AUG. 6-9, 2015
• EL RANCHO MAÑANA, RICHMOND, MINN. • WWW.MINNESOTABLUEGRASS.ORG
36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
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HOT RIZE It didn’t take long after Tim O’Brien, Pete Wernick, Nick Forster and Charles Sawtelle first appeared onstage together in 1978 for the bluegrass music world to realize the Colorado band, Hot Rize, was something special. And by the time they bowed off the stage as a full-time act in 1990, they’d not only climbed to the top of that world as the International Bluegrass Music Association’s very first Entertainers of the Year, but their stature was recognized across the board, with a nomination for a thennew bluegrass Grammy, a four-star album review in Rolling Stone, tours across four continents and a legion of up-andcoming broad-minded young musicians ranging from String Cheese Incident to mando monster Chris Thile learning their songs and singing their praises. The reasons for the acclaim were – and remain – obvious. Hot Rize’s music was and is equally informed by a taste for the music of Leadbelly and Freddie King, swing, old-time Appalachia and more in ways that mirror the broad sweep of
Bill Monroe’s influences. And while their respect for tradition was easy to hear (and, thanks to their suits and vintage neckties, easy to see), the fresh elements they brought were enough to earn them the suspicion of some audience members – and the devotion of many more. So when Hot Rize retired, it was natural for members to go on to distinguished careers of their own. Even so, Hot Rize turned out to be the band that refused to disappear. Rare reunion shows, like the 1996 one, captured for the acclaimed So Long Of A Journey CD (2002), kept the flame burning, and when Sawtelle passed away in 1999, the surviving members brought brilliant guitarist Bryan Sutton on board – himself an already-acknowledged master – and carried on with occasional appearances, bringing their classic songs and captivating stage show to new generations. It’s no surprise, then, 24 years after their last studio album, the foursome brings an even deeper strength to bear on their new record, When I’m Free (Ten In
Hand/Thirty Tigers), out Sept. 30. And neither is it a surprise that, as it was in the beginning, the quartet felt compelled to bring something new to the table. “We’re too close as friends and longtime collaborators to let Hot Rize just lay fallow,” O’Brien said. “We’ve watched bluegrass evolve in the past 25 years, and while we’ve all been a part of that evolution as individuals, now it’s time to bring a new Hot Rize statement to the world.” Wernick agreed. “In the years since we brought Bryan in, we would all talk about wanting to be a living, breathing, 21stcentury Hot Rize,” he said, “which would mean developing a satchel of new material, then going around and playing it.” Once they began cowriting, everything else fell into place. “That work was, in many ways the glue we needed to cement us back together,” O’Brien said. With writing and rehearsals placing Hot Rize firmly back in their groove, recording When I’m Free took just five days at the solar-powered
Studio at eTown Hall in Boulder, Colo. The musicians eschewed booths and headphones in favor of sitting in a circle and recording live off the
floor – “the first time I’ve recorded like that since 1971,” Wernick mused. This organic approach resulted in an album that crackles with the energy
of a Hot Rize live show, even if the band’s Western Swing alter-ego sidekicks, Red Knuckles & The Trailblazers, aren’t present.
RED KNUCKLES & THE TRAIL BLAZERS Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers is a band that travels in the back of the Hot Rize bus and occasionally spells their employers on stage. The foursome (Red Knuckles, Wendell Mercantile, Waldo Otto and Swade) plays 40s and 50s country as well as you might
expect from people who have mostly listened to the same jukebox for most of their lives. That jukebox, at the Eat Cafe in Wyoming, Mont., is where Red and the boys first met Hot Rize and agreed to leave their home to pursue fortune and fame.
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2015 MBOTMA Festival, Year of Dance Welcome to the Year of Dance at the 36th annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival. This event is produced by the non-profit Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association and has been nominated four times as Event of the Year (2005, 2007, 2010 and 2013) by the International Bluegrass Music Association in Nashville. We are tremendously excited to have a reunion of the very first IBMA Entertainers of the Year, Hot Rize, plus the most recent IBMA Entertainers of the Year, Balsam Range, plus all the other main-stage acts. But this year we’re also excited about all the dance
activity we have planned at all our venues. There will be square and barn dances, swing and honky-tonk dances, Cajun and clogging, workshops and demos, and so much more. We hope you’ll enjoy the more than 30 hours of main-stage concerts, daytime instrument collaborations and nightly dances in the Showcase Tent, fun and games in the Family Area, 20 handson workshops in the Workshop Area, new excitement at the Underground, dozens of food and merchant booths in the Marketplace, late-night shows at Ranch House Live, the Gathering Place and all the campground jam sessions. These activities are also made pos-
JUMPSTEADY BOYS The Jumpsteady Boys are four of the most well-respected players of traditional music in the international roots scene today: Mike Compton, Bruce Molsky, Joe Newberry and Rafe Stefanini. Whether playing a blistering fiddle tune, singing an a cappella ballad or showcasing an original song, the Jumpsteady Boys epitomizes “global folk” music. Originally formed to represent the American string band tradition at this year’s Australian National Folk Festival in Canberra, the Jumpsteady Boys made their North American debut at the 2011 Celtic Colours Festival in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Molsky is “one of America’s premier fiddling talents” (Mother Jones) and a twice-Grammynominated artist. On the road more than 200 days a year, Mol-
sky tours the world solo, with Andy Irvine and Dònal Lunny’s Mozaik, as a trio with Aly Bain and Ale Möller, with The Old-Time Kozmik Trio, (Darol Anger and Rushad Eggleston) and in a new trio with Tony Trischka and Michael Daves. 1865, a new collaborative CD of Civil War-era music with the cappella quartet Anonymous 4, is coming in January. With seven solo CDs behind him, No Depression called Bruce’s latest solo CD If It Ain’t Here When I Get Back “an album from an absolute master.” Mandolinist Compton is a prolific composer and has made an indelible mark within the greater old-time and bluegrass music communities. A longtime collaborator with the late and highly regarded John Hartford, Compton is a member of
the Hartford String Band, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and has toured and recorded with rock singer-songwriter Elvis Costello. A multiple Grammy Award-winner, Compton treasures his memories with mentor Bill Monroe. Newberry is best known for his powerful and innovative banjo playing but is also an award-winning guitarist, fiddler and singer. In addition to his work with the Jumpsteady Boys, Newberry plays in a duo with Compton and with string band Big Medicine. A respected session player, Newberry’s songwriting work regularly appears on the bluegrass charts. A Missouri native, he teaches and performs at festivals at home in North Carolina and abroad. Multi-instrumentalist Stefanini’s keen interest in American
sible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. We also owe our thanks to our sponsors and our 400 volunteers (over 400!). Thank you all for keeping us going. Be there. Be square.
music was strong enough to make him move from his native Italy to the United States in the 1980s. He established the Wildcats with Carol Elizabeth Jones and Stefan Senders, and together the trio toured Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei for the U.S. Information Agency. Later Ste-
fanini, along with Molsky, and Dirk Powell, formed the L-7s, a trio of power fiddlers. When Beverly Smith replaced Powell three years later, Big Hoedown was born. Big Hoedown toured as far as Finland and Germany, and were featured on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion.
“See the Tower Garden in action at our booth near The Gathering Place and attend a FREE Juice Plus demonstration during the festival in the Ranch House at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.”
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Festival rules and policies Under the terms of admission, you enter the grounds on your own responsibility and assume all related risks. All federal, state and local laws will apply. Wristbands must be worn on wrists at all times.
