2018 Concerts —-> Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June
| Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec
To RSVP for a concert or to ask questions, you can use this FORM or you can also email me directly abbiew@froggie.com. Unless noted, concerts start at 7:30 w/ potluck at 6:30 PM. “Suggested donaction” is $15-$25 depending on the show. In general ~ pay what you can. All income levels welcome.
Jan 2018
Jan 26, 2018 (FRI) ~ BILL EVANS BANJO — RESERVE SEATS – – Back with new material and some favorites too. – (www.billevansbanjo.com) – Bill Evans returns with his Banjo in America show, showcasing new material and some old favorites. Bill brings 250 years of banjo music and manages to fit about 8 banjos on our stage. From West African ekonting music, through 19th century minstrelsy, early 20th century classic/ragtime and folk and bluegrass styles, all the way to Bill’s original music, there’s nothing quite like The Banjo in America. Not just for banjo plamyers – but all lovers of American music!
Feb 2018
Feb 2, 2018 (Fri) – DEL REY & SUZY THOMPSON w/ MATT WEINER – RESERVE SEATS – Del Rey (resonator guitar, uke & vocals), Suzy Thompson (blues fiddle, vocals), Matt Weiner (upright bass). Resonator guitar and ukulele goddess Del Rey and blues fiddler Suzy Thompson explore the upbeat, positive side of the blues in a show that is wise, womanly, witty and well-played!
Suzy and Del have been playing together as a duet since the mid-1980s, always stirring things up with their masterful playing, show-stopping vocals, and humorous repartee. A vital member of the Bay Area acoustic music landscape for 30 years, Suzy’s exuberant bluesy fiddling and vocals have made her the accompanist of choice for acclaimed roots musicians like Jim Kweskin, Geoff Muldaur and Mary Flower. Del’s virtuosic resonator parlor guitar and ukulele playing embraces a host of old-time genres, including country blues, stride piano, classic jazz, and hillbilly boogie. Their repertoire includes vintage and original numbers from blues icons like Memphis Minnie and the Mississippi Sheiks mixed in with flapper-era instrumentals from Kentucky to Trinidad.
Visit :: delreyplays.com | ericandsuzy.com
Feb 10, 2018 (Sat) – CABALLITO NEGRO presents ALONE | TOGETHER ~ Tessa Brinckman (flutes) + Terry Longshore (percussion) – RESERVE SEATS – Caballito Negro presents ‘Alone Together’ featuring Tessa Brinckman(flutes) & Terry Longshore (percussion) in a sparkling new program with science fiction/futurism as the theme. The music is performed on a good sized menagerie of instruments, but with the caveat that the instruments are small and intimate enough to fit into a house concert! Narratives are interwoven through out the music, with words from writers Amy Miller, Adrian Shirk, Arthur C. Clarke, Octavia Butler and Tessa Brinckman, in an intimate tribute to futurist speculations, and to science as play.
VISIT (http://caballitonegro.com/ensemble/)
True North’s performances exemplify the most compelling aspects of live acoustic roots music: intelligent songwriting, thoughtful arrangements, terrific instrumental interpretations, and vocals that alternately bring you to tears or raise ecstatic hairs on the back of your neck. (Visit : https://www.truenorthband.com/)
Feb 22, 2018 (Thurs) – RYAN MCKASSON & ERIC MCDONALD – RESERVE SEATS — Ryan McKasson (fiddle) and Eric McDonald (guitar / vocals) are masters of tradition who purposefully explore the dark corners floating on its edges. Their individual artistry is enhanced when together. In short, the sum creates a greater whole. The result is an alluring complexity, full of spontaneous musicality. Pulling from parallel strands of influence, they create a swirling level of intensity that traverses darkness, light, and everywhere in between. An air of mystery pervades a sound compelling enough to transcend boundaries and appeal to music lovers of all stripes. (https://www.mckassonandmcdonald.com/home-1)
Mar 2018
March 3, 2018 (Sat) – Rushad Eggleston – Cello Bandit (WATCH – Who is this guy?) – RESERVE SEATS – Rushad Eggleston (“Rushadicus”) is a revolutionary cellist, composer, poet-philosopher, and entertainer whose unforgettable performances captivate and inspire all generations and types. With an intimate knowledge of classical music, jazz, and bluegrass under his fingers, coupled with an infamously infectious sense of rhythm, Rushad is a whole futuristic wonder-band expressed through just one person. Using his cello (and occasionally a guitar) as the steering wheel, Rushadicus will take you on a rocket-fueled melodic journey through space and time, and from the ridiculous to the sublime. (http://www.rushad.net/)
Mar 9, 2018 (Fri) – Eva Salina & Peter Stan – RESERVE SEATS – Eva Salina & Peter Stan – Eva Salina is a renowned singer/interpreter of Balkan music based in NY. Peter Stan is a Romani accordion player from Serbia also in New York. Eva’s rich, supple voice moves effortlessly through the intricate and demanding expression inherent in Romani Songs. Peter is know for his playfulness, innovation and soulful, intuitive improvisations.
