Don't forget the four free Summer Concerts co-sponsored by the Topanga Banjo•Fiddle Contest and the National Park Service at the beautiful Peter Strauss Ranch on the second Sunday of June, July, August, and September of 2011! Enjoy bluegrass, old time and/or folk music sittin' around the outdoor amphitheater under the shade of the giant old oaks. Parking and admission are FREE! Come on out and enjoy an afternoon of great music from 3pm to 5pm for the huge cost of nuttin' honey!
"Real. Live. Bluegrass! The Get Down Boys (
http://www.thegetdownboys.com/
are a string band who performs traditional American
Bluegrass music in the styles of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Del McCoury and
other classics. Blending traditional 40's & 50's-style Bluegrass, Gospel, Blues & modern
genres, complete with three-part harmony singing, The Get Down Boys have become one of the hottest
new acts on the flowering bluegrass scene happening right now in Los Angeles.
The Get Down Boys are pickers from all corners of America. Banjo player and singer, Matt Bruer,
is from Springfield, MO. Guitarist and singer, Andy Keathley from Charlottesville, VA.
Mandolin player, Fiddler and vocalist, Bud Dillard, from Grayton Beach, FL, and Upright Bassist,
Evan Winsor, hails Fairfield, CT. Each player brings his own sound into The Get Down Boys mix.
Rocky Neck Bluegrass Band www.RockyneckBluegrass.com
is a Southern California based group featuring Devitt Feeley, Lydia Veilleux, and Craig Ferguson
who got their start in the bluegrass music field by winning first place in the 2009 Topanga
Banjo•Fiddle Contest Band category.
Their first recording, "Rocky Neck Bluegrass Band" released in November of 2010, was
recorded in a 1920's cabin in the mountain community of Big Bear, CA, and was mastered by
legendary bluegrass engineer Billy Wolf in Arlington, VA. The bluegrass arrangement of Neil
Young's "Comes A Time" as well as the fresh arrangement of "Girl I Left Behind Me" have been
receiving regular airplay on radio stations across the country.
Although recently formed in 2009, Rocky Neck Bluegrass Bands's path to the bluegrass world began
years ago. All members attended Berklee College of Music and have studied with musicians like
John McGann, Matt Glaser, Roland White, and Mike Witcher. Lydia Veilleux has toured nationally
with the musical "The 3 Redneck Tenors" and has played at CMA Fanfest and Stagecoach Music
Festival. In addition, both Devitt Feeley and Craig Ferguson worked the southwest bluegrass
circuit with Cliff Wagner & the Old #7. As part of the Old #7, they played the Colorado River,
Parker, Logandale and Yuma bluegrass festivals and appeared on Fox TV's "Next Great American Band"
and FX's "Justified."
In addition to Devitt Feeley on Mandolin, Craig Ferguson on guitar and Lydia Veilleux on Fiddle, the
live ensemble often includes Brian Netzley or Andrew Paddock on bass, and special guests on
banjo including Matt Bruer. Live appearances are important to the band as they work hard to
entertain crowds and put on a great show. RNBB's performance schedule for 2011 is filling up fast.
Formed in 1999 by Rob Waller and brothers Paul and Anthony Lacques during a philosophical
discussion and rock throwing session on an East Mojave desert trek, I See Hawks In L.A. first
gathered on the front porch in Echo Park with beers, wrote their first batch of songs and
then sought advice from local country rock guru David Jackson, bassist with John Denver,
Dillard and Clark, and EmmyLou Harris.
Jackson set up a few mics and recorded Rob and Paul, adding his own melodic bass lines. This
demo turned into featured songs on the Hawks eponymous debut, featuring legendary fiddler
Brantley Kearns (Dwight Yoakam, Dave Alvin, Hazel Dickens). The CD established the Hawks
signature sound: high lonesome three part harmonies, twang guitar and unadorned acoustic
arrangements, with lyrics musing on mortality, whales, and the geography of pre-apocalyptic
L.A. Bassist/vocalist Paul Marshall (Strawberry Alarm Clock, Hank Thompson, Rose Maddox) threw
in with the Hawks after sitting in at Ronnie Mack's Barndance in Burbank. When brother
Anthony left to pursue documentary film making, drummer Shawn Nourse (Dwight Yoakam, James Intveld)
signed on for a trip to SXSW and never left.