BALSAM RANGE It’s been said the loudest word in the world is your own name. It’s who you are, it’s how you have been identified to the world and it’s a huge part of your selfperception. Place-names can create strong mental images and add building blocks of self-identity that underscore a treasured sense of “where I’m from” or “who I really am.” These powerful feelings of place to which mountain folk cling help define a sense of home shared by those who live there. Such is the name Balsam Range to a group of five outstanding acoustic musicians and singers from North Carolina. For their band name, they thoughtfully and respectfully adopted the name of a majestic range of
mountains that surround part of their home county of Haywood, N.C. where the Smokies meet the Blue Ridge – the Balsam Range. Adding to an already impressive list of awards and honors, the band received numerous top honors in the 2014 IBMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year. Balsam Range was also honored as Vocal Group of the Year. Buddy Melton was named Male Vocalist of the Year, and Tim Surrett received a Mentor Award. The band’s fifth album, Five, made its Billboard Chart debut at #4 and remained on the chart for six weeks. Balsam Range also consistently tops radio airplay lists with its history of top singles. Balsam Range is
Admission to the festival grounds will be permitted between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. only Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 6-9. Advanced festival admission to the grounds will be permitted between 2-10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2 and between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, Aug. 3-5. The gate will be closed to admission at all other times. comprised of five gifted friends who all hail from western North Carolina. Surrett plays bass and will occasionally share his talents on the resonator guitar. A stellar fiddler, Buddy Melton is also one of the most gifted tenor voices in Bluegrass and Americana today. With his envied guitar style, Caleb Smith has been called “one of the top young guns of guitar.” Darren Nicholson is a gifted mandolin player and harmony singer with tremendous enthusiasm for American heritage music. Grammy Awardwinner Marc Pruett brilliantly complements the ensemble with the intuitive, traditional three-finger style that has made him one of music’s most admired banjo players.
Shuttle service You may have noticed various shuttles at the festival. There are three main routes. One runs through the reserved camping area, one to the day parking lots and the south half of rough camping, and the third covers the north half of rough camping. All routes end at the main venue area dropoff
point within easy walking to the Main Stage concert area, Marketplace Stage, Showcase Tent, Family Area, Workshop Area and the Gathering Place. The shuttles are free. But please, children should ride only when accompanied by an adult, no dogs are allowed and no smoking either. There are racks
for your coolers, instruments and lawn chairs. Look for the “shuttle stop” signs. Trolley stops are marked with a big “T” on the published festival maps. Shuttles will operate from 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday, 10 a.m. to midnight Friday; 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
All vehicles shall be parked in one of three places: 1.) day parking (if you are attending for the day); 2.) your campsite (if you are staying overnight), or 3.) in handicapped parking (by request only). All vehicles in day parking lots must be removed by midnight each day. Vehicles left overnight may be towed. Campfires are allowed only in campground-provided fire rings or suitable off-the-ground fire containers. Where fire rings are not installed, you must provide your own suitable off-the-ground fire container. Fires must not be left unattended. No firewood will be allowed to be brought into the campground. Campfire wood will be available for purchase on the grounds. No roping of sites is allowed in the rough camping area. Tents or vehicles must occupy space. Generator hours are 9 a.m. to noon and 5 to 7 p.m. daily. No generator running is allowed at other times except in 24-hour generator area. Generators must be spark-arrested and meet guidelines for use within Minnesota state parks. Wash-Machine Field is a generator-free zone where generator use is not allowed at any time.
The swimming beach is for campers’ use only. No lifeguard is on duty so please supervise your children. The beach closes at dusk. No glass, vehicles or pets are allowed on the beach. The main concert area (including the Food Court, the Family Area, all public tents and buildings, and the trolleys) are non-smoking areas. Absolutely no fireworks of any kind are allowed on the festival grounds or in the campgrounds. No alcohol is allowed in the main concert/vending area. You may be asked to open containers for inspection upon entry. Pets are not allowed in the main concert/vending area. Pets must be leashed or enclosed in campers or cages in all other areas. Pets are not allowed on the beach. All debris from your pet must be picked up. The MBOTMA Festival reserves the right to ask any pet be removed from the premises if there are any problems or disturbances, especially barking. You may leave your chair in place all weekend, however the MBOTMA Festival will not be responsible for chairs or other items left unattended in the concert area. If you leave the concert area, we consider it to be “Minnesota nice” to allow others to occupy your chair until you return. Please, no sun umbrellas in the concert area. All individuals entering camp on Thursday are required to have a Thursday-Sunday ticket package. Individuals entering camp on Friday are required to have at least a Friday-Sunday ticket package. Individuals entering camp on Saturday are required to have a Saturday-Sunday ticket package. No camping will be allowed with single-day tickets.
Excessive noise, use of foul language or other rowdy behavior will not be tolerated and will be grounds for ejection.
The rough camping area will not be open until 2 p.m. on the Sunday prior to the opening of the festival. Prior to Thursday night, rough campers are subject to a per-night fee of $15/person (with a maximum of $30), payable to El Rancho Mañana.
The Family Area should be considered a family affair. Please attend events with your children.
All campers under 18 years of age must camp with, and be supervised by, a responsible adult.
No gas- or electric-powered cycles, dune buggies, go-carts, ATVs or other personal vehicles are allowed on the grounds. If you have special accessibility needs, please contact the festival administration at 1-800-635-3037 prior to the festival so we can best accommodate your needs. Use of private motorized handicapped vehicles is allowed under certain conditions.
Monte’s Meadow, and other portions of rough camping adjacent to the day parking area, is designated as a quiet camping area. Noise, including instrument playing, will not be allowed after 10 p.m. in these areas.
Use of bicycles is limited to daylight hours only.
Campers, please bag your garbage in yellow bags, aluminum in white bags and leave them along the road to be picked up nightly between 6 and 8 p.m.
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BUCKING MULES Like the creature that inspires their name, the Bucking Mules can buck, snort and throw down some traditional old-time music from the South. Drawing from a deep study of old 78s and visits with an older generation of musicians, the band distills the essence of the tradition into driving performances that appeal to contemporary audiences. Their old-time sounds have won over audiences at some of the biggest bluegrass and folk festivals around. With roots in Tennessee and Virginia and experience on stages all over the country, the band knows how to bust down on a fiddle tune, how to get square dancers moving and how to belt out a beautiful old song. The band is comprised of some of the most exciting and accomplished players in the genre today. Together and in-
dividually, they are experienced and engaging performers. Their sets combine sizzling fiddle and banjo-based tunes with traditional songs in harmony. Joseph Decosimo (fiddle, banjo and vocals) was raised on Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau. Decosimo is keeping the old-time music traditions of his region alive. In high school and college, he sought out the older fiddlers and banjo players of his region, learning as much as he could from them. Rather than presenting the music as a museum piece, he injects new life into the old tunes. He has shared his driving old-time music at festivals, camps and venues throughout the country. His fiddling has won blue ribbons at some of the most prestigious fiddle contests in the South including the Appalachian Stringband Festival (Clifftop). A
dedicated teacher of the music, he served on the faculty in East Tennessee State University’s Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Studies Program. Luke Richardson’s (banjo, harmonica and vocals) music rolls with the arresting and subtle beauty of the hills around his family’s farm in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. With an intuitive ability to match the fiddle, Richardson manages to push the music along with grace, ease and remarkable drive. His banjo playing has earned him a National Old-Time Banjo Championship and a handful of blue ribbons. Currently living in Brooklyn, he is an in-demand old-time musician. Karen Celia Heil (guitar and vocals) is a fixture in the West Coast old-time scene. She began her pilgrimages to the Appalachian Southeast about a decade ago
in order to immerse herself in the music of the region. She is a guitarist with a fiddler’s brain and has the rare ability to drive a tune while
laying out the perfect foundation for a fiddler. Celia Heil’s emotive vocals add to the Bucking Mules distinctive sound. As an accomplished
singer, fiddler, guitarist and bass player, she has added energy to performances and dances on both the East and the West Coast.
Festival first aid To make the Minnesota Bluegrass & OldTime Music Festival the safest possible for you and your family, we have professional medical personnel on duty 24 hours from 6 p.m. Thursday through 6 p.m. Sunday. If you need assistance
or advice for minor medical needs, come by the medical-service station located adjacent to the festival headquarters tent and just across from the main shuttle stop. For more serious problems, we have a First Responder service that will come and assist you.
You can contact any of the festival volunteers at the various entertainment venues if you need help. For purposes of making your own 911 call, you should know that you are at El Rancho Mañana, 27302 Ranch Road in Richmond, Minn.
