Joel Greene is a major talented musician with great violin work (if he spills beer on it he can call it a fiddle)..and his guitar has to be heard to be believed... As if that were not enough, Joel's voice, both haunting leads and bullseye harmonies, help to carry our sound to a new dimension.
This Page is designed to let you know what our past monthly news Flashes looked like as they happened and to keep the WELCOME page devoted to the very latest news.
January 15, 2010...OK, we just got word this morning , we have been selected to perform at the Annual Joe Val Bluegrass festival in Framingam MA on Saturday February 13. We will be appearing on the Showcase Stage at 12:15 PM for a 35 minute set. Hope to see you there! The weekend is legendary for pickers and fans with three days of great music starting Friday and ending Sunday afternoon. For more info go to the Boston Bluegrass Union's website www.bbu.org.
January 14, 2010... We are excited about our upcoming, sold out performance at Common Fence Point on January 23. Half of our program will consist of our latest, original songs we have been promising our fans. Also we should have some good news to share with you regarding our February appearance at the Framingham MA Joe Val Bluegrass Festival over Valentine Weekend! Meanwhile we have booked a Bluegrass Festival in Halifax , MA in June and are already booking private parties and weddings for the spring and summer of 2010. Unfortunately we had to decline an invitation to play at the Bluegrass on the Bogs festival in May due to a scheduling conflict. We wish Kristin and Peter Taylor the best of luck with that Festival! Finally we look to be playing at the local farms and vineyards and charity benefits in the South Coast region as well this year and we'll publish those dates just as soon as we get them. This looks to be another busy season!
October 27 2009... We're scheduled to play late next month (November 28) at Westport Rivers Vineyards. More info to follow. The weekly Wednesday bluegrass jam at Benjamin's Sports Pub has really taken off . The concept is to have fun and include everybody. We're keeping the circle unbroken! Come early for some great seafood. (I recommend the baked scallops). Otherwise we start at 7 PM. See the address above.
October 13, 2009... Had a great time hosting the Young Family Farm 3rd Annual Harvest Festival last Saturday and Sunday! We played to a full house on Saturday and everybody, young and old was dancing and stomping to bluegrass! The kids had a great time with fun and games and hayrides, Fun Runs and candy apples. Many Thanks to Don Lurgio and the Island Farm Bluegrass Band from Foster Rhode island and Jeremy Place and Crossfire Bluegrass Band from Middleboro MA for joining us in making th 3rd annual Harvest festival at Young Family Farm the most successful year ever! Tyler and KarlaYoung have already begun planning an earlier start for next year's 4th annual Festival.
October 5, 2009...Got rained out last Saturday! Westport Rivers Vinyard had to cancel their annual harvest festival due to torrential rains with thunder and lightning! But, we have been invited to play at another event at Westport Rivers Vinyard at the end of November. We'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, don't forget this weekend, Saturday, October 10 we'll be playing from 1 to 4 PM at the Young Family Farm Harvest Fair on West Main Road in Little Compton, RI.
September 21, 2009...We played last Wednesday night at the Onset Band Shell as part of the town's Summer Concert Series. We were warmly received by the townsfolk who have enthusiastically invited us back for next season! That's quite a compliment since they are used to having weekly entertainment in a beautiful outdoor setting overlooking Onset bay. Looking to next month we have one private party and two public performances scheduled so far in October. On 10/03 we will be playing at The Westport Rivers Annual Harvest Fair from 2 to 4 PM; and on 10/10 we will be at Young Family Farm from 1 to 4 PM
September 3, 2009...It's all set! The Third Annual Young Family Farms Columbus Day Weekend Harvest Festival is ready to go. We will host the event as usual and will kick off the fun on Saturday October 10th. Starting at 1 PM Bluegrass Invitation Band will play much of the afternoon with a jam ending things from 4 to 5 PM. Sunday will feature the ever popular, Island Farm Bluegrass Band and a second band soon to be announced.
August 30, 2009...We did it again!!! We managed to play a second wedding during a hurricaine on two consecutive Saturdays (Hurricaine Bill on August 22 and Hurricaine Danny on August 29). Both hurricaines cooperated long enough for beach weddings and a fun reception. Pete maintained his streak of breaking strings (seven consecutive performances) and lots of fun was had by all. Check out our events page for September and October gigs.
August 25, 2009... We somehow managed to fit in a wedding on Cape Cod in between a line of Thunder storms and Hurricaine Bill! It turned out to be a beautiful day and the wedding guests were enthusiastic, dancing and joining us on stage for several of their favorite tunes. What a joyous occasion! Even the bride broke out her very own banjo and played a tune with us!!! That's a first! Next stop: Newport August 29, for another wedding. We can't wait!
August 11, 2009...What a busy week that just passed with Cantab Lounge on the 4th, Westport Rivers on the 7th, Dartmouth Blowout ( an annual charity fundraiser) on the 8th and Cup of the Bay, Onset on the 9th...Whew! We'll just take a little break now and rehearse for two weddings we're going to do on August 22 on Cape Cod and August 29th in Newport.
August 6 2009...We had a blast at the Cantab Lounge on Tuesday August 4. Pete set two new records for breaking mandolin strings. 1. He broke one on the first song and 2. He broke a second one a little later for two in the same night! The crowd was loudly appreciative of our style of bluegrass and insisted on an encore before we left the stage.
Don't forget we have our last public performance of August on Friday night, August 7, 2009 at Westport Rivers Vinyards on Hix Bridge Road, Westport MA. After that we are doing a number of private performances including two weddings.