The Dustbowl Revival is a Venice, California-based roots collective that merges old school gypsy rhythms with bluegrass, gospel, jug-band, jump blues and the hot swing of the 1930's to form a spicy roots cocktail. Known for their fun, lose-your-troubles live sets, the Dustbowl Revival often features up to ten instruments ranging from fiddle, banjo and mandolin to tuba, accordion, trombone and cornet: Think Old And In The Way meets Louis Armstrong's hot swing bands in New Orleans. A brand new EP was recorded on analog with Raymond Richards (Local Natives, Parson Redheads, Dengue Fever) and will be released in the spring of 2011. More at dustbowlrevival.com
Sabrina & Craig (www.SabrinaandCraig.com)have
been called many things -- "incredibly entertaining;" "an act that emits an abundance of love
and wit, both personally and musically;" " fantastic, sophisticated, spirited, and intelligent;"
and "a festival for the ears and soul..." Whatever it's called, they love sharing it.
Although their musical tastes vary dramatically, you can be sure they've found a way to bring
that wide array of musical tastes into harmony -- creating their own original music and unique
arrangements of select cover songs. Sabrina & Craig's signature sound is rooted in their
heartfelt connection. They envelop audiences in luscious harmonies anchored by Craig's
finely-crafted guitar voicings and award-winning finger-style playing.
• "Excellent musicanship and arrangements... solid songwriting with some of the best
two-part harmonies in my recollection" - FolkworksMagazine
• "Sabrina & Craig weave thoughtful stories, people and moments into their songs,
sprinkling each observation with intelligence and wit while wrapping them in the cloak of
gorgeous, memorable melodies." - Wildy's World
Tracy Newman is a TV writer and producer. She started as a staff writer on Cheers. In 1997,
she won an Emmy and a Peabody Award for co-writing the ground-breaking "Coming Out" episode of
Ellen. In 2001 she co-created the ABC comedy, According to Jim, which recently
finished its 8th and final season of production. Tracy has been playing guitar and writing songs
since she was 14. Her CD is A Place in the Sun. Her band, The Reinforcements, are
Gene Lippmann, Rebecca Leigh, John Cartwright, John O'Kennedy and Doug Knoll.
More at www.TracyNewman.com
Modal Tease, an old-time string band, is servin’ up sizzling hot slices of American Folk
Tradition to music lovers in Southern California and beyond.
We grew out of the Los Angeles old-time music scene, where folks meet regularly to jam and share
tunes “around the campfire.” Our penchant for modal tunes brought us together, and
our fascination with obscure crooked tunes and other “jam busters” sealed the deal.
Modal Tease the band was born in 2009 and we‘ve been playing Farmer’s Markets, Concerts,
Dances, and Living Rooms ever since.
Belinda Thom on the Devil’s Box (fiddle) and Cliff Latimer on mandolin belt out tight
unison melodies and vocal harmonies. With Jim Hamilton on clawhammer banjo and Larry Ullman on
standup bass, we play hard-driving dance numbers, archaic fiddle and banjo tunes, songs and ballads.
We respect and protect the old time traditions but like to serve them up in fresh new ways.
As life stampedes along, we delight in transporting folks back to an earlier time, to a porch in
Southern Appalachia, where fireflies buzz and neighbors retire after a hard day’s work to commune
with their culture, making music by hand.
Women on the Move is at once a name, a description and a statement. Three indie artists,
Joan Enguita, Linda Geleris and Trish Lester have joined to create a vocal powerhouse of sound.
This touring trio draws on generations of womanly whimsy to musically explore love and the
soulful challenges of life. Highlighting the material of Joni Mitchell and adding dashes of
personal reflection, they entertain with harmonious originality laced with nostalgia.
Their music is folksy and story-telling. Their original works feature topics as varied as a desire
for mutual understanding, an ode to a mother’s unshared past and a resolute anthem of perseverance
inspired by the headlines of suffering during Hurricane Katrina. Proving that contemporary folk
music is alive and well, these “Women on the Move” look good, sound good, and harmoniously
complement one another to make for a fun musical night out.
From either the greater Los Angeles area or the greater Ventura/Camarillo area, take the Ventura Freeway (101) to the Kanan Road exit. Go south on Kanan Road 2.8 miles to Troutdale Road. Turn left on Troutdale Road and go two blocks to Mulholland Highway. Turn left on Mulholland Highway then make an immediate right under the arch into the Peter Strauss Ranch parking lot. Walk back across the bridge on Mulholland Highway and enter the main gate into the ranch. Free Parking.