Tune up your flat top, rosin up your bow, re-string your washtub and put on your best dress overalls. It’s time for BREWGRASS! a bluegrass and microbrew celebration. If you're coming down from the hills for just one event this year, make sure it's Friday and Saturday, November 7th and 8th 2008 for the fifth annual BREWGRASS! joint cover weekend where you're gonna find all kinds of great Bluegrass music and a load of great craft brewed beers. A measley $8 cover gets you into FIVE different venues for some of the best pickin in the Pacific Northwest: 5 Clubs, 10 Acts, 48 Handles. Hot Dang! Come and go all night to the Rockfish Grill, the Brown Lantern Ale House, the Majestic Inn, Adrift and the Watertown Pub and Grill all within a three block stretch on Commercial Ave in Old Town Anacortes. Music will start each evening at 9 PM and finish around midnight (Note: Music at Adrift and the Majetic will run 8 - 11:00 PM). And for any Brewgrass! goers wishing to spend the night in town, the nearby Cap Sante Inn is offering a discount on lodging with advance reservation. Call them @ (360) 293-0602 and tell them your coming to town for Brewgrass! Now check out this hot line up: Friday, November 7 Adrift: The Blackberry Bushes Brown Lantern: Prozac Mountain Boys Rockfish: Deadwood Revival Majestic: Scotts Landing Watertown: Slim Pickens Saturday, November 8 Adrift: Queens Bluegrass Brown Lantern: The Stilly River Band Rockfish: Tall Timber Majestic: Pearly Blue Watertown: Grapevine Bluegrass ARTISTS APPEARING AT BREWGRASS!: If you put a Georgia theater chick, a California drummer-turned-banjo player, a Deadhead bass player and a bluegrass fiddler in the same room and say...."alright folks... make some music" ...you'd think that the result would be...well... interesting to say the least. Well , it is far more than interesting. It's Deadwood Revival. A most unlikely group of musicians join together to make some of the most unassuming, honest "feel good" music filled with the spirit of old-time Appalachia, soulful American roots and a hint of jam-band improvisation Jason Mogi's clean, percussive clawhammer banjo coupled with his homemade "stomp board", Julie Campbell's energetic and engaging fiddling along with Kim Trenerry and Ches Ferguson's driving rhythm on acoustic guitar and electric bass is the musical backdrop for Kim and Jason's powerhouse vocal harmonies that give Deadwood Revival its unique and unmistakable sound. Frank Gutch of the Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange says of DwR..."You can tell from the first note that they are crowd-pleasers. They're fun, adventurous and yet true to their roots." This group of talented musicians not only displays fine musicianship, they are talented songwriters as well having released two cd's in less than two years. Their self titled debut cd "Deadwood Revival" and their latest, "This Old World" have both received rave reviews and radio airplay across the US and Canada. Whether a rockin' hoe down or a tasty ballad, their original tunes have been described as "old timey with smokin' hooks". Their songs are uplifting, sometimes poignant, and often sound like they could have been written a hundred years ago. DwR also breathes new life into a variety of old time fiddle tunes, folk tunes, and even some Grateful Dead tunes with clever arrangements and moments of improvisation with the clawhammer banjo often taking the lead role. "They spin roots music into something even a rock apostle shall dig!" concluded CNET. A sentiment echoed by their burgeoning fanbase. When you hear Queen's sweet harmonies and old time sound, it can't help but remind you of our beginnings in bluegrass. Queen's Bluegrass plays a variety of traditional bluegrass and gospel tunes that are a treat to the ears. The band features Ernest Queen (vocals, guitar); Aaron Maas (fiddle, vocals); Sid Simmons (guitar, vocals); Kevin Fazio (banjo, vocals); Michael Fazio (mandolin); and Ben Zomak (upright bass). Scott's Landing is a new band whose members have deep roots in the Seattle bluegrass scene. Drawing on the power and beauty of Bluegrass music they take the listener on a journey through time, rediscovering the works of the masters, and exposing undiscovered gems of early bluegrass. Scott's Landing plays from the heart and shares freely in the excitement of musicmaking. These seasoned veterans deliver confident instrumentals and impassioned harmony singing carried along on a rock solid beat. Fiddler Doug Bright got into oldtime and bluegrass music at an early age and mastered many instruments, getting good enough to jam with Doc Watson at the age of 16. Doug has played fiddle, mandolin, accordian, harmonica, and guitar with numerous local bands including The Fossils and the File Gumbo Zydeco Band. He is also the founder and editor of the Heritage Review, a monthly magazine devoted to Northwest music. Banjo