Scuffletown is an acoustic high energy duo consisting of Marc Carraway on guitar and vocals and John Whitlow on harmonica, accordion, flute and vocals. The band has performed a unique blend of original music and acoustic roots, blues, jazz, bluegrass, country at wineries, marinas, concert shows, pubs and boat docks for over 25 years, recording 4 acclaimed albums along the way.
John and Marc have performed at hundreds of shows and venues over the years, including:
Fredericksburg Songwriters Showcase, Picker’s Supply, Fredericksburg, VA
Fridays After 5, Charlottesville, VA
The Front Porch “Save the Music” Concert series, Charlottesville, VA
Gravity Lounge, Charlottesville, VA
Henrico Theater Concert Series, Henrico VA
Highland Arts Council Concert Series, Monterey, Va
Highland Maple Festival, Monterey Va
Montpelier Wine Festival, Orange, VA
Newport News Folk Festival
Rassawek Spring Jubilee, Goochland, VA
Six Pack Songwriter Series, Southern Cafe and Music Hall, Charlottesville, VA
The Southern Cafe and Music Hall, Charlottesville, VA
Taste of Virginia Wine Festival at Homestead
Tidewater Folk Festival, Norfolk, VA
The Virginia Governor’s Mansion
The Virginia State Capitol
WTJU featured performances, Charlottesville, VA
WNRN featured performances, Charlottesville, VA
Pubs and concerts throughout western Ireland
They have also performed at many, many wineries and breweries throughout central Virginia, including:
Bald Top Brewery
Blue Quartz Winery and Shotwell Run Brewing Co.
Chisholm Vineyards
Cunningham Creek Vineyards
Ducard Winery
Early Mountain Vineyards
53rd Winery
Glass House Winery
Hark Vineyards
Keswick Vineyards
Kilaurwen Winery
Stinson Vineyards
12 Ridges Winery
They have also shared stages or billings with:
Buckwheat Zydeco
Larry Burnett of Firefall
Cephas and Wiggins
Freebo
Sean Keane
Kingston Trio
Dave Mallett
Tom Paxton
Pierce Pettis
Tony Rice
Paul Rishell and Annie Raines
John Stewart
Martin Simpson
The Scuffletown story:
The roots of Scuffletown go back to sometime around 1996 or ‘97, to a chance meeting in a music shop in Orange, Virginia between singer-songwriter Marc Carraway and harmonica player John Whitlow. John had seen Marc performing around the area and the two struck up a conversation. John, who ran one of the best house concert venues on the east coast, invited Marc to do a basement show. Marc accepted and the show was a hit, with Marc inviting John onstage for an extended impromptu jam. Subsequent duo gigs ensued, and two years later the two-man band adopted the name Scuffletown at a "name the band" concert in 1998. Vaughan Mairs, who had made several guest appearances with the band over the years, joined Scuffletown full-time in summer of 2010 and performed with the band until his untimely passing in 2019. Please see Vaughan’s tribute page at www.scuffletownmusic.com/vaughan-mairs for more information about our amazing bandmate and friend.
John Whitlow, who honed his harmonica chops under the tutelage of Phil Wiggins of Cephas and Wiggins, also plays flute, melodica, and accordion. He has performed and shared bills with a range of regional and national musicians, including John Stewart, Jesse Colin Young, David M. Bailey,and Pierce Pettis. John Hill, founder and former host of WNRN's Acoustic Sunrise, states "his harmonica abilities are truly world class". John brings energy, musicianship, and humor to Scuffletown, and has contributed some of the most popular originals, including "Rock'n-Roll Man," "The Wine Song," and "Dorky Little White Man Blues" to the band's repertoire.
Marc Carraway performed and toured professionally throughout the 1980's and 90's, as a solo singer-songwriter and as a member of Tidewater-based bands Now & Then, Skipper's Folly, and the Bay Trading Company, sharing bills with the Tony Rice Unit, the Kingston Trio, Martin Simpson, and Tom Paxton. The Mary Washington Bullet called him "...one of this region's stellar performers." With several albums to his credit on the Tidewater-based Waterbound Records, Marc has received extensive airplay for several songs, including "Barrel of a Gun," and more recently, with "All These Roads." He plays mandolin and banjo as well as guitar, and does much of the lead singing and songwriting for Scuffletown.
Scuffletown has also enjoys the presence of guest musicians on occasion. Frequent guest members include Mike Stolarz on percussion, Matty Metcalfe on accordion, Donny Holcombe on guitar (Donny has also produced several of Scuffeltown’s recordings), Dave Jourdan on vocals and guitar, Spencer McElroy on guitar, Burr Datz on mandolin and vocals, Mike August on drums and bass, and Carolyn August on guitar and vocals.