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36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
EDDIE & MARTHA ADCOCK with TOM GRAY Eddie Adcock played with Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, then with The Country Gentlemen, before teaming up with Martha to become the “biggest little band in bluegrass,” appearing on stages around the country, including on Austin City Limits. Tom Gray, another Country Gentlemen alum and formerly with the Seldom Scene and Legends of the Potomac, will reunite with Eddie and Martha on Saturday night. In 2008, Adcock made headline news for something other than his picking prowess. His hands had developed a rhythmic shaking known as “essential tremor,”
a nervous system disorder. Although not generally dangerous, the condition made it impossible for Eddie to play his banjo. He underwent deep-brain stimulation, a surgical procedure that placed electrodes in his brain to shut down the region causing the shaking. He had to be awake during the painful three-and-a-half hour procedure, and played his banjo to guide doctors in placing the electrodes. “I knew when he hit the sweet spot, and that was it,” Adcock said. Here’s the web address of a news report of the operation. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=rqWBDHRvHrQ.
Prescription Bluegrass said: “One of the most dynamic bluegrass-and-beyond string trios you’ll ever enjoy, Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray are joining together for several very special tours this year. . . Excitingly original, warm and intimate, rooted in their traditional heritage while often cruising the stratosphere, they always deliver the goods!” In 2011, together with a few notable friends, including Missy Raines, Gene Johnson, Wes Easter and Pete Kuykendall, they recorded Many a Mile, a fine reprise of a number of Country Gentlemen songs.
Stay nimble with morning yoga Lucy Weberling is the founder of Inner Smile Yoga located in Tulsa, Okla. She is a 200-hour certified yoga instructor educated at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Mass., and is registered with the Yoga Alliance. Both organizations are dedicated to maintaining the integrity of yoga teaching. Weberling is also a
long- time bluegrass musician and festival-goer, and is therefore well-versed in the rigors of the festival lifestyle. She will lead a morning yoga session at 10 a.m. both Friday and Saturday at the Showcase Tent. Come stretch your body, relax your mind, calm your spirit and prepare for another grueling festival day of fun.
Banjos – Africa to the New World Exhibit If you’ve ever wanted to see and learn the history of the banjo, complete with historic instruments, here’s your chance. This year we are privileged to have at the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival a traveling, hands-on exhibit
assembled by banjo builder Bob Thornburg of Bishop, Calif. The display features eraaccurate replicas of early banjos and traces the development of the instrument from its African roots to the New World. Eventually, banjos were mass-
River of Life Church 22881 178th Ave. Cold Spring, MN 56320
produced in American factories, but the early instruments are as diverse in materials as they are in character. This outstanding collection of 23 instruments spans a period of more than 300 years and illustrates the amazing history of this popular
instrument. The Banjos – Africa to the New World is a one-time festival exhibit not to be missed. The display booth is located just north of the Gathering Place on the walk to the main stage and will be open during daylight hours.
Sunday, Aug. 9 9 & 10:30 a.m. Worship Services
WWW.RIVEROFLIFEAG.ORG
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HIGH 48S
RED MOLLY
Americana powerhouse vocal trio Red Molly is known for their gorgeous harmonies, crisp musicianship, infectious songwriting and warm, engaging stage presence. Laurie MacAllister (bass), Abbie Gardner (dobro), and Molly Venter (guitar) weave together the threads of American music – from folk roots to bluegrass, from heartbreaking ballads to barn-burning honky tonk – as effortlessly as they blend their caramel voices into their signature soaring, crystalline three-part harmonies. Organic musicianship, a respect for the traditions of American music and an obvious love of crafting music together lend a joyous atmosphere to their legendary live performances and a natural balance to their studio recordings. Gracing stages from Denver to Denmark, from Australia to Austin, Red Molly is renowned for their live shows. Four-time featured artist at MerleFest,
breakout stars at RockyGrass, and the darlings of the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, the “Mollies” bring audiences to their feet, whether it’s on a grand festival stage or in an intimate concert hall. Their latest CD, The Red Album, realized on May 27, 2014, was featured in USA Today and CMT Edge. It spent 16 weeks on the Americana Radio Top 40 chart, reaching #10, and it was #1 on the Folk DJ Radio Chart for all of 2014. “Femme Phenom! No root from the grand tree of music is left untouched – classic country heartbreak, undeniable swing, authentic folk, gospel rock with an edge, Americana stomp. With smart production, a strong thread runs throughout the album and every note sung is upheld on cosmic harmony. Red Molly is unstoppable. Highly recommended.” – Mary Sue Twohy, SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Since forming in 2006, the High 48s have been making music that combines the soulful sound of classic bluegrass with a modern attitude, original songs and a wide range of influences far beyond Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers and Flatt & Scruggs. In a genre created and dominated by artists from the South, the High 48s were born and raised in the Upper Midwest. And in a music scene where playing standards is the norm, the High 48s are a band of songwriters who perform their own material in addition to the “festival favorites.” The group is comprised of Rich Casey (bass), Eric Christopher (fiddle and vocals), Mike Hedding (mandolin and vocals), Marty Marrone (guitar and lead vocals) and Anthony Ihrig (banjo). The band takes its
name from railroad slang for the boxcars originally used to transport troops on the front lines in WWI that could carry 40 soldiers or 8 horses, and were later used in the U.S. on fast-moving “hot shot” freight trains by train hoppers looking for work during the Great Depression. In the winter of 2014, the High 48s honored their namesake by recording an album of
Armadillo Sound & Design Armadillo Sound & Design provides the high-quality sound reinforcement for both the Main Stage and the Showcase Tent at the Minnesota Bluegrass & OldTime Music Festival. The company was established in 1986 by Doug Lohman to specialize in providing production (sound and lights) for acoustic-music events. Lohman has more than 40 years experience as a musician, having performed many styles of music, such as hootenanny,
acoustic rock, country rock, blues, bluegrass, folk, swing and Cajun. Lohman brings to his love of music of all genres the production of sound, and his technicians focus on making the voices and instruments as clear as possible to allow the audience to fully appreciate what the performers are doing. This love for the music and attention to detail are what sets Armadillo apart. You can visit them at www. ArmadilloSound.com.
train songs in Nashville with Grammy-winning engineer and producer Randy Kohrs (Jim Lauderdale). The album features songs from the likes of Greg Brown, Robin and Linda Williams, Becky Schlegel, Darrell Scott, Muddy Waters and the 48s’ own Ihrig and Christopher. This album is the 48s’ sixth release and the culmination of many years of hard
work. With band members who honed their bluegrass chops playing with Grammy-nominees Special Consensus and traditional bluegrass legend James King, as well as the many road miles logged since their win at the RockyGrass Band Competition in 2008 brought them national recognition, the 48s have never sounded better.
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36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
GOOD INTENTIONS Led by Chris Silver, the Good Intentions are inspired by the sounds of Hot Rize, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Tony Rice and JD. Crowe. The Good Intentions deliver traditional bluegrass with polish and drive. The band plays songs from the bluegrass masters as well as material penned by Silver. Soulful original arrangements of their songs have already established the band in the hearts of the Midwest bluegrass community. Their success
is based on the complimentary picking and singing skills of some of the bestknown names in the area’s bluegrass scene. Formerly of the bands Stoney Lonesome, Tangled Roots and the Kate Mackenzie Band, Silver plays fiddle and mandolin with a deep appreciation for traditional bluegrass music, but it doesn’t stop there. His solos stretch beyond the boundaries of bluegrass, including hints of jazz, blues and roots music. He has amassed a credible-sized discography featuring bluegrass, Americana and global acoustic styles. Banjo player Heath Loy enjoyed growing up in a “bluegrass music household.” Loy’s fiddle-playing father, Bob Loy, owned a music store in Rochester and was one of the founders of the Minnesota Bluegrass Music Association. Loy’s playing is rich with the styles of J D. Crowe, Earl Scruggs and Ralph Stanley. He also performs with his
wife, Becky Schlegel. Guitarist Mike Cramer is a music major from the University of Northern Iowa. His award-winning flatpicking technique has earned him championship titles in both the Minnesota State Fair Flatpicking Competition and Wisconsin’s Upper-Midwest Flatpicking Contest. Cramer is a four-tool player who is as comfortable playing jazz standards as he is playing instrumentals from Bill Monroe. His technique is fluid and powerful. J.D. Shaffer holds down the bass role with precision and tone. A fellow music program graduate from the University of Northern Iowa, he sings tenor in a clear and powerful voice. Some of that ability might be related to his training in classical and opera techniques. He has the unique ability to blend with any vocal style and his range seems limitless. He also sings lead vocals on a couple of the group’s contemporary tunes.