picker Willy Scott has long been a powerhouse, starting back in the early seventies with bands such as Mountain County Coop and Gordon, Mitchell, Scott. An extremely fine all-around musician, Bill is one of the few players to have mastered the intricacies of Don Reno's banjo style. In more recent times he has led his own bands and appeared with Sockeye, The Fossils, and The Coots. Jeff Brohier has anchored many bands with his solid bass playing and singing. He was a founding member of the legendary Northwest band 78 RPM, which electrified audiences all over the northwest with their high energy drive. Jeff is also an exceptional songwriter. Guitarist Rob Bulkley started playing bluegrass in his native Pennsylvania. Arriving in Seattle in 1979, he promptly joined the Apple Blossom Ramblers and since then has produced concerts and festivals, written and recorded music, and performed all over the Northwest, most notably with Sockeye. . The makeup of Slimpickens is fiddler Annie Hiddle Fickie Ford (Barrell House Annie) from Virginia and Lake Charles Jake from Louisiana, and Slim Syncopator from New Orleans on his homemade gas tank bass and rack harmonica. They have performed at a wide range of venues and festivals busking along the way. Sticking to their southern roots, their style is a mixture of genres covering old-time, blues, rags, Cajun songs and fiddle tunes from the 30s on down. Their sound is of a swingy bluesy fiddle and a ragtime picking guitar complimented by a three string bass and tasteful harmonica harmonies. They stand apart from many in that there is an unassuming unique authenticity embedded in each note. Watching them perform feels like one is sitting in their living room. Inspired by all the past greats and hard times they seek to bring new life to these old tunes and preserve the idea of living a simpler life. The Blackberry Bushes are an acoustic stringband of four prolific songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. Their music is progressive americana "like someone threw a radio from yesteryear high into the treetops..." Their repetoire of original, bluegrass, and traditionally twisted music is infused with their love of indie, jazz, punk and alternative styles. They have been dubbed the "Mountain Divas" and Olympia's "Sirens of Indiegrass". They are Persephone and her sirens singing songs you have never heard but always known. In the summer of 2004 they recorded their first album Moon Pie. KAOS 89.3 charted Moon Pie with the College Media Journal, and their sophmore album, Creatures of Habit was charted as ..1 on KAOS 89.3 Olympia for the months of July and August 2006. Bonded by their love of music, mountains, and legwarmers they perform regularly in bars, cafes, galleries, street corners, festivals, and radio stations. They have touched hearts, inspired laughter and instigated dancing with uncommon ease. Pearly Blue is a northwest bluegrass group that specializes in a traditional presentation of mountain music. It’s members are veterans of many top Washington bluegrass bands including the Dunton Sisters, the Ohop Valley Boys, the Downtown Mountain Boys and The Fossils to name a few. Guitarist and Anacortes resident Barry Brower has been at the core of many fine groups in addition to The Fossils. He also formed the Friends of Sally Johnson in the 1980s. Barry is a bluegrass writer and historian, and was a longtime emcee of KBCS “Bluegrass Ramble.” Jen Dunton is familiar to many Skagit Valley residents from her years of performing at the Rockfish Grill with the Dunton Sisters. She switches from guitar to bass in Pearly Blue but that sweet voice remains. The legendary Ralph Stanley said of her and her sister Bev Dunton, “Those girls sure can sing!” She has performed with the likes of Tony and Larry Rice and interviewed with major recording labels in Nashville. Rich Jones has been a long-time stalwart on the Washington bluegrass scene. Raised in Darrington, the son of a talented musician from North Carolina, Rich has been playing banjo since he was a teenager. He is a multi-instrumentalist adept at guitar and mandolin as well as banjo. Rich has been a member of Ron Spears and Within Tradition and the Ohop Valley Boys. Called a "national class mandolin and fiddle player" by the Portland Oregonian, fiddler Pete Martin lives in Seattle. In addition to fiddle, Pete plays mandolin, guitar, and tenor guitar and has performed and recorded with many Northwest artists including the Skyline Drifters. In 1994, he was National Adult Fiddle Champion at the National Oldtime Fiddlers Contest in Weiser, Idaho. Pete supports himself teaching music, is a regular columnist for Mandolin Magazine, and has authored seven instructional books on mandolin and fiddle playing. Whether a sweet tremolo on a ballad, soulful Monroe-style blues licks, or a lightning-fast instrumental, mandolinist Tom Moran keeps you on the