2025 Festival Lineup

Bay Area Special

Bay Area Special is a bluegrass band based in San Jose, California. The group consists of Ruby Davis (Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar), Elijah Chen (Lead Guitar), Phil Cornish (Mandolin, Harmony Vocals), Ryan Triolo (Upright Bass), and Danny Clark (Fiddle, Harmony Vocals). Ruby Davis’s commanding lead vocals offer a fresh take on the genre’s traditional high-lonesome sound. At the same time, Elijah Chen’s exciting flatpicking style draws on the influences of Tony and Wyatt Rice as well as modal jazz.

Formed in 2024, the band has developed a signature sound characterized by dynamic vocals, virtuosic instrumentals, and an infectious energy. Known for their tight vocal harmonies and driving sound, Bay Area Special has performed extensively throughout the Bay Area, delivering electrifying live shows that highlight their musical chemistry.

Blue Birds on a Wire

Blue Birds on a Wire is a California-based bluegrass band that came together for the first time in May of 2023 when asked to fill a last-minute slot at Parkfield Bluegrass Festival. As far as anyone knows, Blue Birds on a Wire is the only bluegrass band with a lead singer on the pedal harp.

At 16 years old, the prolific singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joselyn Sky is perhaps the first classically trained harpist to cross over into the world of Bluegrass, bringing along her 40-string pedal harp. Jasper Manning (who broke into the bluegrass scene at age 2) complements the sweet sounds of the harp with impressive mandolin and vocal skills. Jasper’s musical mastery is evident to any and all who have heard him play.

Award-winning guitarist Joy Louise accompanies this dynamic duo, featured as a ‘monster’ of a musician in the Bluegrass Breakdown. Multi-instrumentalist Owen Ragland’s supreme fiddling lifts the band’s sound to new heights, and bassist Scott Conroy masterfully holds down the low notes while keeping everyone smiling. Performing both original songs and the traditional bluegrass music they all love, Blue Birds on a Wire brings a fresh sound to the California bluegrass scene. You can catch them performing all around California and jamming at festivals.

Blue & Lonesome

A traditional Bluegrass band consisting of Ed Neff, Larry Cohea, Paul Shelasky, Susan Walters, Yoseff Tucker and Katya Tucker. Blue & Lonesome has captured the traditional sound of bluegrass music, as it was originally played, incorporating the experience and talents of six of the top traditional players in the business today. Blue & Lonesome is the only California band with 3 members as Lifetime honorees of the CBA.

Ed Neff is known to California bluegrass fans as the premier fiddler and mandolin stylist in the traditional vein. He has been a fixture in the Bay Area Bluegrass scene for over 60 years playing with such stalwarts as High Country, Done Gone, Roanoke, True Blue, Adobe Creek and the Vern Williams Band with whom he spent 15 years. Although Ed has long been acknowledged as one of the west’s greatest fiddlers, Blue & Lonesome Bluegrass band takes advantage of his stellar mandolin work and benefits from his authoritative lead and tenor vocals. Ed has been awarded an honorary lifetime membership in the California Bluegrass Association
Larry Cohea has loved bluegrass since he first saw Flatt & Scruggs perform in 1959. He has been playing bluegrass, and the banjo, since 1963, and has never strayed from this tradition style of bluegrass. Larry is originally from Springfield, Tennessee, but spent sometime growing-up in Bakersfield, CA. Larry came to the Bay Area in 1973, and joined Butch Waller’s band, High Country, as a bass player. Soon thereafter he replaced Bruce Nemerov on the banjo and the rest is a well documented history, as he is still a member of that band, and a veteran of many other fine bluegrass bands from Northern California. Larry is one of the best, most hard-driving banjo players on the West Coast. His forthright, cutting vocal style is traditional bluegrass through and through. Larry sings lead and tenor, with Blue & Lonesome. Larry has also been awarded an honorary lifetime membership in the California Bluegrass Association
Paul Shelasky is a native of Northern California and a long time resident of Novato California. Paul started on guitar at the age of fourteen, and began fiddle and mandolin at age eighteen. Although his parents were classically trained musicians, Paul taught himself to be fluent in bluegrass, jazz, Celtic and a smattering of other styles. Paul has earned two California State Fiddle Championships, has twice been named California State Flat-picking Guitar Champion and is an honorary lifetime member of the California Bluegrass Association. Paul played with several highly acclaimed bluegrass bands including twelve years with the Good Ol’ Persons, five years as the resident fiddle player at Disneyland with the Rhythm Brothers and nine years touring with Lost Highway. He has been in concert and recorded with David Grisman, Tony Rice, Frank Wakefield and other bluegrass legends. Paul has toured the U.S., Canada, the British Isles, Europe and Taiwan. Blue & Lonesome will be counting on Paul’s extensive knowledge of traditional bluegrass fiddlers and taking advantage of his budding comedy career. Paul has also been awarded an honorary lifetime membership in the California Bluegrass Association

Susan Walters Sue began playing bluegrass music as a teenager in Northern California. She is accomplished on bass, fiddle and tenor vocals. Sue was there in the early days of California bluegrass and was seminal in many early bands…GOP, Lost Highway, Done Gone, to name just a few. She has been a valued member of the California bluegrass scene, has a long history of CBA involvement, and has participated in most of the Grass Valley Festivals. Sue plays bass and sings tenor in Blue & Lonesome and switches off, when she needs to, with Katya Tucker on bass. B & L is happy to have Sue on board and has high hopes of her becoming a future CBA Honorary member…

Yoseff Tucker’s early life exposure to traditional bluegrass and American roots music came courtesy of his grandfather who moved to Central California from the Ozarks in the early 20th century. His first guitar came to him while he was still in diapers and an appreciation for music laid a great foundation in his life. After years of playing rock ‘n roll, Yoseff found his way back to bluegrass music and in a matter of years created a life centered on the proliferation and progress of bluegrass. He is now a staple in the Northern California traditional bluegrass scene. His flatpicking skills have been acknowledged by the Northern California Bluegrass Society via the Guitarist of the Year award multiple times, and he’s won the award for Male Vocalist of the Year twice. He also plays in The Bow Ties, The Central Valley Boys, and Supermule. Blue & Lonesome is happy and lucky to have him in the band

Katya Tucker easily demonstrates her musicality each time she plays and sings. Although fairly new to bluegrass music, Katya is not new to music. Playing & singing in a family band for many years she has perfected her stage skills, harmony and lead singing and has a true bluegrass approach on the bass, which of course is why Blue & Lonesome hired her. Her other profession is doing research at UCSF microbiology dept. Blue & Lonesome is pleased to include Katya in performing the Good Music.

