Schedule/Lineup |
Roots on The River 2011 Artist Bios
Audrey Auld Australian native Audrey Auld returns to Roots on the River for the third time this year to give us her brand of country tinged music. Audrey was raised in Tasmania in the Australian bush. The house had no TV or radio but did have animals, books and live music. “Mum and Dad didn’t want us to perceive music as wallpaper. They taught us to listen and enjoy, with an open heart and enquiring mind . . .” she said. Much of her music is country based but with a modern attitude. Her debut EP was released in 1997. Produced by Bill Chambers, its mix of hillbilly, swing, torch and honky-tonk was like nothing ever released in Australia before. This led to a duo album with which won Best Independent Australian Album of 1999. Since then Audrey has released a number of solo albums including 2000’s aclaimed “The Fallen,” and 2007’s “Lost Men and Angry Girls.” She is currently working on a new album project. Auld has relocated to Nashville and operates Reckless Records which recently released a tribute album called “The Music of Fred Eaglesmith.”
Chris O’Brien A favorite in Bellows Falls, Chris O’Brien opens Sunday’s show at the Rockingham Meeting House. Raised in Western Massachusetts, O’Brien was first inspired to pick up the guitar at age 12 after seeing a concert by the Indigo Girls and Shawn Colvin. Family friend Dar Williams taught him his first chords. O’Brien eventually immersed himself in Boston’s thriving folk scene. While working as a waiter, he submitted his song “Rosa” to Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” and was chosen as a finalist to appear on the show. The appearance caused sales of his album “Lighthouse” to reach No. 5 on iTunes downloads. 2010 saw the release of Chris’s most recent album “Little Red,” a collection of songs that helped him explore his boundaries as a writer through honesty and self exploration. “I’ve already felt the rewards of that honesty in the reactions I’ve gotten from people after hearing these songs. The challenge has proven to be more than worth it,” he said. O’Brien now tours full time, headlining at folk clubs around the country and performing at the leading festivals.
Fongster100 Fongster100 is Robert Wilfong. Here is his story in his own words: “Born in West Texas, raised in New England, I had the blues before I knew what it was. At 15, I discovered the guitar, Robert Johnson, Fred McDowell and Lightnin’ Hopkins. At 17, a freshman at Umass, I played with Taj Mahal and Al Wilson at the beginning of their careers. “But the 1960s took me in a different direction. I quit the blues for a number of hair-raising experiences, I settled down and for 30 years tried to be a responsible adult and family man, the most difficult thing I have ever done. ‘But all those years I thought I had quit the blues, the blues never quit me. Now it’s coming out, not from the old school, but the school they tore down when they built the old school.” A deft blues picker with a haunting voice that makes you truly feel the blues, watching his hands move on the frets is a mesmerizing experience. When he plays slide the sounds make you ache. He’ll make you tap your feet, and bring your emotions to the forefront. You will feel the blues.
Fred Eaglesmith I’m writing this in early March after returning from some errands in the freezing rain. The road was slippery, the ice was building up on my windshield and the wiper on the driver’s side wasn’t working. My mood was as low as the weather was bad. All of a sudden my trusty satellite radio saved me. Fred Eaglesmith and band came on the air ripping through “Georgia Overdrive” and my thoughts moved to June and the 12th edition of the Roots on the River Festival. As always the festival is built around three shows by the Fred Eaglesmith Band. Eaglesmith is one of the best and hardest working performers in North America, playing more than 200 shows each year. His songs have been recorded by a number of high profile singers like Toby Keith, Alan Jackson, and Miranda Lambert. He’s had a No. 1 song on the bluegrass charts, “Thirty Years of Farming” recorded by James King. He’s a Juno award winner and his songs have been used in films by Martin Scorsese and James Caan. Despite all of that he is down to earth and can still connect with his fans. “Yes, I get all these accolades and everything,” Eaglesmith said. “And we’re cooking eggs in the RV when we’re on tour, which to me is really fantastic, because that makes me loosen up and be able to write the songs. As I get more into the mainstream my lifestyle gets more and more away from it.” Fred’s gritty music is a perfect backdrop to these hard economic times. “We’re just turning it up smoking it every night just like 1967, and it’s so much fun. There’s no money and everyone is in the recession, so you just go, well, this is the time to make great music. This is what rock ‘n’ roll always was. Rock ‘n’ roll in its purest form is just such a great thing. And there’s something right now that makes it feel real relevant.” Fred brings something new to the festival each year. Last year he hit town like a traveling sideshow in top hat and tails, with a new album, “Cha Cha Cha” and the Ginn Sisters singing backup in full choreographed form. This year new bass player Justine Fischer joins Kori Heppner (drums) and Matty Simpson (guitar, banjo, keyboards) in the band. Rumor has it there is a new album in the works so there is sure to be new songs. Probably even a new story or two. It will definitely be worth the price of admission.
Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams Festival favorites Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams return to the big tent again this year. The band formed in art school and settled in Sleepy Hollow, NY. Their first studio album “A Good Thief Tips His Hat” was released in 1998. The band’s music has been described as “Hillbilly- Pink Floyd” largely due to the psychedelic/Americana sounds of their second studio release “Flapjacks from the Sky” in 2004. The Slambovians recently completed work on their fourth studio album, “The Grand Slambovians” and will tour extensively in the US, UK and Canada this year to promote it. Lead singer/songwriter Joziah Longo describes it as “a more extreme dose of what we’ve always been – a country prison music meets British invasion.” Filling out the Slambovian lineup is Tink Lloyd on accordion and cello, Sharkey McEwan on lead guitar and Tony Zuzulo on drums. The band continues to grow in popularity and have been playing some of the countries most prestigious festivals.
James McMurtry James McMurtry and the Heartless Bastards return to Roots on the River by popular demand this year. In their two previous appearances they were a crowd favorite, drawing people out of their seats to dance in the aisles. McMurty’s father, novelist Larry McMurtry, gave him his first guitar when he was seven. “My mother taught me three chords and the rest I just stole as I went along. I learned by ear or by watching people,” he said. He started performing and writing in his teens. After college he returned to Texas, working odd jobs while performing. In 1987 he entered and won the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk competition for songwriters. This eventually brought him to the attention of John Mellencamp who co-produced McMurty’s debut album, 1989’s “Too Long in the Wasteland.” His other records have received critical acclaim and awards, including “Childish Things,” “We Can’t Make it Here,” and his most recent 2010’s “Live in Europe.” His songs are vivid portraits of America’s heartland and the characters living there. The themes are dark and often detail the decline in our way of life. McMurtry sings the rich and descriptive lyrics with a forbidding scowl. His exceptional guitar playing and tight backing band – Darren Hess on drums and Ronnie Johnson on Bass (with occasional guitar help from Tim Holt) – drive the music. The tent will be rocking on Friday night. To paraphrase a line from McMurtry’s song Choctaw Bingo – “We’ll have us a time.”
Jandee Lee Porter Jandee Lee Porter grew up across the river in Charlestown, and got the country music bug at an early age singing along to her grandmother’s Patsy Cline records. The path that began in her small town brought her to Boston, and to appearances at many of New England’s top country music venues, with opening slots for artists like Jo Dee Messina, Reba McEntire, and the Zac Brown Band. A child of divorced parents, Jandee Lee was drawn to the heartache that is often a theme of country music and began writing songs as a teenager. “All families have their own stuff, but I found it to be my best relief,” Porter said. Her music combines country with folk, rock, blues, and soul. She has released two albums, “Strangely Right” and her most recent, “No Reason to Lie.” The lyrics to the title track sum up her approach to song writing: “There ain’t no sugar-coated stories here… I’m going to tell it like it is baby – I’ve got no reason to lie.” The Jandee Lee Porter Band with Mark Sciascia, electric guitar, Michael Powers, drums, Mike Groove, acoustic guitar, and Bill Holbrook, pedal steel, open up Friday night’s show.
Jatoba Based in Brattleboro, VT, Jatoba is Jason Scaggs (guitar, baritone guitar, banjo, vocals), John Jamison (guitar, mandolin, sitar, vocals) and Jeff Richardson (double bass, vocals, spoons). They call their sound Vermont Groove Grass or “bluegrass without boundaries.” They list influences as diverse as Nirvana and the Grateful Dead but the music they play is their own – defined by collective songwriting, extreme rhythmic improvisations and eclectic acoustic instrumentation. Jatoba plays frequently in Vermont, Upstate New York and New Hampshire and has a dedicated fan base that follows them from show to show. They have recently released their first album, “Death, Fire and Picnic Tables.” Richardson says that the group’s music is in “constant evolution” and Jamison adds: “A lot of our songs have undergone three or four different versions. We might take a whole night and take that song and it’ll come out completely new.” “The sound is evidence of their own language in the making. Guitars, one for each ear, speak clearly in voices with magic whispers,” Michael Shurtz, former Billboard Magazine editorial cartoonist said.
Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys are one of the top roots bands in the Albany, NY, area recently performing four successful after-hour showcases at international and national music conventions and festivals. Their sound is a combination of Americana styles ranging from straight ahead bluegrass to honky-tonk to country with even a little gospel thrown in. Gaudet began his musical career as a flat picker, playing mandolin and guitar for the Lost Country Rounders before stepping out as a solo performer. Within months he moved from performing covers to writing his own songs. After disappearing from music for a while he has re-emerged with the Railroad Boys. Joining Gaudet are Bob Ristau, bass and vocals, Sten Isachesen, mandolin and guitar, and Tim Wechgalaer, violin and vocals. In 2009 the band released their first album, “So Far So Good,” and they finished up a new album this spring.
Joe Gee A long-time friend of the festival, having played the main stage, the farmer’s market, and run open mics, Joe Gee brings his unique brand of Americana music back to Roots on the River. His engaging stage presence, raspy voice, and deft guitar playing make him a crowd favorite. Gee was born in New York and lived many places before landing in his adopted home of Austin, TX. He began playing piano at age 8, took up the guitar at 10, and like many of us of a certain age, his early inspiration was the Beatles. As time moved on he found himself gravitating to artists who incorporated traditional country music styles and instrumentation, and writers whose lyrics seemed more real and meaningful – like Dylan or the Byrds. Joe’s debut album, “Gee Joe,” was released in 2006, and is a combination of original songs and covers written by Dave Alvin, Paul Thorn, Fred Eaglesmith, Audrey Auld, and David Bromberg. Joe is currently at work on a new album and hopes to have it available by festival time. Welcome back Joe!
Kim and Sharon The “Appalachian Americana” sound of Kim and Sharon is the result of an unusual, accidental, and unexpected collision of friendship, talent, health care, and Townes Van Zandt. It began when Kim DeCell and Sharon Levenson, an RN, met at a psychiatric hospital in Vermont where Kim worked. DeCell would bring his guitar to work to strum and sing for the patients. His talent and unique vocals caught Levenson’s attention as did the healing effect his music had on the patients. Upon discovering that in her off time Sharon did promotion and booking for various local bands, DeCell made copies of original songs for her. Levenson played one of these recordings for her brother who was reminded of Townes Van Zandt. Shortly thereafter Kim and Sharon started with Kim on guitar and vocals and Sharon on mandolin and backing vocals. They have been playing regularly in New England and New York, and their set lists are a mixture of original music and unique arrangements of obscure songs. Most recently their songs won second and third place in the Creative Spirit Awards contest.
Roger Marin “Roger Marin isn’t so much the kind of songwriter who’s heard as much as felt. With his combination of honest lyrics and rough-and-tumble life experience, Marin aims for the heart and hits it every time,” said Spencer Brown, Beat Route. That quote sums up Roger’s music. He got his start at age 13 playing with his father and uncle in Canadian bars. This built in him a passion to become a professional musician and eventually led to a six-year stint with Fred Eaglesmith’s Flying Squirrels. Now out on his own, Roger and his band: Mike Tuyp, guitar, Matt Keighan, drums, and Phil Bosley, bass, play up to 200 dates a year around North America and Europe. Marin classifies his music as alternative, garage, and roots. Others call it country. He doesn’t completely disagree but here’s his definition: “When people call me a country musician, they’re thinking Tim McGraw. That’s not really country, to me country is Buck Owens.” 2010 was a good year for Roger. It saw the release of his 3rd album. “Silvertown” and he was nominated for Songwriter of the Year at the Niagra Music Awards. We welcome him back to Roots on the River for the 12th time.
Rusty Belle Rusty Belle is Matt Lorenz (vocals, guitar, foot-drums, banjo, fiddle), Kate Lorenz (vocals, washboard, percussion, keyed things) and Zac Trojano (vocals, guitars, drums). They describe themselves as weird kids from Amherst, MA, who make music by approaching old styles in a new way. “In music, it’s really hard to create a new style or genre, even a new sound, but to do stuff that’s similar to what’s been done and stuff that’s part of who you are as an artist or a musician and to give it a different tone, give it a texture that’s unique, that’s probably where it’s at,” Lorenz said. The Valley Advocate’s James Heflin said: “Rusty Belle has a curious, compelling habit of coaxing very different, even huge, sounds out of a relatively small stable of acoustic instruments…The common thread is the brother/sister harmonizing of Matt and Kate Lorenz, a unified presence even when things get cacophonous.” In their time together Rusty Belle has released a number of albums – most recently “The Vanity Pack.” Get out the leather – here comes Rusty Belle.