In their collaboration, Eva Salina & Peter Stan pick up and continue an interrupted legacy of empowered female voices in Balkan Romani (gypsy) music. Amplifying voices of past generations of Romani women musicians, Eva & Peter employ tenderness, grace, passion and a commitment to keeping these songs alive and evolving, while inspiring and teaching young people in the Balkans & Balkan diaspora to participate in living traditions. Eva & Peter have been chosen featured artists at globalFEST 2018 (NYC) presenting repertoire from SUDBINA, their new album, which comes out 3/30/2018 on Vogiton Records but will be available at their Portland concert. VISIT : https://www.evasalina.com/
Mar 11, 2018 (SUN) – LEELA & ELLIE GRACE – RESERVE SEATS ~ progressive roots-based americana ~ Sister duo, Leela and Ellie Grace, were raised in the traditional midwestern music scene and now travel the world performing progressive, roots-based Americana. These women have been have been acclaimed for their powerful voices, close sisterly harmonies, warm stage presence, driving instrumentals, compelling original songs, and dynamic percussive dance. They are inspiring teachers of music and dance, offering workshops and classes at schools, festivals, universities, and camps across the continent. VISIT (http://www.leelaandelliegrace.com) — “Their sterling credentials in old-time music, stunning vocal harmonies, instrumental expertise on banjo, mandolin, guitar and fiddle, and clogging that is unmatched make them a hit wherever they play! — Fox Valley Folk Music Festival, Chicago, IL”
Mar 20, 2018 (TUES) – OLD SALT UNION – (Jesse Farrar, John Brighton, Rob Kindle, Justin Wallace, Ryan Murphey) – RESERVE SEATS ~ Old Salt Union is a string band founded by a horticulturist, cultivated by classically trained musicians, and fueled by a vocalist/bass player who is also a hip-hop producer with a fondness for the Four Freshmen. It is this collision of styles and musical vocabularies that informs their fresh approach to bluegrass and gives them an electric live performance vibe that seems to pull more from Vaudeville than the front porch.
“Old Salt Union has the groove and the chops of a great string band, balanced with infectious rock and roll energy. Their music occupies that sweet space between Old Crow folk and Yonder Mountain jam — not a bad place to be for a band about to break.”— No Depression. Watch | Visit : www.oldsaltunion.com
April 2018
April 8, 2018 (SUN) – Brazilian Strings Trio – RESERVE SEATS – Ted Falcon (mandolin/violin), Andrew Finn Magill (violin), Nando Duarte (guitar) ~ Brazilian Strings Trio features three of the most innovative instrumentalists on the contemporary Brazilian musical scene. Ted Falcon and Andrew Finn Magill are both multi-genre American violinists who, after years of living in Brazil, have become ambassadors of the growing Brazilian violin movement. Rounding out the trio is Brazilian guitarist Nando Duarte, a giant of the contemporary Brazilian music scene and an award-winning composer and arranger. – www.tedfalcon.com / www.andrewfinnmagill.com, www.nandoduarte.net – RESERVE SEATS
April 13, 2018 (Fri) – The Press Gang (Irish Trad) – RESERVE SEATS— Alden Robinson: Fiddle, Christian Stevens: Accordion & Concertina, Owen Marshall: Guitar, Bouzouki & Harmonium, Hanz Araki: flutes — The Press Gang perform the instrumental dance music of Ireland on fiddle, accordion, and guitar. Based in Portland, Maine, these three musicians have become popular over the past four years for their skillful playing and deep understanding of the music, and for their humorous stage presence. (Visit : www.pressgangmusic.com)
April 26, 2018 (Thurs) — Malynda Hale – RESERVE SEATS – Malynda Hale is a Los Angeles based Pop/Soul Singer/Songwriter. Her music is influenced by Gavin DeGraw, with the voice and stylings of Whitney Houston, Colbie Caillat and Heather Headley.
Her music spreads positivity and love and encourages the listener to be the best version of him or herself.
Hale has received the ASCAP PLUS Award for Independent Artists, City of Chicago’s Independent Artist Grant, the Top Singer/Songwriter Award in the Independent Artist Network Music Arts Awards and was featured in Forbes Magazine along with Andy Grammer and Soleil Moon Frye for being a social media influencer on Flipagram. She has also been featured on KCAL 9 news and NBC as an emerging artist and inspiring public figure.