edge of your seat. Tom has that rare gift of being innovative without ever losing touch with his pure bluegrass roots. Also a member of the Seattle group, the Downtown Mountain Boys, he is the author of a bluegrass column for Mandolin Magazine and the founder of the Seattle Mandolin Orchestra. Tom also teaches a bluegrass class at Shoreline Community College in Seattle. The Prozac Mtn Boys, as their name suggests, offer an uplifting, therapeutic mixture of traditional, bluegrass and modern music. Composed of musicians from Washington State's northernmost counties, The Prozac Mtn Boys combine bluegrass instrumentation with rich vocal harmonies to create a surprisingly familiar, intimate blend of yesterday and today. From Bill Monroe to Bob Dylan, from The Beatles to The Grateful Dead, no music is safe from this group! The Prozac Mtn Boys are: Andy Friedlander (guitar), Ted O’Connell (mandolin, harmonica), Larry Sult (banjo), Keith Fredrikson (bass), Arielle Luckmann (fiddle). Don’t miss The Prozac Mtn Boys. Your universe will never be the same. Tall Timber Grass is led by Don Mills. Originally from North Carolina, Don played with the original Tall Timber Grass in the seventies and did the festival circuit with Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley and many of the greats. The current band features Don Hitt on banjo who has a straight and solid traditional style of playing. Hitt also sings tenor in the band. John Rantschler plays bass in the band and sings baritone. Tim Saxton is the mandolin player. Rounding out Tall Timber Grass is fiddler Rob Bennett. Coming from a family of bluegrass players, Bennett started playing at the age of 12. His style is very much like his hero, the great Kenny Baker. He is a hard driving, passionate playeral and has had the honor of guesting on the Bill Monroe and Dr. Ralph Stanley shows. The Grapevine Bluegrass Band, GBB, is a new dynamic powerhouse traditional style bluegrass band with contemporary flavor! Just formed in fall 2008, Grapevine sets their standards on the tried and true music of years past while injecting the power of new grass into their music. To say it simply, Grapevine is one of the most promising bluegrass bands to come along in the Northwest for quite sometime. On bass and vocals is Laura Quigley. Laura is a well educated musician and finds comfort in several genres. She is also a member of the famous Northwest group, Misty River Band. Laura is an excellent lead and harmony vocalist and brings an exciting and unique sound to Grapevine. She began teaching herself the upright acoustic bass in 1998 and in 2001 became the Washington State Champion Bass Player. In the past, Laura has been called upon for her special talents by well known artists such as Laurie Lewis and Jim Page. Laura not only plays the bass for Grapevine but she creates the “groove-factor.” She makes her home in Portland, Oregon. On mandolin and vocals is Jeff Westerinen. Jeff is a well known bluegrass musician in the Northwest. He has played in several top notch bluegrass bands in the past, such as the Ohop Valley Boys, and is well respected for his virtuosity mandolin playing and his fine vocals. In addition to playing mandolin Jeff plays guitar, bass, fiddle and banjo. Jeff lives in Issaquah, Washington with his wife Andrea, and daughter Becky. On Banjo and vocals is Jamie Blair. Jamie has been playing the banjo since he was eight years old and has been a member of several top regional bluegrass bands in the Northwest before joining Grapevine. Jamie is a songwriter and a multi-instrumentalist, playing resophonic guitar, guitar, and mandolin in addition to the banjo. Originally from Georgetown, Ohio, Jamie, his wife Cara and son Donavan currently make their home in Kent Washington. Playing fiddle is John Melnichuk. John first took up the fiddle at age 6 and since has mastered most string instruments. Currently, John is a 6 time Senior fiddle champion in the National Oldtime Fiddler’s Contest held annually in Weiser, Idaho, and most recently won the Senior Division competition in the Grand Masters Fiddle Contest, in Nashville , Tennessee. As one might expect John has extensive bluegrass experience as a performer, competitor and teacher. John and his wife Eileen currently make their home in Vancouver, Washington. On guitar and vocals is Randy Weese. Randy draws on both traditional and contemporary bluegrass music to create his unique style. Randy’s rhythm and lead guitar playing is a result of influences of such legendary greats as Larry Sparks, Clarence White, Roy Nicholls and James Burton. Randy has played in both bluegrass and country bands throughout his musical career. Randy is a songwriter and plays a little bass and mandolin in addition to guitar. Randy makes his home in the coastal community of Astoria, Oregon, where he lives with his wife Janice. Stay tuned for more bios and pictures!