Bluegrass music, being a specific art form, demands certain structures, instruments and delivery to be called Bluegrass, this band has all that and their individual creativity within that structure. A lifelong (so far) pursuit of these six players, to uphold and respect the originators, is apparent in the groove they attain, the energy they exhibit and the quality they deliver. This is Bluegrass music.

Charlie Torch

Charlie Torch features siblings Jayna and Jasper Manning. Jayna plays guitar and clawhammer banjo, and Jasper plays mandolin. Their father, Washington State native Chad Manning (fiddle), has played most notably with David Grisman and Laurie Lewis among many others. Tyler Stegall is featured on banjo and is joined by two-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year, Mark Schatz, known for his work with Tony Rice, Béla Fleck, and Nickel Creek.

Although relatively new on the scene, Charlie Torch has been delighting audiences around the Bay Area, including a house concert at Pete Seeger’s childhood home. Strong vocals, amazing fiddling, and mandolin, complemented by solid bass and banjo playing, make Charlie Torch a standout in the local bluegrass scene.

The Corn Likkers

The award-winning Corn Likkers are an old-time family string band that plays hard-driving fiddle tunes and haunting songs rooted in western North Carolina and the Appalachian Mountains. Steeped in tradition, the Corn Likkers bring an exciting new sound by infusing flatfooting (percussive dance), flat-picked guitar, non-traditional arrangements, and chord-based second fiddling with traditional old-time instrumentation and powerful singing. This gives the band a full, traditional sound with a modern edge.

Based in San Jose, the Chen family has spent 20 years at The Swannanoa Gathering, where their children, Eleanor and Elijah, “caught” the music. There, they met Lael Sigal, who suggested they form a band and compete at the Berkeley Old-Time Music Convention (BOTMC) in 2019, where they won 2nd place in the band competition and were invited to perform in the BOTMC Spring Situation at the Freight and Salvage the next year. They have since competed at the Santa Barbara Old-Time Fiddler’s Festival (where they won 1st place) and Clifftop (the prestigious Appalachian String Band Music Festival), where they placed 3rd in the Neo-Traditional Band Competition.

Ray Chen leads the band with Tommy Jarrell-style fiddling learned in over a decade of study with John Engle, an acknowledged expert in Tommy’s fiddling. Lael Sigal adds to the sound with harmony vocals and a chord-based approach to second fiddling that she learned from Tricia Spencer. Eleanor Chen brings banjo, flatfooting, and vocals to the mix – her playing and singing–mentored by Sheila Kay Adams, a 7th-generation Appalachian ballad singer and NEA Heritage Award winner. Elijah Chen’s Tony Rice-style guitar–learned from Jason Keiser, who studied with Tony’s brother, Wyatt– contributes to the band’s edgy sound. Elijah also leads Bay Area Special and is a member of the New Acoustic Collective. Lauren Graves anchors the band with the steady rhythm of the upright bass.

The Corn Likkers have performed at the San Francisco Free Folk Festival and played on Vern’s Stage. They also give local concerts, play for Bay Area contra dances regularly, and are fresh from the studio with an upcoming release! You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram and reach us at cornlikkers@gmail.com.

Critical Grass

Critical Grass is a collection of San Francisco East Bay musicians who accidentally discovered each other at a Berkeley restaurant. The name arose when two of the band members were coincidentally wearing merch from the Critical Role Dungeons & Dragons podcast. (Nerds.)

They dig both traditional and modern bluegrass and great songwriters. They perform Bill Monroe and Stanley Brothers tunes but also play Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, Norman Blake, and John Hartford–because they’re awesome. However, they truly love female songwriters. They perform songs by Kathy Kallick, Martha Scanlon, Kate Wolf, and Hazel Dickens. They have Joni Mitchell in their sights, but songwriting like that does not yield easily.

They also enjoy exploring the edges of the genre, including hippie-grass (often closing sets with “Midnight Moonlight”), old-time (Jeremy plays a mean clawhammer), and Irish (Leah was a County Clare fiddler in a previous 19th-century life). If they like a song, and it seems to sit comfortably into their instrumentation and voices, they embrace it.

Critical Grass celebrates their obligation to share and perpetuate music. Leah is a full-time fiddle teacher at Manning Music in Berkeley, and one of her students has played a tune with them at a gig. They’re always eager to have a young’un come up and play a song.

Finally, they give back to the community—even neighbors on the other coast. In October of 2024, they organized and played a “Bluegrass Benefits Asheville” show at Armistice Brewing in Richmond, California, to raise money for Asheville, North Carolina, and the surrounding region after the devastation of Hurricane Helene. They were proud to raise over $700, which went to BeLoved Asheville and United Way of Asheville.

Dadweed

Dadweed is an innovative Pacific Northwest acoustic trio redefining the boundaries of bluegrass. With a dynamic fusion of jazz, folk, pop, and R&B, Dadweed brings a fresh perspective to the pickin’ and thumpin’ tradition, creating a sound rooted in heritage and refreshingly contemporary. Through three-part vocal harmonies and exceptional instrumental talent, the trio has earned a reputation for crafting music that captivates and surprises its audiences.

Based in Portland, Oregon, Dadweed has performed on a variety of stages, showcasing their artistry at the Oregon Country Fair Main Stage, Mississippi Studios, Bridgetown Bluegrass Festival, Alberta Street Pub, Laurelthirst Public House, and The 1905. They are equally at home performing at breweries, wineries, private events, and other intimate gatherings, bringing their signature blend of energy and soul to every performance.

The group features Clayton Eiberg on acoustic guitar and vocals, Ian Lindsay on bass and vocals, and Keenan Dorn on acoustic guitar and vocals. Together, they weave innovation with tradition, making Dadweed a standout in the bluegrass music scene. Whether performing for festival crowds or small audiences, Dadweed consistently delivers a rich, resonant, and unforgettable musical experience.

Deep Thicket Dwellers

Deep Thicket Dwellers are a four-piece ensemble originating from Alaska and Virginia, now based in Oakland, California. Their music weaves together Bluegrass, Old-time, Gypsy Jazz, and the playful ingenuity of John Hartford into a distinctive style called “Hillbilly Jazz.” With the fiddle at the heart of their sound, they deliver dynamic, high-energy performances that inspire foot-stomping revelry.

