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 9th and 10th 2007 for the fourth 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 Star Bar, 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 Star Bar 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 9 Adrift: Deadwood Revival Brown Lantern: Boys of Greenwood Glen Rockfish: Tiller’s Folly Star Bar: The Duntons Watertown: Feed and Seed Saturday, November 10 Adrift: Cabin Kind Brown Lantern: The Starlings Rockfish: Downtown Mountain Boys Star Bar: The Side Kicks Watertown: Runaway Train ARTISTS APPEARING AT BREWGRASS!: The Downtown Mountain Boys are Paul Elliott, Don Share, David Keenan, Terrence Enyeart and Tom Moran, the cream of Seattle-area pickers, top teachers, session musicians, and musicologists .So, the release of their latest, Big Darlin’ comes with weighty expectations.Happily, they make it sound easy, as great musicians can. Big Darlin’ is a solid slice of real, straight-ahead Bluegrass, with only the faintest hints that the band members do some work outside the genre (banjoist Keenan, who made his name in rockabilly and sports Seattle’s most iconic haircut, can’t help singing like Lefty Frizzell). The disc features a couple numbers by award-winning songwriter and former Seattleite Nancy Riccio, including the scorching opening cut, “Back in the Black,” which is about how payday means not just solvency but a general lifting of spirits. Most of the disc is wisely chosen material from a variety of County and Bluegrass sources, like Jesse Fuller’s “99 Years and One Dark Day” and “Till the End of the World Rolls Around.” The cuts are committed with the drive and verve Bluegrass needs, but just to be different, DTMB does the usually-hyper “Black Eyed Suzie” as a slow country lope. Fiddler Paul Elliott penned the title track, while Keenan contributes a fascinating, hilarious, philosophical piece of cornpone Zen, “Sometimes Dig for Taters.” Big Darlin’ is the big local Bluegrass release of the summer, and should go national. It’s big, darlin’. Tom Petersen, Victory Music Review, August 2007 Being raised on a steady diet of Irish and Scottish music, Bruce Coughlan has always maintained a repertoire of traditional ballads since his earliest forays into music. He began gigging in Irish pubs in his teens and later worked with a series of bands, performing a variety of styles. Bruce is founder and leader of Canada’s well known group, Tiller's Folly. The group is rounded out by Laurence Knight on bass and vocals and Nolan Murray on fiddle Coughlan is a true bard and collector of songs. A career performer, touring throughout Canada since his teens, Bruce has developed a keen knowledge of the history of the Pacific region, while obtaining a solid background in performing and music. His love and passion for the characters and tales of The Pacific Northwest has proven fertile ground for his exceptional songwriting and singing skills. Laurence Knight is a musician with the incredible depth of over 30 years of performing and recording experience, during which time he has appeared with many of the brightest lights of the Vancouver music scene. In this time, he has performed and recorded with a variety of different artists in many genres from Raffi to Doucette to Roy Forbes to Ferron to Jim Byrnes. Nolan Murray has become one of the most in-demand multi-instrumentalists in the Pacific Northwest, having toured, performed and recorded with many top Canadian and American artists. It was with his own band “String ‘Em Up” that won them the International Bluegrass World Championship in 1997. He has, throughout his career, garnered numerous awards for his stellar musicianship. Nolan brought his dynamic musical talent to Tiller’s Folly in 2001 during the recording of A Ripple In Time. And in 2004, Tiller’s Folly members teamed up to record Nolan’s fourth CD, Off the Beaten Path. The Sidekicks are composed of some of the most outstanding bluegrass musicians in Washington State. Cliff "Moses" Perry was a founding member of the legendary Southfork Bluegrass Band and his recording with Laurel Bliss, "Old Pal" was voted "Best Oldtime Recording" by County Sales, the leading reviewer and seller of oldtime and bluegrass music in America. Pete Martin was called a "national class mandolin and fiddle player" by the Portland, Oregonian and has numerous fiddle trophies. Bill Scott has 40 years of bluegrass banjo experience in the style of the legendary Don Reno. Jen Dunton is