Beneath the Cedar

Photography By MCE Photography / Chad Edwards

On the quiet backroads of Silverhill, Alabama, music radiates beneath the limbs of an ancient cedar tree. The Frog Pond at Blue Moon Farm is both a stage and heartbeat. A living space where songs and stories rise into the open air and linger like a warm memory.

Cathe Steele, the woman behind this musical haven, spent decades as a blacksmith and farrier, working at the Kentucky Derby and tending to her horses on the farm. Years later, after managing entertainment at Pirate’s Cove in Josephine, and the legendary Flora-Bama, she, and songwriter Grayson Capps, began imagining a new kind of music experience. Inspired by Levon Helm’s famed Midnight Rambles, they brought The Frog Pond to life. A house concert series where the focus stays on the music and its growing community.

The stage rests in the shade of that massive cedar, its branches arching like an old friend leaning in to listen. Some of the country’s most respected songwriters and musicians have performed here, sharing original songs in a songwriter-in-the-round format. They come to collaborate, experiment, and find inspiration in the easy, open atmosphere.

Cathe calls The Frog Pond a place where music returns to its roots. “It’s a woodshed,” she says, “where artists stretch, experiment, and inspire each other.” Four songwriters trade songs and stories, joined by musicians who weave in harmonies, fiddle runs, and slide guitar fills, transforming an excellent performance into a legendary one. Corky Hughes, a regular collaborator and master guitarist, has become a cornerstone of that magic. His lap steel and guitar work often add just the right sound to make a moment unforgettable.

The setting encourages connection at every turn. Attendees set their chairs on the lawn, contribute to a covered-dish supper in the farmhouse kitchen, and gather around fire pits as the evening darkens. The Sugar Shack brims with homemade pies, layered cakes, and sweets that rival any Southern bakery. Between sets, honeysuckle, woodsmoke, and jasmine infuse the Alabama air while the audience trades stories all across the yard.

Over the years, The Frog Pond has grown into something bigger than just music. Connections are made. Songwriters discover new collaborators and inspiration. Visitors leave with stories they’ll share for years. Cathe has witnessed musicians find their footing after difficult seasons, couples meet and fall in love, and strangers end the night as friends.

Part of the magic lies in the array of artists. Seasoned songwriters might share the stage with a rising talent, their styles blending into something neither could have created alone. They share songs, stories, and fan bases, each learning from the other. “Everybody’s in the same frog pond here,” Cathe says, summing up the way music dissolves barriers.

As evening falls, the Frog Pond transforms. Chandeliers sway in the trees. Candlelight pools across the grass. Under the stars, the cedar stands sentinel, framing a stage where harmonies rise and guitars ring out into the night.

This fall’s season opens Sunday, October 26, 2025, with a remarkable lineup: Will Kimbrough, Gretchen Peters, Eric Erdman, and Andrew Duhon. It promises an evening of musical artistry and local connection that will linger long after the last note fades.

In a world of relentless pace and constant clamor, The Frog Pond at Blue Moon Farm offers something rare. A place where music breathes, hearts listen, and songs take root under the watchful branches of an ancient cedar.

For Upcoming Shows, visit:
thefrogpondatbluemoonfarm.com