May 2018
May 8, 2018 (TUES) – TRIO BRASILEIRO – RESERVE SEATS ~ Trio Brasileiro is dedicated to performing the great traditional choro music of Brasil by Jacob do Bandolim, Ernesto Nazareth and others, as well as their own compositions, which are modern reflections of that great traditional musical form. Formed in 2011, Trio Brasileiro quickly made a name for itself as an ensemble worthy of international attention. And, after four recordings and successful tours through Europe and North and South America, they are receiving more than their share of it. Among the many accolades, their 2017 recording with the brilliant Israeli clarinetist Anat Cohen, Rosa Dos Ventos, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album, and was named one of the top twenty jazz recordings of the year in the Downbeat Magazine Readers’ Poll. (www.triobrasileiro.com)
May 17, 2018 (Thurs) – The April Verch Band ~ (w/ Cody Walters – Bass/Banjo & Alex Rubin – Guitar/Mandolin) RESERVE SEATS ~ April Verch blends the traditions of roots music and step-dancing with her own artistic voice and vision in a high-energy show that puts her award-winning fiddling and songwriting talents out front. (VISIT : http://www.aprilverch.com/)
May 24, 2018 (Thurs) – STUMPTOWN SWING – RESERVE SEATS – Tim Connell (mandolin), Mike Burdette (guitar), Keith Brush (upright bass), Ben Blechman (violin) ~ Stumptown Swing takes audiences back to 1920’s Paris, when gypsies with guitars, violins and upright basses made the leap from French musette to American “hot jazz” and kept Parisians floating on their feet to this evocative new sound. Stumptown Swing performs a set of hot, cool and sultry classics, all resting on a bed of pure swinging groove, featuring gorgeous acoustic instruments played with intelligence and passion by four masters of the craft. (Visit : http://www.stumptownswing.com/)
May 30, 2018 (Wed) – THE LADLES – RESERVE SEATS ~ (Lucia Pontoniere – fiddle and vocals, Katie Martucci – guitar and vocals, Caroline Kuhn – tenor banjo and vocals. ) . The Ladles have three part female harmony perfected – but their sound is more than that…They are an amalgamation of their respective histories and influences, blending Swing, Old-Time, Neo-Soul, and contemporary choral music into a sound all their own. Using solely acoustic instrumentation and three voices, they create a dreamy otherworldly atmosphere that draws audiences in and demands attention. They quiet noisy bars and liven up staid concert halls. The Ladles are Katie Martucci, Caroline Kuhn, and Lucia Pontoniere. VISIT (http://www.theladles.com/)
JUNE 2018
June 6, 2018 (WED) – World Mandolin Concert ~ Featuring Brian Oberlin, Don Stiernberg, Evan Marshall, & Jordan Ramsey. RESERVE SEATS ~ Four stellar mandolin players; one house, solos, duo, trios, quartets, amazing chicken legs, and a one-of-a-kind experience. Hear the instructors of the 2018 River of the West Mandolin Camp play a concert open to the public! ( https://www.mandoberlin.com/ | http://donstiernberg.com/ | https://www.evanjmarshall.com/ )
June 8, 2018 (FRI) – ERIC STERN ~ RESERVE SEATS ~ ERIC STERN is the Northwest’s own premiere operatic tenor, accordionist, pianist, oudist, composer and consummate showman, an unparalleled devo with incendiary stage presence and devilish virtuosity. Trained in the United States and Europe he has performed internationally, garnering critical acclaim for his voice, musicianship and his stunningly imaginative songwriting. (www.ericsternevents.com )
June 10, 2018 (SUN) – Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves ~ RESERVE SEATS ~ Clawhammer banjo innovator Allison de Groot (Molsky’s Mountain Drifters) and fiddler Tatiana Hargreaves (Laurie Lewis, Dave Rawlings Machine) join forces to explore the boundaries of Appalachian stringband music. Having both studied with musicians such as Bruce Molsky and Darol Anger in addition to more traditional masters, Allison and Tatiana share a musical vocabulary that reflects on tradition while also utilizing new techniques and sounds.( www.allisondegroot.com | www.tatianahargreaves.com )
SEPTEMBER 2018
September 25, 2018 (TUES) – CHORO DAS 3 Brazilian Choro – Corina (flute), Lia (7 string guitar) and Elisa (mandolin), and their father Eduardo (pandeiro) RESERVE SEATS ~– Choro das 3 plays, “. . . some of the most inspired and inspiring music . . . the highest level of musicianship and presentation . . . the highest quality of Brazilian Choro music that can be heard any place today.” – Mike Marshall
Jazz guitarist and recording engineer George Petit, says, “(…) I was shocked and amazed to hear their expertise; they are far beyond their years . . . they have honed their music and their craft to perfection. Added to this, the musicians in the group are generous, respectful professionals that exemplify what is ‘good’ about art, culture and music (…)”(www.chorodas3.com.br (Watch)
