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We laud the esteemed DC Bluegrass Union, an organization that offers so many benefits: a community of friendly folks committed to sustaining bluegrass traditions, a vast collective knowledge of the genre's deep roots, and a performance calendar listing live bluegrass and other traditional music in the metropolitan Washington, DC area.
There is a listserv that is owned and maintained by DCBU founder Kip
Martin (DCAB) —while not affiliated directly with DCBU — has as its members many members
of DCBU. Additionally, it was through this listserv (DCAB) that we
connected with a third of Dead Men's Hollow — namely, bassist Bob Peirce and fiddler Marcy Cochran. We can't imagine life without 'em now. Thanks to DCBU, DCAB-L list owner Kip Martin and the network of talented musicians and fans he's assembled in cyberspace. |
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Ron Goad: He's a musician, he's an impresario, he's a networker among
troubadours. He's Ron Goad, and he's also the man that gave an early
lineup of Dead Men's Hollow its first gig (at the late, great Ben's
Whole Hog Barbecue of Manassas, Va. Ben promised and delivered, yes, a
whole hog, plus all the starchy sides we could shovel in, but that's
another story). Ron has been one of the band's earliest and most vocal
cheerleaders, and gosh but we love him for it. You can hear his masterful
percussion on "Barroom Angel," one of the tracks off "Forever True."
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Tomm Sibert: Maybe you've spotted the mustachioed man with the maroon van around town. You're apt to find Tomm plunking on the bass fiddle and/or adding low vocal harmonies with any number of performing groups: Random Act, FolkHead (the duo comprised of Tomm and his wife, Jennifer Elcano), even Dead Men's Hollow. We're indebted to Tomm and his bass, who both helped us bridge the gap between Bob's unfortunate wood-splitter accident and his speedier-than-expected recovery.
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Steve Key is Washington's own 21st-century troubadour. Few songwriters can capture the beauty of everyday life as well. Steve's penned songs for luminaries like Kathy Mattea, won a barrelful of awards and played some of the most prestigious live-music fests
around. Part of his appeal is the accessibility of his lyrics and
hummability of his melodies, to say nothing of his banter with the
crowd. Get a taste of that easy flair in his latest recording, House
Blend, recorded live at Maryland house concerts. You can get info on
this and Steve's other recordings, as well as gig dates, at www.stevekey.com.
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We bestow a satisfied shout-out on sound engineer
extraordinaire Chris Murphy, who brings a devastating combination of
sharp ears, a rapier wit and saint-like patience to the recording
process. His musical proclivities reach all the way back to the 4th
grade, when someone handed him a clarinet, but he came to master audio
engineering for bands and solo acts at their live shows and in the
studio. He's polished the pipes of Barbra Streisand to Luther Campbell
and the strings of Danny Gatton to George Thorogood. He'll bring his
kick-ass, state-of-the-art digital equipment to your house, if you're
happiest recording there. Read Murph's entire client list, check out
the rad gear and learn about his recording philosophy at
www.rhlaudio.com.
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Props to the Austin Grill in Silver Spring, the jewel
in the crown of downtown Silver Spring's amazing transformation. The
Tex-Mex restaurant was built with live music in mind, with a top-drawer
sound system that even pipes tunes outside. You can catch dozens of
great acts while you nosh on a fajita platter or a basket of
hot-n-salty tortilla chips.
Chris Patterson, President and Chief Operating Officer at Austin Grill, is the driving force behind music being the center piece of this new location. He's the happy-go-lucky fellow you see here, shown on a recent business trip to Austin, Tex. "We pulled over to take
a photo of the group under a sign that read "Texas Rehabilitation
Society," Chris tells us. "Just so happens that Chris' Liquors was next
door. Definitely fits my personality." We're hoistin' a glass to you
now, buddy.
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Local troubadour and banjoist extraordinaire BanjerDan is about the
busiest musician we know. From lending his picking skills to many other
acts (including Dead Men?s Hollow) to wowing 'em solo at the U.S. Embassy in Panama, BanjerDan always performs with humor, mad skills and a battery of the best banjo jokes you've never heard before. Check out his website and mark one of his many gigs on your live-music calendar.
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The McGinley Family Gospel Singers, led by the talented Andrew
McGinley, are as likely to be performing "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" as
they are "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder" at a house of worship
near you this Sunday. Equipped with degrees in divinity and music,
Andrew plays about 23 instruments with aplomb and sings beautifully to
boot. The group that bears his name is a professional worship-leading
ensemble bringing an energetic and praise-filled mix of traditional
hymns plus bluegrass, old time and gospel tunes to churches all over
metro D.C. Visit the group's website for MP3s of the Singers in action.
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Molly Ruppert, son Paul, and daughter Christina are the keepers of a century-old familial flame. The Warehouse Theater, the family's cool alternative arts complex—part theater, part café, part gallery, part coffeehouse—is situated in a block that's housed some Ruppert family business or other since the 1880s, including a hardware store, a real-estate office, and the much loved Ruppert's restaurant (it closed in 2002.) The café draws local artists and musicians displaying their work and throwing down tunes; caffeine-powered students cramming over thick textbooks; folks in need of sustenance after walking 13 miles through whatever garden show is filling the D.C. Convention center at the moment; or anyone that can't face another durned Starbucks. Come by for a homemade cookie, or check out the Warehouse Theater's eclectic performance schedule online.
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