The band features Tarah Williams—flat-footing, clogging, snare drum, and lead vocals; Forrest Allen—fiddle and vocals; Tom Edler—bass; and Mark Ignatius–guitar and vocals.

Flatpick Hotel

Flatpick Hotel is a guitar passion project of Ian Ly and Owen Ragland. The duo was formed out of a mutual love for the bluegrass flat-picked guitar discovered over late nights jamming. Ian and Owen met at the CBA Father’s Day Festival in 2022 and became quick friends, bonding over their love for picking fiddle tunes on the guitar. In 2023, they recorded an album of live instrumental tunes on the guitar, which is still to be released.

Ian Ly has been wowing audiences worldwide as the guitarist for The Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band. As one of the best guitar pickers from the West Coast of this era, his picking style is like a freight train: powerful, clear, and fast. While attending college in his birth state of Kansas, Ian began competing in the Walnut Valley National Flatpick Contest; he is the 2023 National Flat Pick Guitar Champion.

Owen Ragland is no slouch, either. A fiddle player turned guitarist, he has performed with groups such as Honey Run, The Brothers Strong, Poor Man’s Whiskey, and many others. He turned his focus to guitar some years ago and has developed a dynamic and interesting playing style. His picking is unique and explosive, and he amazes audiences (and jam circles) all over the state with his guitar playing.

The group is an experiment in which excellent players push each other to do interesting and creative things with their instruments. It is a niche style, but if you loved the Blake & Rice albums or the Doc Watson and Tony Rice recordings, this is the show for you.

Hey Lonesome!

The unique musical style of Hey Lonesome! features songs and tunes you may never have heard before, backed by the traditional bluegrass and old-time sound of a mandolin, guitar, bass, and fiddle (sometimes two). Rather than playing all the songs and tunes you might hear at a bluegrass jam, Hey Lonesome! tries hard to find the material less traveled. Bandleaders Tom Diamant (guitar) and Rowan McCallister (mandolin/fiddle) have spent many hours digging through the back catalogs of bluegrass, old-time, and classic country to bring you a unique set of music.

Tom and Rowan, joined by California bluegrass mainstay Dave Courchaine on bass and former state champion fiddler Wendy Wendt, formed Hey Lonesome! in the wake of the pandemic when they were getting together in their backyards and sharing the music they had been working on. From bluegrass B-sides, forgotten country gems, and reimagined blues songs to rarely heard Monroe mandolin instrumentals and old-time fiddle tunes learned from field recordings, they were pulling material from a great variety of American traditional music.

With Dave or Wendy adding a third voice, the band has developed a powerful vocal harmony. This harmony style, combined with their playful yet tight instrumental arrangements, yields a compelling musical experience that they are excited to bring to audiences around the Bay Area and surrounding California.

High Country

“…One of the lonesomest, hard-drivingest traditional bluegrass bands alive… High Country manages to be fresh and exciting, without even the merest nod to modern music. -Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine

High Country has, over the last fifty plus years, earned its place as the West Coast’s premier traditional bluegrass band. Strongly influenced by the classic styles of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs and the Stanley Brothers, the band’s blend of banjo, mandolin, fiddle, guitar and bass delivers the upbeat excitement of true bluegrass music. With driving rhythm, skillful picking and soulful singing, High Country brings the energy and experience of five seasoned professionals to this spirited American art form. After more than five decades of performing, the band remains fresh and exciting, bringing their love of traditional bluegrass music to an ever-widening audience. High Country’s show offers a vital mix of powerful originals and standards, from blues to breakdowns to gospels sung in close harmony. Even the songs and tunes written by band members themselves remain true to the genre, with careful attention paid to the nuances of the bluegrass style. The band has toured extensively in the US and Canada as well as Europe, the United Kingdom, and the Pacific Rim.

Jesse Appelman’s West Coast Stringband Project

Jesse Appelman’s West Coast Stringband Project unites three standout musicians from the California bluegrass scene, crafting a sound defined by strong melodies, rich vocal harmonies, and rock-solid groove. Their music blurs the lines between bluegrass, old-time, and country, focusing on collective, joyful music-making. Their repertoire features original compositions alongside gems from the Stanley Brothers, Norman Blake, Hazel & Alice, John Hartford, Larry Sparks, and more.

The group is anchored by three core musicians: Jesse Appelman, an Oakland-based mandolinist whose credits include work with the Sam Grisman Project and Brothers Comatose; Yoseff Tucker (the Bow Ties) on guitar; and Christine Wilhoyte (Laurie Lewis & Kathy Kallick, B*Craft) on banjo. For this weekend’s performance, they’ll be joined by legendary bassist Mark Schatz (Tony Rice, Béla Fleck, Nickel Creek) and fiddler Brandon Godman (Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands).

The West Coast Stringband Project offers a glimpse into the future of California’s vibrant roots music scene, delivering an energetic live show that is deeply informed by tradition while exploring fresh textures and tones. Their spontaneous, collaborative spirit creates a familiar and refreshingly new sound.

Jimmy Touzel Bluegrass Explosion

Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, The Jimmy Touzel Bluegrass Explosion is a dynamic new ensemble dedicated to revitalizing and preserving traditional bluegrass music. Formed in 2024, the band is led by the charismatic Jimmy Touzel, a seasoned bassist whose passion for bluegrass runs deep. With a rich blend of tight harmonies, expert instrumentation, and a lively stage presence, the band captures the essence of bluegrass while adding their own unique flair.

Each member of The Jimmy Touzel Bluegrass Explosion brings a wealth of talent and experience to the group. Featuring the masterful banjo playing and singing of Evan Ward, the soulful singing and guitar playing of Ryan Breen, and Jimmy’s walking and slapping prowess on the bass, their sound is rooted in classic bluegrass traditions while incorporating elements of old-time fiddle and classic country. The band’s repertoire includes a mix of standard and obscure bluegrass tunes, old-time country music, and original compositions, all delivered with heartfelt authenticity. From toe-tapping instrumentals to heartfelt ballads, their music resonates with audiences of all ages.

With a growing fanbase and a reputation for electrifying live performances, The Jimmy Touzel Bluegrass Explosion is poised to become a prominent force in the international bluegrass scene. Whether playing at local venues or regional/national festivals, they are dedicated to sharing their love of bluegrass and creating memorable musical experiences for every audience.