a local favorite with the Dunton Sisters. Barry Brower founded the SideKicks as well as other top Washington groups including The Fossils and The Friends of Sally Johnson. Feed & Seed is a true anomaly in modern bluegrass. Disregarding "newgrass" and "jamgrass," they pick up where pioneers of the genre left off, creating a familiar yet fresh sound. With their disarming youth and high-energy live shows, Feed & Seed has logged several thousand miles on the odometer while their CD "McKinley's Ghost" receives radio play across the country. They show no shame in playing classic songs alongside soon-to-be-classic originals. The readers of What's Up! Magazine voted the band "Best Bluegrass" in both 2006 and 2007. Whether playing in rowdy, smoke-filled bars, at countryside weddings or on festival stages, Feed & Seed is a band that stands out. Runaway Train describes their music as hard drivin’ bluegrass. Their membership breaks down like this: Kent Powell - A member of Runaway Train since August, 2005 , Kent is a veteran of bluegrass music having performed for many years with the very popular band Crossfire . He plays a mean banjo andadds to the sound with powerful harmony and lead vocals. Greg Linder– Greg, a native of Washington and living in Union on Hood Canal, was struck by Bluegrass fever in 1980 upon attending the near-by Tumwater Bluegrass Festival. In the years since, icons such as Tony Rice and Charles Sawtelle have heavily influenced his music. He is well known in the regional music scene as co-founder of Caravan, and most recently of Blue Hill, and for winning the Western Canada Flat-pick Championships at Chillowack in 1999. He plays guitar and sings lead and harmony vocals with Runaway Train. Nolan Elwell - He is the newest member of Runaway Train as of December 2006, and also the youngest. Born in Des Moines, Wa. and now living in Bonney Lake with wife and three kids, he plays mandolin and sings lead and harmony. Nolan played for four years with Tacoma's Knaughty Pine. Influences on his musical interests are Bela Fleck, Allison Krause, the Cox Family among others. It's difficult to hold this guy back! John Pyles – The summer of 1962 was when John succumbed to this bluegrass thing. A brother brought home a banjo and that’s all it took! He’s been playing and listening ever since. John enjoysevery shade of bluegrass from very traditional to acoustic jazz. He has played in several bands in his native California as well as in Washington. Close your eyes at a Deadwood Revival show and you'd swear there are more than two people onstage, but Kim Trenerry and Jason Mogi produce an amazingly full sound that has fueled many a hootenanny up and down the West coast. "They're on the leading edge of the resurgence and revitalized interest in old-time music" (Joe Ross-Bluegrass Now). Kim's rock solid rhythm guitar and bass with Jason's imaginative, clean claw-hammer or slide banjo and guitar along with his home-made 'stomp board' creates high energy, feel-good music "embossed with old-time, eclectic folk, blues and even classic country flavors". Likewise, the pair can bring it down to a single instrument and still fill the room with undeniable energy. Their "magnificent vocal blend anchored by Kim's powerful voice and complemented by the softer yet perfect pitch of Jason" (Washington Bluegrass Association) adds emotional depth to every song they sing together. Both talented songwriters, their original tunes have been described as "old-timey with smokin' hooks". Whether a rockin' hoe down or a tasty ballad, their songs are uplifting, sometimes poignant, and often sound like they could have been written a hundred years ago. Since their debut CD in 2005 and a second CD in 2006, both receiving radio airplay and excellent reviews, this Port Angeles, WA based duo continues to win over audiences with their superb musicianship, charisma, and infectious high spirits. Performer Magazine said of Deadwood Revival...