Bluegrass Karaoke is back It was so much fun last year we wanted to do it again. Bluegrass Karaoke is back! This year it will be on Friday starting at 12:30 p.m. in the Showcase Tent. With the Good Intentions as your back-up band, this will be your chance to get up and sing with some of the best. Festival attendees will get a chance to pick a song and join the band onstage to show off their talents. This event is open to all ages that can carry a tune, an instrument or both. Participants will be en-
couraged to choose a vocal selection (within the realm of bluegrass or related “standards”), although instrumental pieces are also welcome. Sign-up will be available starting at 9 a.m. Friday in the Gathering Place and should there be open spots after that time, you can find the sign-up sheet at the Showcase Tent starting at noon. Please note: these five-minute time slots are designed for individual performers. We hope you’ll join us for this great addition to our festival.
36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
A Showcase Tent Preview Presented by
With its stage, large dance floor and room for several hundred people, the Showcase Tent provides an opportunity to hold some unique events as well as nightly dances. It will be an even bigger attraction for the 2015 festival because this is the year of dance! These so called “showcases” are special shows or demonstrations usually revolving around a theme or an instrument. Several performers of the same instrument but different bands, for example, are brought together to share the intricacies of their instrument. This is a forum for musicians to talk about their instruments, influences, techniques and style, as well as to demonstrate their craft in an informal manner. It is also a forum for festival-goers to ask questions and talk with the performers. At night the Showcase Tent becomes a dance hall, and we have some great dances planned including square, oldtime barn, Cajun, swing, honky-tonk, and even a polka dance. In the morning it becomes an exercise yard with the return of Lucy Weberling and Inner Smiles Yoga. On Sunday it becomes a church with a nondenominational service. Below is a showcase tent schedule for the 2015 Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival. THURSDAY • 7 p.m. - Bluegrass Jamcamp Student Recitals FRIDAY • 10 a.m. - Yoga Session with certified Kripalu yoga instructor Weberling. • 12:30 p.m. – Bluegrass Karaoke with the Good Intentions. • 2 p.m. – Old-Time Banjo Masters Showcase. Joseph Deco-
simo (Bucking Mules), Luke Richardson (Bucking Mules), Bruce Molsky (Jumpsteady Boys), Rafe Stefanini (Jumpsteady Boys), and Joe Newberry (Jumpsteady Boys) • 3 p.m. – OldTime Fiddle Masters Showcase. AJ Srubas ( B o o t l i c k e r s ) , Roggenkamp Note: The following Molsky (Jumpthree showcases will steady Boys), Stefanini be held at the Under(Jumpsteady Boys), ground. and Decosimo (Buck• 2:15 p.m. – Unusual ing Mules). Instruments Show• 4 p.m. – Mandolin Mascase. Harmonica with ters Showcase. Mike Richardson (Bucking Compton (Jumpsteady Mules), Cajun triangle Boys), Darren Nicholwith Paul Loughridge son (Balsam Range), (New Riverside RamBruce Bernhardt (Fish blers), washboard Heads), and John Bowith Julie King (The dle (Ivory Bridge). Guilty Pleasures), bon• 5 p.m. – Harmony gos with Mike Monson Singing Showcase with (The Fish Heads). Balsam Range. Balsam Range are not only the • 3 p.m. – Bluegrass Fiddle Masters Show2014 IBMA Entertainers case. Buddy Melton of the Year, they also (Balsam Range), Chris won the Vocal Group of Silver (Good Intenthe Year award. You’ll tions), Tim O’Brien see why when they (Hot Rize). showcase their talent in this harmony sing- • 4 p.m. – Flatpicking Guitar Champions ing session. Showcase. Bill Liners • 6 p.m – Swing Dance (Ivory Bridge), Silver with the Hula Peppers. (Good Intentions), • 7 p.m. – Old-Time Mike Cramer (Good Barn Dance with the Intentions), Bryan SutBootlickers and caller ton (Hot Rize). Sarah York. • 8:45 p.m. – Dance with Meanwhile, back at the music by the Bucking Showcase Tent: Mules and caller Rina • 4 p.m. – Cajun Dance Rossi. Basics Workshop. Kar• 11 p.m. – Honky Tonk en Kleinspehn teaches Dance with Bernie King basic Cajun-style two& The Guilty Pleasures. steps and waltzes. This workshop will SATURDAY get you set for Sat• 10 a.m. - Yoga Session. urday night’s Cajun With certified Kripalu dance. yoga instructor Weber• 5 p.m. – Country Genling. tleman Remembrance. • Noon – Clogging ShowEddie & Martha Adcase & Workshop with cock with Tom Gray. the Wild Goose Chase Join these three vetCloggers. erans in a little remi• 1 p.m. – Square Dance niscing about the days Basics Workshop with when the Country TBA. Gentlemen changed • 2 p.m. – Old-Time Polbluegrass forever. ka Dance with the Nite Owls plus special guest • 6 p.m. – Bluegrass Banjo Masters ShowEric Roggenkamp. case. Marc Pruett
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Reserved Camping Area
(Balsam Range), Eddie Adcock (Adcocks & Gray), Peter Wernick (Hot Rize), and Brian Ford (The Fish Heads). • 7:30 p.m. – Old-Time Square Dance with music by the Jumpsteady Boys and caller
Terrence Smith. • 9:30 p.m. – Dance with the Wild Goose Chase Cloggers & Rooster Riot with caller Sarah York. • 11 p.m. – Cajun Dance with music from New Riverside Ramblers.
SUNDAY • 9:30 a.m. – Bluegrass Worship Service with host Richard Dugan. • Noon – Dance Floor Teardown Party. Come help us tear down and pack up the dance floor for next year.
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36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
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36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
Hands-On Workshops
shops. Level A on Friday at 1 p.m. with JD Shaffer (Good Intentions). Level B on Friday at 1 p.m. with Rich Casey (High 48s). Bass (Old-Time) Workshops. Level A on Friday at noon with Meredith McIntosh (Bucking Mules). Level B on Friday at noon with Rina Rossi (Bootlickers). Dobro Workshops. Level A on Friday at 3 p.m. with Abbie Gardner (Red Molly). Level B on Friday at 3 p.m. with Holger Olesen (Porcupine Creek). Fiddle (Bluegrass) Workshops. Level A on Friday at 11 a.m. with Buddy Melton (Balsam Range). Level B on Friday at 11 a.m. with Eric Christopher (High 48s). Fiddle (Old-Time) Workshops. Level A on Saturday at 11 a.m. with Bruce Molsky
(Jumpsteady Boys). Level B on Saturday at 11 a.m. with AJ Srubas (New Riverside Ramblers). Guitar (Bluegrass) Workshops. Level A on Friday at 2 p.m. with Marty Marrone (High 48s) and on Saturday at 1 p.m. with Caleb Smith (Balsam Range). Level B on Saturday at 1 p.m. with Sandi Millar. Guitar (Old-Time) Workshops. Level B on Friday at 2 p.m. with Karen Celia (Bucking Mules). Mandolin (Bluegrass) Workshops. Level A on Saturday at 2 p.m. with Darren Nicholson (Balsam Range). Level B on Friday at 5 p.m. with Elizabeth Ophoven (Ivory Bridge) and on Saturday at 2 p.m. with Chuck Millar. Harmonica Workshops. All Levels on Saturday at 5 p.m. with Luke Richardson (Bucking Mules). Harmony Singing Workshops. All levels on Friday at 4 p.m. with Kathe Liners (Ivory Bridge). Cajun Button Accordion Workshops. All Levels on Saturday at 5 p.m. with John Terr (New Riverside Ramblers). Juice Plus Presentation Clinic. Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. – Ranch House. Find
tures of jams at campsites. Only one photo will be accepted per person. Photos need to be 300dpi high resolution JPGs, and all submissions will become property of MBOTMA. The MBOTMA Festival Staff will review all entries and
nominate the best to be contest finalists. These finalists will be displayed at the Harvest Jam Saturday Nov. 21. During the banquet reception and dinner participants will vote on a winner. So start taking those pics now!