Matt and George and their Pleasant Valley Boys

Matt & George and Their Pleasant Valley Boys have been performing traditional bluegrass the old-fashioned way into a single microphone since 2006. They entertain at weddings, corporate events, and parties all over Northern California. Their performances include regular appearances at the Dixon Lambtown Festival, the CBA Father’s Day Festival in Grass Valley, and on ABC Television.

The Pleasant Valley Boys provide fun for all, with hot instrumental licks and sweet vocal harmonies backed by a tight rhythm section. This is all packed into a fast-paced, entertaining music show as you’ve never seen before. Come out and enjoy Matt and George and their Pleasant Valley Boys.

Marin County Breakdown

Marin County Breakdown is a family acoustic string band from the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Their repertoire is built with traditional bluegrass standards, original songs, and progressive tunes.  With acoustic stringed instruments and tight vocal harmonies, hallmarks of the bluegrass style, their sound is consistent across different genres. The band members are Gary Millar (dad) on banjo and Julie Steier (mom) on mandolin, both veterans of the local bluegrass scene. Residents of Marin County for nearly 30 years, they are based in San Anselmo. Cory McClintic (nephew) from Los Altos plays guitar, delivering rich and tasteful solos and fills that are a highlight of their performances. Sarah Jo Millar (daughter) plays bass, and Daniel Coles (Sarah Jo’s husband) is on guitar; both reside in Santa Cruz. Together, Sarah Jo and Daniel have been writing new songs and are the driving force behind the band, ensuring tight and cohesive performances. Recently married in June, they have made Marin County Breakdown a genuine “family band.” Their harmony singing is especially heartfelt, creating authentic and engaging music.

Marin County Breakdown embodies the spirit of the California bluegrass community, with each member trading off singing lead and harmonies. Though they officially formed as a band in 2019, Cory and Sarah Jo have been playing music and singing with Julie and Gary at family gatherings since childhood. Today, they host jams, perform at California music festivals, and play fiddle tunes at 12,000 feet on the John Muir Trail during family backpacking trips. Whether performing at local Bay Area breweries or connecting with festival audiences, Marin County Breakdown demonstrates the power of music to bring families and communities together.

Muddy Mountain West

Muddy Mountain West is a young bluegrass group based in Southern California. In May 2024, lead guitarist and vocalist Pierce Brunton started attending open mics in search of fellow musicians to start a bluegrass band. He quickly found guitar player turned banjoist Grant Chacon in Fullerton, CA. Within a month, Pierce attended the Long Beach Bluegrass Festival, and while playing in a field, mandolinist Maxwell Dotts approached Pierce and started jamming.

They quickly bonded over their similar taste, and their skill levels were complementary. Pierce quickly introduced Max and Grant, and they had a three-piece bluegrass band. Next, Max met bass player Trevor Mulvey at the Thursday Night Pickers Bluegrass Jam in Encinitas. From there, they started playing live shows all over Southern California, honing their skills, building a fan base, writing originals, and having the most fun. The original innovators of bluegrass and modern progressive grass acts inspire them. They hope their voices and life experiences shine through their original music.

They are excited to continue playing live shows and festivals and plan to release music on streaming platforms within a year. They hope to foster a new generation of bluegrass fans and artists in Southern California.

Sidesaddle & Co.

Sidesaddle & Co., based in San Jose California, has been captivating audiences with their unique acoustic sound since 1979 when the band was first established. The five members of the band come from an interesting variety of musical backgrounds, which come alive in their repertoire. The longevity of the band is proof-positive that Sidesaddle & Co lends an air of contagious energy and professionalism to every performance. With the addition of Glenn Dauphin on vocals the band has gained a strong hold on traditional Bluegrass, gently seasoned with vintage Country, Irish and Western. It is the group’s combination of artistry and enthusiasm that has made Sidesaddle and Co. one of the most popular and sought-after Bluegrass bands in the West.

Glenn Dauphin – Guitar
Lisa Burns – Bass
Lee Anne Welch – Fiddle
Sonia Shell – Banjo
Kim Elking – Mandolin

Billboard Magazine has called their music “superbly melodic.” Critics have hailed their performances as “sophisticated and highly entertaining” and their harmonies “impeccable.”
“Sidesaddle & Co. combines the best of traditional and modern ideas. They use their abilities to evoke feelings and pictures in the heart and mind of the lucky listener.”      Eddie & Martha Adcock
Their fiercely loyal fans eat it up.”    San Jose Mercury News, CA

The band has had the pleasure of opening the show for such notables as Bill Monroe, Emmy Lou Harris. Willie Nelson, Billy Dean, Ralph Stanley, New Grass Revival, John Hartford and Jim and Jesse to name a few. Headliners in their own right, this widely traveled band is equally at home performing at national bluegrass festivals, state and county fairs, concerts, on radio and television, at corporate functions, local events and parties.

Skillet Licorice

Skillet Licorice is a dynamic roots music project led by San Francisco Bay Area musicians Elise Engelberg and Matt Knoth. With a rotating ensemble of California’s top old-time players, the group delivers fiddle breakdowns, blues, banjo sparkles, ragtime, and waltzes. Their repertoire combines respect for American folk traditions with a fresh, modern twist, creating music as innovative as it is timeless. Hot, sweet, and just a little greasy, Skillet Licorice captures the heart of old-time music with infectious energy and expert craftsmanship.

Elise Engelberg (fiddle, banjo) grew up in Kentucky as a classical violinist before rediscovering her bluegrass roots in California. A cornerstone of the Bay Area old-time scene, Elise has performed with the Crooked Jades, The Mercury Dimes, and the Stairwell Sisters. Alongside her performances, she nurtures a thriving music studio for young learners in San Francisco. Matt Knoth (banjo, guitar, vocals) combines bluegrass heritage from his childhood in San Jose with a passion for old-time music. A co-founder of The Mercury Dimes, Matt has performed with artists like Peter Rowan and Mark Schatz. When not on stage, Matt indulges his love of nature photography in the Marin Headlands.

The group also features Clinton Davis (multi-instrumentalist) from San Diego, a fifth-generation Kentuckian whose work has been praised by No Depression for reviving lost American musical traditions. Joining him is Rowan McCallister (mandolin, guitar, banjo), a Berkeley native and contributor to the Bay Area bluegrass and old-time communities. Rounding out the lineup, Allegra Thompson (bass) brings a legacy of early country music, influenced by her parents, well-known Bay Area musicians Eric and Suzy Thompson.

Whether performing at festivals, intimate venues, or teaching in their communities, Skillet Licorice represents the best of old-time music, combining rich traditions with modern artistry.