OCTOBER 2018
OCT 10, 2018 (WED) – *Sold Out – Waitlist* – MAC (Ryan McKasson, Elias Alexander, Colin Cotter) – Contemporary Celtic-American Folk Trio – RESERVE SEATS – MAC is, at its core, part of the natural progression of Celtic music as it has worked away into the American consciousness. RyanMcKasson (fiddle), Elias Alexander (bagpipes/vox), and Colin Cotter (guitar/vox) are all three well-versed in the Celtic music tradition, and the music that they write and perform as the contemporary Celtic-American folk trio, MAC, is steeped heavily in this timeless tradition while also calling upon influences ranging from rock to classical. MAC’s performances reveal fiery personas tempered with artistry, finesse, and virtuosity as they draw from a deep well of innovative original music and lush arrangements of traditional songs and tunes. (http://tunesbymac.com/)
OCT 15, 2018 (MON) – *Sold Out – Waitlist* –RESERVE SEATS – MOLLY’S REVENGE – David Brewer: Highland bagpipes, border pipes, uillean pipes, whistles, bodhran. John Weed: Fiddle. Stuart Mason: Guitar, mandola. Molly’s Revenge is a dynamic, acoustic Celtic band known for its unique and infectious enthusiasm. The classic combination of bagpipes, whistle, and fiddle, with a backdrop of guitar, mandola, and bodhran guarantees an enjoyable experience for all fans of Scottish and Irish music. Molly’s Revenge has performed at many of the top folk festivals and performing arts events in the USA, and prestigious events in Scotland, Australia and China. Their arrangements of traditional Celtic jigs and reels bring these dance tunes up to date with a driving, hard-edged accent that always leaves audiences shouting for more. – Please visit ->(http://www.mollysrevenge.com)
NOVEMBER 2018
NOV 7, 2018 (WED) – *Sold out/Waitlist* – Maeve Gilchrist & Keith Murphy – RESERVE SEATS – Maeve Gilchrist (vocals and lever harp) and Keith Murphy (vocals, guitar, foot percussion). Scottish singer and harpist Maeve Gilchrist and Newfoundland-born guitarist and songster Keith Murphy join forces for a duo show that celebrates traditional and trad-inspired songs. Maeve and Keith are masters of traditional instrumental stylings, beautiful lead and harmony vocalists, and veteran composers and arrangers, each with a rich palette of sounds and influences. In this brand-new duo, they have discovered an infectious and captivating symbiosis in their music-making. http://www.maevegilchristmusic.com/ | http://blackislemusic.com/bios-press-kit/keith-murphy
Nov 10, 2018 (SAT) – *Sold out/Waitlist* – Brazil meets Portugal: a Night of Choro and Fado – RESERVE SEATS – Tim Connell (mandolin) and Sergio Botelho (guitar), interpreters of the Brazilian music known as Choro, will be joined by the celebrated Portuguese Fado singer Alexandra Coutinho, who will perform Fado, the music of her native land, Portugal. Known to world music fans as the “Portuguese blues” Fado is a rich poetic lyrical tradition sung in an intensely emotional and intimate style. One of the world’s oldest folk music styles, it is typically accompanied by a classical guitar and a 12-string Portuguese guitar and, for millennia, this music has connected nobles, vagabonds and seafarers. While sung in Portuguese, audiences around the world are known to experience a wide range of emotions when seeing Fado performed live. ( Visit : Tim Connell Music)
DECEMBER 2018
December 7, 2018 (FRI) -Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms –RESERVE SEATS — https://calebklauder.com/about – Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms form a powerful vocally-driven duo whose sound is lifted by Caleb’s distinctive and lyrical mandolin playing, (he even picks up the fiddle from time to time) and driven by Reeb’s unwavering guitar playing. They perform original songs and tunes as well as their favorite old gems from traditional and country repertoires. Both originally hail from Washington State: Caleb from Orcas Island, and Reeb from the Waterville Plateau. They met at the Weiser National Old Time Fiddle Contest, and after singing a few songs together, knew that they had to keep doing just that. They tour regionally and internationally bringing a pure and honest sound to both the Foghorn Stringband and the Caleb Klauder Band. Your ears will be ready for the timeless music that these two deliver, rooted in the essence of American roots while bestowing a few new chestnuts to the canon. They have been featured on NPR Music, A Prairie Home Companion, and their albums get played on radio stations around the globe.