Presented by My Favorite Guitars
Workshops at the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival are meant to be “hands-on” workshops (H.O.W.). In other words, they are for people to bring their instrument, get it out, and actually learn something they didn’t know before. That is not going to happen with just one instructor and a large crowd of people, so we limit each of these workshops to seven pre-registered people. That is why there are only eight chairs at each workshop tent. To sort out who gets to sit in one of those chairs, you must reserve a spot by signing up ahead of time at the workshop tent. Sign-up sheets for the day will be posted at the workshop tent at 9:45 a.m. each day. Advanced level work-
shops (tent A) are intended for players with several years experience and beginning level (tent B) workshops are intended for those just starting out. If you’re not lucky enough to be one of the seven, or you are interested but don’t have an instrument, you are welcome to “audit” the workshop by standing and observing from the back. Banjo (Bluegrass) Workshops. Level A on Saturday at 3 p.m. with Heath Loy (Good Intentions). Level B on Saturday at 3 p.m. with John Bodle (Ivory Bridge). Banjo (Old-Time) Workshops. Level A on Saturday at noon with Joe Newberry (Jumpsteady Boys). Level B on Saturday at noon with Rafe Stefanini (Jumpsteady Boys). Bass (Bluegrass) Work-
Festival photo contest Who wouldn’t want to win two four-day tickets to the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival? If you like to take photos, then this is your chance to enter your best shot in our photo contest and win tickets to our 2016 festi-
val. Anyone can enter. Just submit your photo JPG to photos@minnesotabluegrass.org by Nov. 1. Photos can be of any aspect of the 2015 Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival, from acts on the main stage to random pic-
out what it’s all about at this informational presentation by our new Saturday Mainstage sponsor. Bill Cagley-led SloJams. Friday 11 a.m. (beginner) and 3 p.m. (intermediate), Saturday noon (young folks) and 3 p.m. (beginner). Cagley will host slow jams on both Friday and Saturday. These are a great way for beginners to get a taste of playing with others. He will intro all the songs, call out the chords as you go, and generally lead everyone through a great time. The young-folks jam will be in the Family Area and the others at the Gathering Place. Square Dance Basics Workshop. Saturday 1 p.m. – Showcase Tent. Have you ever thought about trying this out? Now is the time. TBA will show you how easy and fun square dancing can be, and you’ll be ready for all the evening’s barn dances. No partner needed, come as you are. Cajun Dance Basics Workshop. Saturday 4 p.m. – Showcase Tent. The New
13 Riverside Ramblers will provide music while Karen Kleinspehn teaches the basics of Cajun-style dancing. This workshop will get you set for the dance on Saturday night. Songwriters Round Robin with Paul Schulte. 5 p.m Friday and 4 p.m Saturday – Workshop Tent A. This is an opportunity to share your original music in an acoustic non-amplified setting. Participants will have the option to give a one- to two-minute introduction to their song, then play their song, and then we’ll move on to the next songwriter’s song. Just show up and do it! Ukulele Workshops and Jam. Join the Bartig Brothers on Saturday for one of their ukulele workshops at the Gathering Place (11 a.m. for beginners and 1 p.m. for intermediate players) and then for the Uke Jam at the marketplace at 5 p.m. Don’t have a uke? They’ll supply you with one to try out for the workshops. Warning: Uke playing can be addictive!
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36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
Win a banjo, guitar, mandolin or ukulele Don’t forget to test your luck by purchasing a ticket for the MBOTMA raffle. You choose your prize by placing your ticket in the appropriate bucket for each prize. The winner for each prize will be drawn and announced from the main stage at 2:25 p.m. Sunday afternoon. You do not need to be present to win. In addition to the main prizes, we’ll be drawing throughout the weekend for additional prizes that will be on display at the raffle booth in the main concert area. What are the four main prizes? David Vincent Guitars has provided a handmade David Vincent Grand Concert Guitar. It’s valued at $3,500. Nechville Music has provided a Nechville-customized Moonshine EX DLX Five-
String Banjo valued at $3,000. Steve Boeh has provided a great Stephens imported Mandolin valued at $450, and Jim Whitney, a longtime MBOTMA member, has provided a Kala C Ukulele valued at $400. Tickets are $10 so stop by and try your luck while supporting the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association. And while you are at the raffle table, become a member of MBOTMA. Members receive 12 monthly issues of Minnesota Bluegrass Magazine, discounts on tickets for our events and much more.
THE BOOTLICKERS The Bootlickers are a Minneapolis-based oldtime string band. They play tunes and songs from many regions of the country for concerts and square dances. This high-energy band will surely get your toes tapping. Lee Guthrie (fiddle, ukulele and vocals) said, “I got started playing oldtime music in eighth grade when my dad brought a banjo home from an antique store. I learned to play with Pete Seeger’s book How to Play the FiveString Banjo, one of the few resources available at the time. Playing this music has changed my life in the best way and I’m having more fun than ever.” A.J. Srubas (fiddle, mandolin and vocals) is from Green Bay, Wis. and has been playing fiddle since a young boy. He grew up in a musical family playing mostly Irish music. At the end of his teens, he began to get interested in other styles of fiddle-like old-
time, bluegrass and Cajun. Currently he teaches fiddle at the Center for Irish Music and plays regularly with the Bootlickers, New Riverside Ramblers and the Two Tap Trio. Aaron Tacke (banjo and vocals) is from Fargo, N.D. and started learning to play and build banjos from his mentor, Dave. Tacke moved to Minnesota back in 2012 to attend the violin-repair program at Southeast Technical College in Red Wing. After completing both the violin and guitar programs, he moved to Minneapolis. Along with playing with the Bootlickers, he works part time at Peace Coffee and is starting his own instrument company. Arne Pelto (guitar and vocals) is originally from the Iron Range in northern Minnesota. When he moved to the Twin Cities area, he was introduced to old-time music. Here, he met his future bandmates amid a thriving squaredance and fiddle-music
community. When he isn’t tearing it up on guitar with the Bootlickers, he works as a gardener and groundskeeper at Camrose Hill Flower Farm. Rina Rossi (bass and vocals) hails from Ann Arbor, Mich., where in high school she learned to play bass in orchestra. When she left for college at Macalester, her bass playing went on a brief hiatus. During this time she discovered her love of old-time fiddle music and dance. She started dancing
with the Wild Goose Chase Cloggers and took up fiddle. Eventually she started playing bass again. She is still a member of the cloggers but now plays fiddle in their band. On top of being a great singer, bass player and fiddler, Rossi is a sought-after dance caller. She has called all around the Midwest and frequently calls at the Monday Night Square Dance at the Eagles Club in Minneapolis. Rossi’s day job is to coordinate after school for Seward Montessori.