The Arkansas Sheiks

The Arkansas Sheiks is an “old-time string band” that plays fiddle tunes and songs from Appalachia and Missouri and a few selections from the Western swing canon. The group was founded as a trio in 1972 at Sweet’s Mill by Karana Hattersley-Drayton with Tony Marcus and Marty Somberg. The name “The Arkansas Sheiks” was borrowed from the song of that name. In the 1920s rural folks were enamored with Rudolph Valentino and hence several bands and songs at the time adopted “Sheik,” as for example, The Missouri Sheiks and the Mississippi Sheiks.

The Arkansas Sheiks performed at various venues around the Bay Area including the Freight and Salvage, Stern Grove and at two Grass Valley Bluegrass Festivals. The band also toured the country three times in 1975-1976 and recorded one LP with Bay Records, “Whiskey Before Breakfast,” which stands up to this day.

Some of the Bay Area’s finest old-time and bluegrass musicians cycled through the Arkansas Sheiks from 1972-1987: Barbara (Josie) Mendelson, Laurie Lewis, Hoyle Osborne, Michael Drayton, Tom Marion, Kate Brislin, Gene Tortora, Paul Shelasky and John Pedersen.

Today’s band includes the group that last performed at Grass Valley: Michael Drayton (fiddle/vocals), Karana Hattersley-Drayton (keyboard/vocals), John Pedersen (banjo/fiddle) and Paul Shelasky (fiddle/guitar). Laurie Lewis (fiddle) is an invited special guest.

AJ Lee & Blue Summit

AJ Lee & Blue Summit are an award-winning energetic, charming, and technically jaw-dropping band quickly rising on the national roots music scene. Based in Santa Cruz, California, the group met as teenagers, picking and jamming together as kids at local music festivals and jams
until one day, they decided they would be a band.

“Our roots go really deep,” explains de facto band leader Lee. “We met when we were young kids… We definitely decided to choose each other as a chosen family band later on in life, but in a lot of ways it was naturally just like that in the beginning.”

“It was like one of those late at night things,” she continued. “We were sitting on a trailer at Grass Valley” at the annual Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival held in the Sierra Nevada foothills – “Someone said, ‘All of us right here, we’re a band now.’ We kind of didn’t take it seriously, but
we were like, okay, we’ll be a band!”

And thank goodness they became a band. Their first gigs were local, small venues, cafes, restaurants, coffee shops, where they’d play for multiple hours honing their set list and learning shared musical vocabularies. Now, as they criss-cross the country performing hundreds of shows a year to larger and larger audiences, you can sense the intention they had back then – to make music together not for just aspirational reasons, but because it’s fun – and it’s all you want to do as young musicians.

Currently made up of Lee on mandolin, fiddler Jan Purat, and guitarists Scott Gates and Sullivan Tuttle, the band carries that youthful, festival-parking-lot energy with them still today, but at the same time there’s a genuine ease and confidence to their music making. This is not
the bluegrass of ambitious musicians intent on industry success, this is music made firstly for the joy of making it and primarily made for each other. It’s part of why, as they ready their third studio album, City of Glass – their first label release, out July 19th via Signature Sounds – their product feels mature and fully realized, while deep in the Blue Summit pocket.

Junior Sisk Band

Junior Sisk founded Ramblers Choice (the original band name) in 1998, releasing Sounds of the Mountains on Rounder Records. After leaving Blueridge in 2006, he reformed the group, Ramblers Choice and began a successful career with Rebel Records. His 2011 album Heart of a Song helped bring the band into the spotlight and eventually was named IBMA Album of the Year in 2012. It’s single “A Far Cry from Lester and Earl,” which Sisk co-wrote, became a rallying cry for a resurgence of traditional sounds in bluegrass and received the 2012 Song of the Year Award from the IBMA. Sisk was furthered honored when he was named 2013 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year, while his band earned the 2014 SPBGMA Bluegrass Band of the Year award. In 2016, “Longneck Blues,” a collaboration with noted singer-songwriter, Ronnie Bowman, was named Recorded Event of the Year by the IBMA. Most recently, Sisk received the 2017 Male Vocalist of the Year award from SPBGMA. He and his band now record for Mountain Fever Records.

Junior’s band today is now simply known as, the Junior Sisk Band. The band consists of Johnathan Dillon, Tony Mabe, Heather Berry Mabe, and Curt Love.

Johnathan Dillon is in his tenth year as a member of the Junior Sisk Band. He’s the mandolin player, vocalist, driver, and bus expert.

Over the years, Heather Berry Mabe has recorded several albums including two for Tom T. & Miss Dixie Hall’s label, Blue Circle Records. She has sang all over the country at many different venues including the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. A two time IBMA award winner for her work with the Daughters of Bluegrass, and a two time SPBGMA female vocalist of the year nominee, Heather has been gifted with a mountain clear voice.

Tony Mabe, husband to Heather Berry Mabe, began playing music at the age of 6. Over the years he’s played with several well known bluegrass bands including, The James King Band, The Jeanette Williams Band, Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass, Bobby Atkins & The Countrymen, and Travers Chandler & Avery County. He has won and placed numerous times at fiddlers conventions with his banjo.

Curt Love was first introduced to bluegrass music at 3 years old, but it wasn’t until much later he turned his love for bluegrass into a profession. The Junior Sisk Band is Curt’s first professional music job. A long time fan of Junior’s and familiar with his music for years, Curt was a great fit for the bass.

With the combined vocalists and instrumentalists currently in The Junior Sisk Band, a new level of good, traditional bluegrass is reached every time they take the stage or record a new album together.

Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands

For nearly four decades, Laurie Lewis has gathered fans and honors for her powerful and emotive voice and her versatile, dynamic songwriting. She is a sought-after recording producer and an equally skilled teacher and mentor.

And she is an inspiration and a ground-breaker – across genres, across geography and across gender barriers.

Laurie has shown us how a woman can blend into any part of the classic bluegrass singing trio, and she showed us how a great voice could move fluidly between bluegrass and other types of music. She showed us how a female fiddler could emulate the strength and grit of the early bluegrass musicians. She has shown how a Californian can appeal to traditional bluegrass audiences, as well as winning acclaim in the worlds of Americana and folk music.

She has shown us how to lead bands of talented musicians – learning from them while helping them make their best music. And she has shown us how to thrive in a constantly changing musical environment – without ever sacrificing her art.