Second Wind Terry Ray Gould and Suzi Hastings, together known as Second Wind, bring out the best of what music and friendship are about. They are a familiar sight at venues throughout the area. Friends for 20 years and playing music together for five, they inspire smiles, laughter, and a true appreciation of the moment wherever they go. Second Wind’s music style falls into easy listening, folk/soft rock, with songs and a style that is instantly familiar, fresh, and engaging. Songs cover all genres of popular music covering artists from Norah Jones to Bruce Springsteen. Suzi Hastings, vocalist and hand percussionist for Second Wind, has been involved in the Newport Opera House for many years, performed in musical theater productions, and served on the board of directors. She is also a member of a newly formed band featuring three women lead singers. Terry Ray Gould, guitar player for Second Wind, took up guitar at age 15. Terry’s playing style has developed primarily as a rhythm guitarist tailored for acoustic background, and support for vocalists.
The Weisstronauts The Weisstronauts are a five-piece instrumental combo from Boston. They say their music is instrumental “rock for the 22nd Century” with influences ranging from spaghetti western, spy movie soundtracks to space rock, surf, twang and more. They can’t be pigeon holed and their tunes combine elements that “look insane on paper but absolutely kill once you hear them,” said Richard Bouchard, Boston Band Crush. The Weisstronauts’ three-guitar attack is led by Pete Weiss. Weiss is a longtime producer/engineer/mixer/musician who has worked with artists such as Willard Grant Conspiracy, Two Dollar Pistols, Levon Helm, and Aimee Mann. Weiss is joined on guitar by Kenny Lafler and George Hall with Kevin Quinn on bass and a rotation of drummers that may include Nathan Logus, Jeff Berlin or Jeff Norcross. Their most recent release is a four song EP “Weisstronauts in Memphis,” recorded live at historic Ardent Studios.
Todd Snider Todd Snider takes the stage in a beat up hat, worn jeans, shirttails, and barefoot. A self described tree-hugging, peace-loving, bare-footing, folk singing hippie he sets the expectations for his upcoming set: “I want to let you know that I might share some of my opinions – not because they’re smart or because I think you need to know ‘em. I’m going to share them with you because they rhyme,” he said. Originally from Oregon, Todd made stops in Texas and Memphis before settling in Nashville. While in Texas, legend has it he made a trip to see Jerry Jeff Walker perform. The experience had such an effect on him that the next day he went out and bought a pawn shop guitar and learned how to play. The rest is history. Todd first broke onto the national music scene in 1994 when MCA released his debut album “Songs for the Daily Planet” which included the minor hit “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues” about a band that was so alternative that it refused to play. Since then he has released 13 additional albums including his critically acclaimed 2006 album, “The Devil You Know.” His newest release “The Storyteller” came out earlier this year and is a collection of songs from throughout his career strung together by his often-hilarious stories. This is certain to be one of the most popular and talked about sets of the weekend.
Waylon Speed “Filthy rotten underground outlaw dirt rock” is how Waylon Speed’s myspace page describes their music. Waylon Speed is brothers Justin and Noah Crowther, Kelly Raven, and Reverend Chitwood Hammaker. The band formed in 2009 in Burlington, VT and has been touring extensively ever since. Julie Seger from Big Heavy World says about Waylon Speed: “. . . a rock, country, metal, and all around fantastic band. . . . Expect a range of influences from Iron Maiden to The Drive-By Truckers. With plenty of technical skills, every member contributes to songs. There’s an evident closeness as they each jam to warm up together with soft but thoroughly rockin’ solos.” Their debut release was 2009’s “Georgia Overdrive,” described as “Gas on the fire of the current music scene, it’s heavy, fiery country rock, for those who like their punk rock with some twang in it – but also appreciate high quality, intelligent songwriting.” They are currently on tour with their new album, “Between the Ditches” and arrive at Roots fresh from an east coast tour supporting Americana performer Jackie Greene.
Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers Seattle is fast becoming the epicenter of the Northwest’s Americana music scene and its shining star is Zoe Muth with her band members, Ethan Lawton, mandolin, Mike McDermott, bass, Greg Nies, drums, and Dave Harmonson, guitar and steel. Muth began teaching herself to play the guitar in high school, inspired by Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and Townes Van Zandt. “Somehow, the country sound just lends itself to the way I feel, and the stories I want to tell. Tired workers and lovelorn losers with a folk intellect, not the jet set but the old Chevrolet set,” she said. Muth’s debut album was released in 2009 and scored big on many “best of” lists. It was named best debut album by Third Coast Music Magazine and No. 2 debut album by FAR (Freeform American Roots). Muth herself also showed up in FAR’s “best of” 2010 lists for female vocals and songwriting. Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers have a new release titled “Starlight Hotel.”
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