The Family Area
Presented by Gruber Pallets
The Family Area has become a festival tradition for many of the families that attend the festival. In addition to the stage shows that are intended for a wide range of ages, there will be games, contests and craft projects too. Each day at the Family Area will start at 10 a.m. with a scheduled craft and kid-friendly area to play some rhythm instruments, sing some songs, and, weather permitting, hold a Maypole dance. Then one of the highlights of the Family Area will be the “Pick Up and Play An Instrument” at 10:30 a.m. both Friday and Saturday mornings. This is a handson workshop-style event and anyone can join in. Our friends from Sloughgrass will help you and even loan you an instrument to learn a tune on. At 11:30 a.m. you’ll play your tune in the Big Jam with
The Hula Peppers everyone else. The family-friendly stage shows start around noon each day. On Friday we’ll see the Hula Peppers, One Ukulele and a Family Dance with Tim Jenkins. On Saturday it’s the Long Shots, Barton’s Hollow and Porcupine Creek. Both days will feature a Young People’s Jam led by Tim Jenkins on Friday and Bill Cagley on Saturday. The Wild Goose Chase Cloggers and the Wailing Loons will finish things up on Sunday. The Family Area Talent Show will be back on both Friday and Saturday at 1:30 p.m. One act will be selected each day to do a “tweener” spot on the
main stage later in the day. And we intend to create various categories for all runners-up that highlight their particular talents and foster a positive experience for all participants. Watch for many additional activities to be posted on the board just outside the Family Area. There will be ongoing activities like crafts, painting and various projects from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and our joyful clean-up at 2 p.m. There will be some kind of treat for everyone to look forward to when we’re all done, and one last good song or dance before we all split up for another year. Come join our family.
36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
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BERNIE KING & THE GUILTY PLEASURES
Bernie King & the Guilty Pleasures might be tough to bracket but they are sure easy to enjoy. A little bit blues, a little bit bluegrass, a little bit rock and a little bit kitchen sink, a style of music that some fans have come to call “blues-grass.” You’ll hear some great original songs inspired by the styles of
Shane McGowan, Johnny Cash, The Rolling Stones and Bill Monroe. With a rough-and-tumble mix of guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, washboard, snare drum and accordion, Bernie King & the Guilty Pleasures are exactly what the doctor ordered. The band came into being in early 2010 when
they put together a group for a local jugband contest. The synergy between original members Bernie King, Julie King, Matt Smith and John Kurtis Dehn was so natural and right they decided to keep on making great music as a band. And that’s exactly what they did as witnessed by the release of two great albums, 2012’s Bernie King & the Guilty Pleasures and 2014’s Pretty Little Gal. 2014 was a big year for the band as they dominated Reverbnation’s bluegrass category sitting in the #1 spot for more than 10 months right through year’s end and into 2015 for the Twin Cities area. 2014 saw a change as original bass-
ist Matt Smith retired to focus on his photography and the band welcomed new bassist Bradley Smith. Smith’s up-tempo style was an immediate perfect fit and kept the band right on track for bigger and better things. Up for the coming year are many great events you’ll want to check out on the Shows tab. Also they’ll be previewing some new tracks for their next release on the Music tab along with some of their current favorites. The Band: Bernie King (singing, guitar and songwriting), John Kurtis Dehn (guitar, mandolin, banjo and singing), Julie King (percussion and accordion), Bradley Smith (bass).
Join the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association
This festival is produced by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association Inc., a non-profit organization with more than 1,000 members. You can find out how you can join and receive the benefits of membership such as ticket discounts, a subscription to Minnesota Bluegrass Magazine and more at the MBOTMA Raffle and Mem-
bership booth in the Main Stage Area. Anyone can join, and it’s a great way to get involved and support the preservation and promotion of bluegrass and old-time string-band music in Minnesota. MBOTMA produces four other festivals in addition to this festival. MBOTMA’s Winter Bluegrass Weekend is the first weekend in March and held at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West in Plymouth. The Minnesota Homegrown Kickoff is always the weekend after
Memorial Day right here at El Rancho Mañana. The Harvest Jam Acoustic Music Experience is the weekend before Thanksgiving at the Marriott Minneapolis West. And the Cabin Fever Festival is tentatively scheduled for March 18-20, 2016 in Duluth. MBOTMA also produces the Minnesota Bluegrass Duet Championships at the Minnesota State Fair on Labor Day weekend and numerous concerts throughout the state as part of the Bluegrass Minnesota Community Concert Series
and the Lonely Pines Concert Series. You don’t need to be a member to receive information about our events. Stop by the MBOTMA booth or call us at 800-635-3037 and ask to be on our mailing list to receive a postcard about any upcoming events in your area. Or email us at info@minnesotabluegrass. org and ask to receive our monthly email calendar of events. You can also keep track of everything happening on our website at www. minnesotabluegrass.org.
A fun destination for all your shopping! Specialty Foods • Religious Items • Home Decor Toys • Purses • Flowers • Balloons • and more!
320-828-1643 531 Main St., Holdingford (Right next to the Wobegon Trail)
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
NEW RIVERSIDE RAMBLERS The New Riverside Ramblers band brings high-energy Cajun dance music from the prairies and bayous of south Louisiana up the Mississippi River to the MinneapolisSt. Paul area. The band’s compelling version of Cajun French music blends many influences from different south Louisiana communities, and includes two-steps, waltzes and blues. The members of the band have been immersed in Cajun music for many years. They have studied and performed with Cajun music greats such as Dew-
ey Balfa, Tracy Schwarz, Steve Riley, Marc and Ann Savoy, DL Menard, Eddie LeJeune, Calvin Carriere, Lionel Leleux and others. The New Riverside Ramblers has been playing together for more than 25 years for dances, festivals, parties and other special events. Members of the group include Eric Mohring (fiddle and vocals), John Terr (Cajun accordion), Karen Kleinspehn (rhythm guitar), Doug Lohman (bass), Paul Loughridge (drums and triangle) and A.J. Srubas (fiddle).
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36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
WILD GOOSE CHASE CLOGGERS
The Wild Goose Chase Cloggers is a non-profit organization that promotes traditional Appalachian clogging by offering concerts and workshops anywhere it can find an audience. It was established in 1979 and consists of 12 energetic dancers accompanied by the lively
Volunteers needed The Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival depends on volunteers to serve your needs and fill more than 500 time slots to keep this festival operating smoothly. Prior to the festival, the volunteer MBOTMA Festival staff does the planning and preparatory work. During the festival, volunteers take tickets, sell shirts, watch the gates, provide handicap services, set up the grounds and clean up afterward. Can you help us? Please stop by the festival headquarters and check out the volunteer schedule for openings. And don’t forget to thank all the volunteers you see. For their efforts they receive a specially designed volunteer shirt, and they make new friends, learn new skills and have fun too.
music of Rooster Riot. The Geese were delighted to have been honored with a 2009 SAGE Award along with our Steppin’ Out collaborators, the DeLaSouljah Steppers from DeLaSalle High School. The Wild Goose Chase Cloggers get their choreography from varied
sources, including social dancing outside of the group, frequently contra or square dancing. What makes the bulk of their work traditional in character is the type of rhythmic accompaniment expressed by the foot movements. Occasionally, they adapt tap or Irish step danc-
ing to the clogging style, an approach that is more daring because it requires the group to change the rhythmic aspect of the foot movements. In addition to dances in formation, the group also features special dances allowing members to improvise or dance their fanciest steps.
out the chords as you go and generally lead everyone through a great time. Friday at 11 a.m. is a beginner’s jam, then at 3 p.m. Cagley will host an intermediate-level jam. On Saturday, he will lead a young people’s jam (in the Family Area) at noon and then another beginner’s jam at 3 p.m. The Bartig Brothers will be back this year on Saturday with their ukulele workshops and jam session. The workshops will consist of two segments, the first for beginners at 11 a.m. They’ll supply in-
struments for anyone that wants to try one out, and they’ll walk you through a step-by-step process until you can play it. The second segment is at 1 p.m. and is for intermediate players. They’ll start
by playing some songs in the key of C to reinforce the lessons learned in the first segment. Then it will all come together during a ukulele jam session they will lead at 5 p.m. in the marketplace.