Good Ol’ Persons
Kathy Kallick, John Reischman, Sally Van Meter, Paul Shelasky, and Bethany Raine Sorkey

This reunion of this beloved Bay Area band is a chance for Kathy, John, Sally, Paul, and Bethany to revisit some of their favorite music from days gone by. Expect performances that go far beyond nostalgia, as these musicians have continued to evolve; their music is filled with dazzling playing, passionate singing, inclusive humor, and some really good ol’ songs.

The Good Ol’ Persons were formed in 1975 as a result of the success of five women performing at a Freight & Salvage open mic. The name filled a spur-of-the-moment need and provided a wry comment on the dominant bluegrass culture of the era. It didn’t take long for a band to form, for men to infiltrate — and for the music to become more important than a gimmicky name.

The Good Ol’ Persons were among the first bluegrass bands to feature the songwriting, lead playing, and vocal harmonies of women, and went on to be trendsetters in the incorporation of Latin, swing, folk, Cajun, and other musical genres into their bluegrass. The band released several albums, toured throughout the US (including Bill Monroe’s Beanblossom Festival) and Europe, and had a profound influence on several generations of bluegrassers.

Since 1995, members of the band have continued to enjoy successful musical careers (as well as occasional GOP reunions). Kathy, Sally, and John are Grammy and IBMA award winners; Kathy, John, and Paul were awarded Lifetime Memberships by the California Bluegrass Association; all are outstanding performers, composers, producers, bandleaders, and teachers.

Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick
50 YEARS OF TOGETHERNESS

As Randy Pitts noted, “Before Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick became the highly respected and successful singers, songwriters, and bluegrass bandleaders they are today, they were founding members of the groundbreaking and influential band, the Good Ol’ Persons. Although Laurie remained in that group for only a short while before moving on to lead her own bands, she and Kathy forged a lifelong personal and professional friendship that endures to this day.”

Kathy and Laurie have been guest performers on many of each other’s albums, and they’ve released two collaborative projects: 1991’s Together, and the 2014 tribute to their mentors, Vern Williams and Ray Park, Laurie & Kathy Sing the Songs Of Vern & Ray.

Both Laurie and Kathy have won a Grammy and two International Bluegrass Music
Association awards for their contributions to True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe, both have released some two dozen albums with bands and/or under their own names, and both have received Lifetime Member Awards from the California Bluegrass Association. Laurie has twice won the IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year award, and all the Kathy Kallick Band albums have charted in the Top 10 of both the National Bluegrass Survey and Folk Alliance International charts.

Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band

Widely recognized as one of the most exciting young bands in acoustic music, Crying Uncle Bluegrass plays a unique mix of bluegrass, Dawg (David Grisman music), jazz, and modern originals. Brothers Miles and Teo Quale are joined by bassist Andrew Osborn and 2023 National Flat Pick Guitar Champion Ian Ly, all outstanding young musicians of the vibrant California bluegrass scene. Founded in 2016 as a Duo band, Miles and Teo formed the bluegrass band in 2017 and since then, they have continued to make waves in the world of bluegrass and acoustic music. The bluegrass band was the recipient of the 2023 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Momentum Band of the Year award. The band was also honored to perform for the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame’s induction of their hero, David Grisman.

Based in Northern California, Crying Uncle Bluegrass has opened for prestigious bands, including Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives and David Grisman Bluegrass Experience. The band has played at venues such as IBMA’s World of Bluegrass Festival, CBA’s Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival, Strawberry Music Festival, SF’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Delfest, and Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival. Internationally, the band toured in Japan in 2023 and in 2022, they headlined at Bluegrass in La Roche, France. In 2019, they toured throughout Finland, culminating at Kaustinen Folk Music Festival. In 2018, the band was featured on a TEDTalk by Nashville-based singer/songwriter Phoebe Hunt. Miles was also a proud recipient of the Whippoorwill Arts Fellowship in 2022.

The band released their eponymous album, Crying Uncle, in 2018. And in 2020, they released their sophomore album, Monroe Bridge, which features guest artists, fiddler Chad Manning and mandolinist Sharon Gilchrist and produced by banjoist Keith Little. In 2021, the bluegrass band came out with an EP of mostly self-written tunes, Till I Dance Again with You, inspired by a year of “isolating” during the pandemic. Most recently (2022), they released their newest album, The Thing of Dreams, which highlights their originals. Crying Uncle Bluegrass is proud to be a Fishman artist and an Ear Trumpet Labs artist.

The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee

Mining the fertile common ground between bluegrass, early country music, and traditional mountain music, The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee are Virginia’s torchbearers of the old time sound. Featuring the classic quintet of fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, and bass, the band comprises five masterful musicians and singers who have immersed themselves in the dance music traditions of the Blue Ridge region and developed a deeply rooted old time bluegrass sound. Deep appreciation for Country and “Hillbilly” music of the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s enables the band to craft tasteful original songs and instrumentals that blend seamlessly alongside the classics.

Their powerful harmony singing and energetic instrumentals have captivated audiences around the globe and helped the band to win many awards including first prize in the old time band contest at the 85th Annual Old Fiddlers’ Convention in Galax, Virginia and the bluegrass band contest at the 51st Mount Airy Fiddlers’ Convention in North Carolina. Band members have also won a slew of individual awards including first place bluegrass banjo at Galax, first place old time fiddle at the Appalachian String Band Festival in Clifftop, WV, and first prize in the 29th Annual MerleFest Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee cut no corners when it comes to real, hard hitting, old time country music – an approach that is quickly gaining them loyal followers far beyond the reaches of their Virginia mountain home.

Clinton Davis String Band

Clinton Davis is an old time folk musician currently based in San Diego, California. A fifth-generation Kentuckian, Davis grew up in rural Carroll County. His repertoire spans fiddle and banjo music native to his family home, the exuberant ragtime piano and guitar of early 20th-century New Orleans, and ballad songs and dance music of the Southwest.

Davis’ prowess across instruments and traditional American styles has gained notice from the standard-bearers of previous generations, and earned him a place amongst a new generation of American folk musicians. Stefan Grossman, renowned authority of American roots guitar, has called him “a master…carrying on the traditional music torch of Mike Seeger.” No Depression has called his work “a joyous and soulful restoration of one of the lost treasures of American musical tradition.” Deering Banjos has called his playing “simply sublime.”

