at Flipside (421 Blowing Rock Road) in Boone.

For a preview, check out http://www.neilcribbs.com.