Stop by the Gathering Place
The Gathering Place always seems busy even though there are few things scheduled there. That is because it’s a central meeting place for folks to join a jam session or just get together. It’s a place for folks interested in bluegrass and oldtime music to gather and get to know one another. All are welcome to stop in so please come join us. We will treat you to a cup of coffee, tea or ice water. Our facility is available for you to ask questions, make new acquaintances or meet with old friends. Pickers, bring your instruments. We
have a new Gathering Place annex to make more picking room. Listeners, come by and visit. No experience or requirements needed to have a good time. Newcomers to the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival are especially welcome. Here are a few scheduled activities you’ll find at the Gathering Place. Bill Cagley will host several of his slow jams on both Friday and Saturday. These are a great way for beginners to get a taste of playing with others in a jam setting. Cagley will intro all the songs, call
36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
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PORCUPINE CREEK Inspired by the legends of bluegrass, with subtle influence from new grass sounds of today, Porcupine Creek is made up of young talented musicians. The band covers bluegrass and gospel favorites and mixes in a few original songs, which pleases crowds of all ages. The band formed in 2012 when the Ashworth and Birkeland kids all decided to compete in a Family Area talent contest at the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival. The group Blue Chew won the Saturday contest and they then got to play a song on the main stage as a “tweener” act. Before performing further, they changed their name to Porcupine Creek. Since
presented by Harvest Carriers
The Underground is the new name of the former Young Talent Stage, the newest stage venue at the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival. We wanted to change the name because the old name implied the place was for kids. It is, but it isn’t. We hope all ages will find the Underground a cool place to hang, meet friends and see great music that may be just a bit outof-the-box. The music-and-activities schedule has been expanded and will include stage shows both Friday and Saturday from 5:3011:30 p.m. and also several showcases from 2-5 p.m. Saturday. Many of our main-stage acts will be visiting the Underground, including the Fish Heads, Borderstone and the Bucking Mules. In addition, we’ll host several additional acts like the Dumpy Jug Bumpers, the Wailing Loons and Barton’s Hollow. We also have two very special guests you won’t be able to see anywhere else at the festival, Tin Can Gin and the Dead Pigeons. On Friday at 7:30 p.m. as well as Saturday at 9:30 p.m. it’s Tin Can Gin, from Minnesota’s northshore. Tin Can Gin was born and brewed upon the shores of Lake Superior near Duluth by childhood pals Harrison Olk and Trevor Marrin. Along with mandolinist Bryan Nelson, the trio created the trademark TCG tunes that are fan favorites to this very day. In the autumn of 2011 the group was summoned to the stage at their first gig as “Tin Can Gin.” As time passed the band added fiddle virtu-
Tin Can Gin
Dead Pigeons oso Nori Perrine and Neil Krause on stand-up bass to round out the Tin Can Gin sound. That unique sound draws from each member’s musical upbringing. Old’s traditional bluegrass banjo, Marrin’s creative songwriting and guitar work, Nelson’s fast folk-pickin’ mandolin, Krause’s solid bass backing all wrapped and complimented with a sprinkle of Perrine’s Celtic fiddle subtleties. The combination of music and vocal gymnastics creates an experience in sound that is sure to tickle your musical palate while you tap your toes in unbridled pleasure. This hurricane stew of music, vocals and melody explodes in a style as bitter and sweet as the best IPAs out there today. And on Friday at 10:30 p.m. and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. it’s Dead Pigeons. The Dead Pigeons are a rootsbased Americana band that formed during the course
of a five-year residency at Palmer’s Bar, the notorious West Bank institution. This amazing cast of local players emerged and found each other through their love of making music. Drew Peterson (formerly of 40 Watt Bulb) leads the group with his well-known songwriting and gritty vocals. Gretta Hunstiger has been with Peterson from the very beginning, perfecting her sound with beautiful and haunting fiddle layering, along with fresh backup vocals. The rest of the supporting cast includes Eric Larson (Sans Souci) on mandolin, Daryn Christenson on percussion and Adam Lutz on bass (Sans Souci). The result is a group of dedicated musicians who put on an intimate live show that can be part barn dance and part bar brawl, with a mix of heartfelt, handcrafted ballads, foot-stomping bluegrass tunes and the occasional obscure cover.
then they’ve played at other festivals and various community events and during the summer of 2013 another fine musician, Holger Olesen, joined the band. In November of 2014, the band earned the top spot in MBOTMA’s Race For A Place band competition. Nine bands from around Minnesota participated in the contest, and Porcupine Creek was selected by the judges as the top group. It was that championship performance that earned them a spot
on the main stage of the 2015 Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival. Members of Porcupine Creek include Jake Ashworth (banjo), Ben Ashworth (guitar), Derek Birkeland (vocals, guitar, fiddle and mandolin), Olesen (vocals and resonator guitar), Sarah Birkeland (vocals and bass) and Dulcie Ashworth (vocals and fiddle). As they crank out their bluegrass music, they’re sure to make you smile and tap your toes.
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36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
IVORY BRIDGE
Ivory Bridge is a band composed of friends who share a mutual love of bluegrass music, who allow themselves the freedom to play from their experience of different styles to support whatever each song requires. A beautiful music, respectful of the individual journey of each member, flows into an original sound that is both familiar and new. This is the Ivory Bridge sound. Yes, most of their material is made from scratch with all of the band members contributing to the repertoire. They delight in making each tune what it’s meant to be, be it a ballad, a love song, a swing tune, a spiritual or a masterfully rendered instrumental. For your listening pleasure, this versatile band features solo, duet, trio and quartet vocal arrangements accompanied by instrumental solos, expertly placed fills and the occasional instrumental harmony, because it’s fun. Ivory Bridge loves its mu-
sic and loves to share it with the audience. Bill Liners picked up a Martin guitar at the ripe old age of 9 and learned “Doug’s Tune” by The Dillards to back up his older brother, Eric, who played banjo. Doc Watson, Tony Rice and Dan Crary have all influenced Liners’ clean, definitive guitar style. Ivory Bridge™, Dick Kimmel & Co., Stoney Lonesome, The Couple Downstairs and Alaska’s Grass Plus have all benefited from Liners’ driving rhythm and superb leads and vocals. Liners is a multiple winner of the Minnesota State Flatpicking Championship. John Bodle comes from a musical family and started playing guitar and banjo at age 7, and by the age of 9 was frequently backing fiddlers. His dad plays fiddle and banjo, and that has kept Bodle immersed in traditional and bluegrass music his whole life. Bodle plays mandolin with Ivory Bridge and is grateful for the opportu-
nity to explore this instrument, which he insists is his weakest one. We don’t necessarily agree as he is one of the more gifted players we have met. He has performed with Larry Rice (yes, that Larry Rice), Endless Highway and Acoustic Alliance. Having lived in Virginia and Florida, Bodle now lives in the greater Twin Cities area. Del McCoury once offered to drive Bodle down so he could audition with the Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys. Kathe Liners was introduced to Bluegrass and Bill Liners while they toured Alaska with the bluegrass-based musical, The Robber Bridegroom. She fell in love with the music and Bill and they have been together ever since. Her songwriting skills have been widely admired in the region since the release of the Stoney Lonesome compilation CD in 1997 titled after her original tune, “Love’s Last Request.” The first Ivory Bridge™ CD release, Chase My Blues Away, contains several of Liners’ original songs as well. She provides the primary artistic vision for Ivory Bridge. She occasionally astounds the guys in the band with sumptuous meals, and she loves her kitties. She plays her bass and sings with easy excellence. Liners’ love is like music and it radiates around. She is a woman of faith and leads by example.
I’m a real estate broker and have “been a licensed realtor for 15 years.
BORDERSTONE
Borderstone is a traditional bluegrass and gospel outfit from Duluth. Led by the guitar/
its musical influence from the 1940s and 1950s style of Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs. The group includes banjo player John Rainwater, fiddler Rachel Reichert and bassist Nicholas Glass. They currently perform around the Midwest and in 2014 became members of the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association. With tight vocal harmonies and sharp instrumandolin and “brother mentation, Borderstone is harmony” duet Ryan an exciting young band Morgen and Nicholas that harkens back to days Klee, Borderstone draws gone by.