In 2021, Davis released his first full-length solo album, ‘If I Live and I Don’t Get Killed,’ on Tiki Parlour Recordings. In 2025 he will release TWO follow-up albums

Mission Blue

Mission Blue delivers straight-ahead bluegrass, featuring our unique brand of family harmony singing and heartfelt storytelling. Led by the father-daughter duo, Dana and Avram (AJ) Frankel, Mission Blue has been performing since 2017. Drawing from a deep well of traditional bluegrass, you can expect songs from Larry Sparks, The Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Mac Martin, and Red Allen, as well as bluegrass innovators like J.D. Crowe and The New South, Hot Rize, Southern Blend, and The Johnson Mountain Boys. In addition, Mission Blue enhances each set with reinterpretations of older folk tunes, ballads, and original material. Our traditional five-piece format features Dana Frankel on fiddle, AJ Frankel on guitar, Sam Reed on banjo, David Thiessen on mandolin, and Tom Sours on bass.

The Canote Brothers

Early country music was a simple style with sparse instrumentation. The first commercial country music recordings in 1922 and 1923 by Eck Robertson and Fiddlin’ John Carson were either solo or duo recordings by fiddlers. Duo acts performing old-time country music were common, often featuring the uniquely blended harmony singing of two brothers were a common combination. One of these early acts, the Monroe Brothers, included the future “father of Bluegrass Music,” Bill Monroe. The Delmore Brothers, the McGee Brothers, and the Blue Sky Boys (Bill and Earl Bolick) were other popular brother duets performing and recording country music in the 1930s.

The twin brothers Jere and Greg Canote from Seattle continue that tradition. As they describe their music: “We are proud to think of ourselves as links in the chain of musical brother duets like the Stanley Brothers, the Blue Sky boys, Sam and Kirk Magee or the Everlys. But we are always amazed by the possibilities of a fiddle and a guitar, (and those genetically matched voices). While we have one foot firmly planted in the traditions of American Roots music, we certainly have an ear tuned to the novel and the quirky.”

They have taken advantage of their genetics for as long as they remember; starting as Christmas elves tap dancing their way around the wishing well in the first grade. They have played an important role in the active old-time music scene on the West Coast through a string band class they have been teaching for more than 30 years. And apparently they still have fun with it: “We love the beautiful old fiddle tunes and the hypnotic ‘in the moment’ experience of playing this American Old Time music. We wish everybody could join us!”

The Gibson Brothers

There’s a reason why Ricky Skaggs pulled Eric and Leigh Gibson off the stage at the Ryman two decades ago and offered to produce their debut record. The same thing that led David Ferguson and GrammyAward winning producer and Black Keys frontman DanAuerbach to co-write and produce their 14th album “Mockingbird” (2018) and release it on his own label Easy Eye Sound alongside cultural icons such as HankWilliams Jr. and Dr. John, the Gibson Brothers are the real deal. They can pick. They can sing. And they can write a damn good country song. They’ve won about every bluegrass award you can name and released albums on almost every premier Americana label you can think of including Sugar Hill and Rounder, and, if that’s not enough, their songs have been recorded by bluegrass legends no less than Del McCoury. It’s a resume almost anybody in country music would be proud to have. But despite all of this, the Gibson Brothers are not yet household names. Their latest album, “Darkest Hour,” produced by dobro master Jerry Douglas might just change that.

As soon as you hear Leigh singing with Alison Krauss [“I FeelThe SameWayAsYou”] on the new project you realize that his voice is as good as anyone in music today. Add the brother harmony to that and they have something truly unique. While “Mockingbird” featured gorgeous production, recreating the sound on stage was difficult. “We put together a little band to go out and try to recreate it,” Eric told me, but we couldn’t. We would have to have such a huge band to try to recreate that record, but we did the best we could.”

Douglas—who has won 14 Grammy awards and backed up everyone from Ray Charles to PaulSimon and George Jones—wanted to make a record they could actually play on the road. So he picked the best songs (out of dozens) and squirreled them away in Sound Emporium’s Studio B. But then the pandemic hit. “We did our last shows in March of 2020,” Eric told me. “We were in Nashville the week everything was shutting down. It was surreal, but Jerry was like, ‘Guys, the world’s going crazy. Let’s let this be our little cocoon.’And we did. We cut all of the acoustic stuff and then went home and didn’t play any more gigs until things started opening. Then we went back and finished the record with Jerry in February of 2021.”

The result is arguably the strongest record The Gibson Brothers have ever made. The songs recorded in the first recording period featured Mike Barber (bass), Justin Moses (mandolin),Eamon McGloughlin (fiddle), and of course, Jerry Douglas, adding in John Gardner (drums), Guthrie Trapp (electric guitar), andTodd Parks (bass) for the final tracks, “Darkest Hour”showcases just how easily Eric and Leigh move from what DanAuerbach dubbed “country soul”(“I Go Driving”) to high octane bluegrass (“What a Difference A Day Makes” and “Dust”) with Douglas always keeping the spotlight on the songs themselves. “That’s what I love about those guys,” Douglas told me, “they are just great songwriters.”

Growing up on a dairy farm in northern New York and then traveling around the world in a bluegrass band has given them a unique vantage point on life, and the songs on “Darkest Hour” are a testament to that. “Jerry wanted to hear everything we’d written,” Eric told me, “so we just sent him songs: brand new songs, old songs, there’s stuff on that record 20 years old that we never recorded. We wanted to see what he would do with us as a singer-songwriter. We respect him that much. Some of my favorite records are Jerry Douglas-produced records. He didn’t disappoint.”

If the Gibson Brothers had stayed in Nashville in 1999 they might possibly be Grand Ole Opry members by now. At the very least they would be hit songwriters on Music Row. But, just like their buddy Del McCoury, they chose family over success (McCoury was in his 50s when he moved to Nashville and didn’t really see major success until he was approaching 60). All they need is someone to shine a light on them. Their talent level is well-established, the only producers they have ever worked with are Ricky Skaggs, DanAuerbach, David Ferguson, and Jerry Douglas. I dare say not many musicians can stack up a list of producers that strong. For the Gibson Brothers though, they just want to keep writing, singing, and standing on a stage.

The Travelin’ McCourys

From a source deep, abundant, and pure the river flows. It’s there on the map, marking place and time. Yet, the river changes as it remains a constant, carving away at the edges, making new pathways, gaining strength as it progresses forward. The Travelin’ McCourys are that river.