“They bring spry sharp harmonies and an effortlessly cheerful energy to every song". Exploring the roots of American music, Boys of Greenwood Glen hail from the mythic glen in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle. Their deep commitment and passion for the acoustic-based traditions of folk, country, Irish, old time and of course, bluegrass makes for an exciting blend, a living experience of lively, rugged music played by musicians who want you to join them in raucous celebration. Featuring Vocal Harmonies, Guitars, Fiddle, Mandolin, Banjo, Upright Bass & Dobro, with as wide a range of songs as the open prairie, the boys will have you clapping your hands, stomping your feet and singing along!" The Starlings have captured the ears of fans both in the Northwest and beyond following their 2006 release of debut album “Songbook." Based out of Seattle, they've received accolades from notable sources as Maverick Magazine and Americana UK; appeared live on renowned radio station KEXP's Audioasis; spent eight weeks on John Richards’ (KEXP) “Top Ten Northwest Bands”; and shared prominent performances with the likes of Todd Snider, The Avett Brothers, Shannon McNally, Michelle Malone, and numerous NW artists. Featured in a 2-page spread in the March 2007 issue of Maverick Magazine (UK), The Starlings are bringing their blend of Americana country and folk music to an ever broader stage, garnering fans from all corners of the musical spectrum. Led by the magnetic harmonies and songwriting of Joy Mills and Tom Parker, this murmuration combines lyrics and vocals that are all at once wistful and fierce, haunting and soothing. Their approach is contemporary and inventive, inspired by the classics of country, folk and Appalachia. Tasteful lines of guitar, banjo, harmonica and mandolin give front porch flavors to the songs, while Aimee Zoe Tubbs and Jack Quick provide the solid and stylish foundation on drums and bass, respectively, as well as backing vocals. Elemental themes create The Starlings' solid repertoire. From a pin-dropping ballad to a foot-stomping barnburner, their images linger – empty boxcars, twilight on the prairie, divining rods, river beds, the long drive home, and an underlying wonder at the mystery of it all. The Starlings have a presence and sound that remain long after the show is over. With one eye to the keyhole of deeper meaning, they remain dynamic in nature and happy to take the road less traveled. As the name would suggest Cabin Kind began in a small one room cabin in the Pacific Northwest. Sharing a deep love for bluegrass, and a desire to create music that reflects their lives and community, Lob Strilla (banjo, vocals), Miles Nowlin (mandolin, vocals), Jakob Breitbach (fiddle), Judd Wasserman (guitar), and Morgan Thompson (bass) began writing and recording intuitive songs about "the unseen America". Life off the grid, leaky cabins, untamed gardens, and inventive characters new to the landscape of American Folklore are just the beginning of a world that this band claims as their own. Not merely content to echo what once was, Cabin Kind takes the instruments of our American musical heritage: banjo, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass, guitar, and voice to sing personal songs relating the spirit, joy, sorrow, and trials of today's rugged individualists. Cabin Kind is not merely roots music by genre, but sincerely about the scraping for soil and sun light on the American landscape of today. Regarding the Dunton Sisters, Tony Rice said: "These are very talented ladies." When he heard them, Ralph Stanley stated: Boy, I tell you... these girls can sing, can't they?!" 'Singing In My Heart' is the debut CD from this dynamic group from Washington State. Since it's release, the CD has been receiving airplay and favorable reviews all over the U.S. and in foreign countries. The title cut was selected from among hundreds of weekly submissions to be featured on NPR's All Songs Considered Open Mic show. Eddie O'Strange, host of the Town and Country Radio show in Auckland, New Zealand, had this to say: "The whole album is just so right-great songs, really great singing, exactly right arrangements, played beautifully. Our listeners are just going to love you! The Dunton Sisters band consists of Jen on guitar and vocals, Bev on mandolin and vocals, and their mother Gae on vocals and upright bass. Michael Savatgy is featured on banjo, and Bryan Thurber rounds out the group on fiddle. The river of music runs deep in the Dunton family. Their grandfather was part of a gospel quartet sponsored by Stamps-Baxter, publishers of shape-note hymns. Their father was an accomplished classical pianist. All of Gae's eight children and 23 grandchildren are musicians. The Duntons vocals are warm, full-bodied and always in tune. What really sets Jen and Bev's singing apart is their great harmony, that sweet sibling sound. Their sound is truly unique, but one that is rooted firmly in the tradition of Southern music.