Ranch House Live hosts ‘open mic’ series What Is It? Ranch House Live is a laid-back informal open-mic series. This is a chance for you and your friends to put together a few tunes to perform on the Ranch House Live stage. The idea is to strut your bluegrass, old time or related stuff in a casual and laid-back environment. The emphasis is on friends, fun and good music, not perfection. The sets will be 30 minutes on the hour and 20 minutes on the half hour, allowing for a fiveminute emcee and setup time between sets. This odd-time format allows for some shorter sets to encourage groups that only have a short set list or have never been on stage to just have fun or show us what they’ve got. Where Is It? Ranch House Live is held in the newly remodeled El Rancho Mañana Campground
& Riding Stables ranch house (campground office) located near the main entrance to El Rancho Mañana. It will be held from 8 p.m.-midnight Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This is the venue you can sit down inside and order a beer and food. There is also a new outdoor deck with fireplace and speakers. The wait staff will be available to serve your needs so invite all your friends to this unique ven-
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ue. Can I Emcee? We also use this series to develop additional emcee talent which we can draw upon in the future for our other stages and festivals. This is an important role as the emcee binds together the entire process keeping the audience connected and engaged during the band change-overs and the bands within the time slots. We are especially looking for younger volunteers to get involved as emcees. Mentoring and assistance is provided along with a clipboard of information and jokes. Please consider signing up as emcee. How Do I Sign Up? Advance festival sign up was available on the MBOTMA website at www.MinnesotaBluegrass.org. During the festival you can sign up for any remaining times at the Gathering Place during the day or at the Ranch House during Live hours. If you have problems or questions contact Earl at 612868-1313 before or during the festival.
36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
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Lots to find in the Marketplace Presented by Deering Banjos
Inside the main concert area you will find our Marketplace area and Merchants’ Alley. We’ll have about a dozen food vendors grouped around our Marketplace stage and almost 20 merchants selling wares along Merchants’ Alley (in the back of the concert area). And while you’re eating all this great food under the shade of the marketplace tent, you can enjoy a little entertainment before and during the breaks in the main stage music on our Marketplace Stage. We’ll be holding our Marketplace Family Fair again from 4-6 p.m. Thursday. This is our new opening event of the festival and will include music, games, prizes and of course food. Many of our food vendors will already be open for business, and you’ll be right there when the main stage show starts immediately after at 6:30 p.m. Northern Lights Bluegrass and Sloughgrass will provide entertainment, so bring the family and enjoy the first day of the festival in the Marketplace. There will also be entertainment on the Marketplace stage Friday and Saturday mornings and in the afternoons during the main stage dinner break.
There will be some exciting groups you won’t find on the main stage, including One Ukulele, the Dumpy Jug Bumpers, Wailing Loons, Tin Can Gin and the Hula Peppers. And on Sunday morning, you’re all invited to join in a bluegrass gospel music jam session. Check the schedule for exact times. The list of food vendors in the marketplace is wide-ranging. You can start off with mouthwatering, slow-roasted BBQ from Doc E’s BBQ. Get it by the sandwich, plate or pound. Or try a Howie Wowie burger, a feature from our newest vendor, The Red Food Shack. They are also serving pork sausage on a bun and gelato Italian ice. Perhaps you would like a good old-fashioned hamburger. Then Sweet Williams would be your stop. They are also serving chicken brats, grilled cheese, soup, salad and wraps, plus pancakes and sausage for breakfast. If pizza is what you desire, then follow your nose to Wild Earth Woodfired Pizza where they will bake hand-crafted artisan pizza in their wood-fired brick oven. B Concessions will be popping up some of the world’s finest kettle corn. Then cool off with a fruit drink, fresh squeezedlemonade, orange or strawberry treat from Orange Treets. They also have cheese curds, corn dogs and footlongs. Members of the ROCORI (Cold Spring) Band will be staffing the American Dairy Associa-
FISH HEADS
Dumpy Jug Bumpers
tion malt wagon so get a shake and support the local band. Sip of Class serves coffee, espresso, lattes, iced drinks and anything coffee, plus gyros and breakfast sandwiches and muffins. Our host, El Rancho Mañana, also has a stand that sells pop, water, chips, candy and ice-cream novelties. In addition to the good food, there are a string of exhibitors and crafts people around the back of the main stage concert area. Honnie Ammann has quillows, throws and hair garlands. Carol & Mike have magnetic jewelry. The Moon Co. has clothing, jewelry and instruments. And you can even get a
massage from Abigail or Mary. Look for more lastminute additions to our vendor row. We also have many musical vendors. Offbeat Violins has violins and accessories for sale. Tone Music has musical instruments and supplies. Earthway Farm has many fine musical instruments. And Crow River guitars is joining us once again. And of course you’ll want to stop in at our sponsors’ booths, Nechville Banjos and David Vincent Guitars & Mandolins. Plus our new sponsor this year, Juice Plus & The Tower Garden. Look for their booth by the Gathering Place.
The Fish Heads is an impressive alternative bluegrass band steeped in 70s and 80s rock as well as traditional and original material. Most have been together playing music for more than 20 years and have opened for bands like Nitty Gritty Dirt Band as well as Charlie Daniels and Leon Redbone. Mike and Kim Monson take lead vocals as well as harmonies so pure and sweet they’ll make your toes curl. They also are versatile musicians switching off on stand-up bass and guitar, both also play some mandolin and from time to time they are drummers. Brian Ford is a gifted
banjo player who has published banjo tablatures for a book by Dr. Banjo, Peter Wernick of Hot Rize fame and on Pete’s website www.drbanjo.com. He has won the Iowa State Competition with his dicey licks. Bruce Bernhardt is the newest member and rounds out the combination nicely with his backup chops and Monroeinspired instrumentals on mandolin. Together these musicians are a rockin’ mix of covers from every genre and originals that range from soulful ballads of Kim’s pen to Ford’s intense and polished instrumentals. They are the real deal.
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36th Annual Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
How about a song or tune on a stick? Championships at the state fair.
Every year at the end of the summer, Minnesotans have a habit of heading to the Minnesota State Fair. But this year fair-goers will find the Heritage Square Stage is gone. Not to worry, as it has been rebuilt and renamed and is now the West End Market Stage. You’ll still find the “deep-fried pickles” and “pork chops on a stick,” and you’ll also still find the Minnesota Bluegrass Duet Championships, hosted by Minnesota Bluegrass & OldTime Music Association. This year the championships will be more exciting than ever with the
announcement of some changes. There will still be two days of competition. On Friday, Sept. 4, MBOTMA presents the Minnesota Bluegrass Duet Championships. This event will consist of vocal musical performances presented by two individuals for two voices and one or two acoustic stringed instruments. Entrants will perform selections in traditional acoustic old-time, bluegrass, country or western swing style, for example roots style. Entrants will prepare three vocal duet numbers. Two numbers will be performed in the preliminary round,
and one number will be played in the championship round should the entrants be selected as finalists. Scoring will be based on vocal phrasing, singing and playing in tune, timing, instrumental skills and presentation. The big change comes on Saturday, Sept. 5 when we’ll debut the Minnesota Bluegrass Instrument Duet Championships (it’s not just for flatpickers anymore). The Instrument Duet Championships will consist of instrumental musical performances presented by two individuals with two acoustic stringed instruments. Entrants will perform selections in traditional acoustic old-time, bluegrass, country or western swing style, for example roots style. Performances will be instrumental with no vocals. Entrants will prepare four instrumental duet numbers. Two numbers will be performed in the preliminary round, and two numbers will be
played in the championship round should the entrants be selected as finalists. Scoring will be based on instrumental creativity and phrasing, playing in tune, timing, instrumental skills and presentation. Anyone can enter either of the contests (or both). Registration is on a firstcome first-served basis and is limited to the first 20 who sign up. Registration for either championship is
only $20 if you register before Aug. 15, and this includes State Fair gate passes for the contestants and accompanists and also contest T-Shirts for both. You’ll find full entry information at www.MinnesotaBluegrass.org or call 800-635-3037 and ask
that a contest entry brochure be mailed to you. Good luck!
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5th Annual
5th ANNUAL
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2015
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