The McCoury brothers- Ronnie (mandolin) and Rob (banjo) – were born into the bluegrass tradition. Talk about a source abundant and pure: their father, Del, is among the most influential and successful musicians in the history of the genre. Years on the road with Dad in the Del McCoury Band honed their knife-edge chops, and encouraged the duo to imagine how traditional bluegrass could cut innovative pathways into 21st century music.

“If you put your mind, your skills, and your ability to it, I think you can make just about anything work on bluegrass instruments,” says Ronnie. “That’s a really fun part of this- figuring the new stuff out and surprising the audience.”

With fiddler Jason Carter, bassist Alan Bartram, and latest recruit Cody Kilby on guitar, they assembled a group that could take what they had in their DNA, take what traditions they learned and heard, and push the music forward. In fact, the band became the only group to have each of its members recognized with an International Bluegrass Music Association Award for their instrument at least once. There were peers, too, that could see bluegrass as both historic and progressive. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Allman Brothers Band, improv-rock kings Phish, and jamband contemporary Keller Williams were just a few that formed a mutual admiration society with the ensemble.

The band played the Allman’s Wanee Festival, and guitarist Warren Haynes’ Christmas jam- an annual holiday homecoming of Southern music. An early-years jam with the Lee Boys was hailed by many as the highlight of the evening, and with the video catching fire online, earned a legion of new, young fans of their supercharged combination of sacred steel, R&B, and bluegrass. There were unforgettable collaborations with country smash Dierks Bentley, and onstage magic, jamming with titans String Cheese Incident and Phish, cutting an album with Keller (Pick), and creating the Grateful Ball- a tribute concert-turned-tour bridging bluegrass with the iconic music of the Grateful Dead.

“That’s something that’s part of us being who we are,” says Ronnie. “It comes, too, with us plugging in. It gets louder, for sure. We can’t be another version of our dad’s band. It wouldn’t make any sense for us to do that.”

Their concerts became can’t-miss events, whether headlining historic venues or as festival favorites, drawing the love and respect of a growing fanbase craving their eclectic repertoire. At the 2016 edition of DelFest, an annual gathering of the genre’s best aptly named for the McCoury patriarch, the band delivered the take-away highlight. Rolling Stone called it “a sublime combination of rock and bluegrass, contemporary and classic, old and young. The best set of the festival…” The river was going new places, getting stronger. It was time to re-draw the map.

“We’ve tried to pick songs we think people are going to enjoy,” says Ronnie. “Something we learned from our dad is that a good song is a good song. It can be done in any way.”

So arrives the long-awaited, self-titled debut album from the quintet. A brilliantly executed set overflowing with inventive style, stellar musicianship, and, of course, plenty of burnin’ grass, the 14-song collection is a true culmination of their decades-long journey. From the headwaters of Bill Monroe and the waves of Jerry Garcia to a sound both rooted and revolutionary, soulful and transcending that belongs only to the Travelin’ McCourys.

“The album definitely shows what we’ve evolved into as a band. And, it’s a pretty good representation of what’s happening with the whole genre,” says Rob. “The old bluegrass material is something I love but it’s been done many times. We’re forging ahead with our own sound. That’s what you have to do to make it all work.”

Windy Hill

Formed in 2008 by a couple of high school friends from the Bay Area, Windy Hill has covered a lot of ground in 16 years, performing all over the western states and recording four albums.

​While the band is steeped in the traditional style, they’ve cultivated their own distinct bluegrass sound. The balance between their love for classic bluegrass and keenness to explore fresh musical ideas defines their style and approach, and makes them a fan-favorite for music lovers of all types.

​Three-part harmony, lonesome duets, banjo breakdowns, honky-tonk sorrow, blues mandolin, and original material all combine to create their vision for bluegrass music and its future.

They’ve won numerous awards, performed at festivals, venues, and bars across the west coast, and released four albums:

Live from the Ratz Nest | 2018
Bluegrass Sounds from California | 2017
The Lonesome Garbage Man | 2013
Let’s Go To The Fair | 2011

The Town Howlers

The Town Howlers play traditional, straight ahead, bluegrass music, with some occasional originals and often pulling material from neighboring genres like old time and country. They take their inspiration from the classic singers and instrumentalists of the golden era of bluegrass, such as Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, Vern Williams, and Jimmy Martin, as well as lesser known artists like Buzz Busby, Connie & Babe, Charlie Moore, and Mac Martin. The Town Howlers put heavy emphasis on overall band presence, opting to fill the air with the sound their instruments create rather than letting microphones do all the work for them.

John Mckelvy (guitar), Rowan McCallister (mandolin), and Michael Small (banjo) started the band more than 10 years ago, in 2014, soon pulling in Matt Crimp on fiddle, and eventually Jimmy Touzel on Bass. In 2018 they released their debut album “Alright Everybody! It’s The Town Howlers,” recording 16 tracks straight to tape, all live with no overdubs. Since the departure of fiddler Matt Crimp who still comes down from Washington to join them for occasional performances, The Town Howlers are joined by a rotating cast of California’s best fiddlers, including Chad Manning, Andy Lentz, Amy Kassir, & Dana Frankel.

Having played all over California from festival stages like The Sonoma County Bluegrass & Folk Festival, The Hoes Down Harvest Festival, and numerous appearances on Grass Valley’s Vern’s stage, to weddings and private events in the various nooks and crannies of the state, The Town Howlers are always ready to gather around the single mic and play some bluegrass music.

The Bearcat Stringband

The Bearcat Stringband – hailing from Oakland, California – play old time music that drives hard. Influenced largely by southern style old time square dance music, they know how to hold the groove and throw a party.

Equally comfortable when playing raging dance tunes, quirky rags, or “old time does country” honky tonk numbers, the Bearcat Stringband is excited to represent the vibrant and thriving California old time music scene at the 50th Father’s Day Festival.

The Bearcat Stringband features Bay Area traditional music compatriots Robin Fischer on fiddle (also doubles as square dance caller – but not at the same time as when she is fiddling!); Rowan McCallister on banjo and mandolin (you might recognize him from bluegrass bands the Town Howlers, and Hey Lonesome, besides being a sought-after sideman); Katy Hill Harris on guitar (the Barn Owls, KC and the MoOnshine Band); and Allegra Thompson on bass (Thompsonia, Skillet Licorice). Everybody sings.

The Bearcat Stringband has appeared at the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention, the Los Angeles Old Time Social, and has held down a monthly residency at Cato’s Alehouse in Oakland for over ten years. The last time the Bearcat Stringband played the Father’s Day festival it was 2015!