We'll do several more public performances in the fall. Hope to see you soon!
July 7, 2009...We have a schedule change. Please not that our August 1st performance at Westport Rivers has been changed to Friday, August 7 from 6 to 8 PM. Please check out our "Scheduled Gigs" page for a complete list of upcoming performances and look for new dates from time to time as they are added.
June 17, 2009...Time is really flying by! We had a great time last Saturday at the Bluegrass On The Bogs festival at its new location in Hanson MA (Camp Kiwannee) ! We played on the main stage at the Pavillion from 2 to 3 PM (a very prime time) to a very appreciative and enthusiastic audience. Hats off to Kristin and Peter for putting this show on with such short notice. We are now getting ready for the Saturday August 20 performance at Westport Vinyards (1 - 3 PM) and are looking forward to a private 4th of July party in Mattapoisett for 700 people...And you heard that we will be playing again at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge on August 4th with more weddings and parties in July and August? Keep checking our scheduled gigs page for the details of our appearances.
June 5, 2009...Getting ready for the Bluegrass on the Bogs festival. In case you haven't heard yet, it's next weekend, June 12, 13 and 14 at Camp Kiwanee in Hanson, Ma which is east of Brockton. Three days of music, campfires and summer fun. We're on stage from 2-3 PM on Saturday June 13. For more info, Google Bluegrass on the Bogs 2009. Also we kicked off our Summer Bluegrass series at Cup of the Bay Restuarant last Sunday, May 31. We'll be there every other Sunday through Labor day. Check out our schedule on our "UPCOMING GIGS" page.
May 22, 2004...Check out our upcoming gigs page for performance dates as they appear. We have two new dates we just put up today. Tuesday night, August 4 at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge Massachusetts. The place is usually packed so if you want a seat get there early we'll be playing roughly from 8:15 to 9:15. Also we'll be performing at Westport Vinyards and Winery a few days later, August 11. We'll have more info on that one as it comes in.
May 1, 2009...Where have we been? We've been rebuilding! We have reconstituted the band with Pete Gallant, Charlie Santos, BudSmith and Frank Bouchard remaining from last year with Joel Greene and our latest addition, Lenny Amaral rounding out our numbers. We're working on some new sounds with lots of bluegrass but with some interesting plusses. Can't wait to have some of our new tunes up and running on this web site. It won't be long! Meanwhile we have several private parties scheduled for the summer and we expect to play again at Sweetberry Farm, The Bay Club of Mattappoisett and Young Family Farm as well as several Wetstport MA functions (Make a Wish Foundations and the Annual Dartmouth Blowout)...Also we'll be at Cup of the Bay once again in Onset MA on Sunday mornings starting memorial Day....Check out upcoming gigs for the latest info including times and dates as we get them.
March 31, 2009...We are lining up our gigs for the 2009 season and are happy to say we'll be revisiting Cup of the Bay on Cape Cod quite a bit this summer. Look for our schedule to be up and running in a few days. We also have two private parties lined up for May 17 and July 4 so if you are interested in having us at your event, now's the time to contact us if you want to lock in your date. Here are two testimonies from recent clients whose wedding receptions were true bluegrass blowouts...
February 20, 2009...Great news!! We have obtained the services of the outstanding musician and vocalist, Joel Greene! Joel has just completed his second CD with the group Dark and Stormy and brings to Bluegrass Invitation an impressive performance background with all manner of acoustic instruments including violin, viola, guitar, mandolin and bass, just to name a few. We will be concentrating on bluegrass standbys including gospel, as well as "New Grass" and a number of surprises and originals which we plan to record soon. Check back from time to time as this latest version of Bluegrass Invitation gets underway.
February 19 2009...We have some changes for 2009. First of all, we are losing the services of Fiddling John Almeida who will be devoting all of his spare time to Crossfire Bluegrass. They just came out with their first CD and did a great job performing at the Joe Val Fesival. We have nothing but the best of wishes for Fiddlin John and Crossfire. We are hoping to obtain another talented musician and should have some news on this front in a very few days.
February 17 2009....Wow! Big doings at Joe Val this past weekend. Great national bands and pretty impressive local bands, too and lots of great pickin until the wee hours of the morning.
December 28 2008...Newport's First Night is Back on!!! Randy J. has put together a group of volunteers for the annual event held at the Florence Murray Court House in Newport Rhode Island. Pete Gallant and I will be among Randy's band along with other good bluegrass friends from across Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. Finally, we are thinking of changing our name to the Bluegrass Wedding Band! We have contracted with folks from Brooklyn, New York , New Bedford Mass. and Los Angeles, California to do three different weddings in Massachusetts, two occurring over the summer and one this winter. It's so good to see folks dancing to our music, little children, teens and young adults naturally love to burn off energy romping around to the tunes of Orange Blossom Special and Foggy Mountain Breakdown, while their parents and grandparents love to sway gracefully to the Kentucky and Tennessee Waltzes. The settings have been fantastic, from a beautiful lawn wedding at the Roche Jones Duff Mansion in New Bedford to the ocean waves crashing on the beach behind the Ocean View Hotel in Gloucester, to the rolling vineyards of Westport Ma. There's so much to be said about bluegrass and good times.
November 24 2008...My how the days fly!! We've received news that Radio Bluegrass International's Bob Mitchell has selected one of our original Bluegrass Christmas Songs entitled "Child who was King" to be included in his playlist for this Christmas season, 2008!! The song was written by our rhythm guitarist and fearless leader Charlie Santos and recorded at the Digital Wave Studio last year. Bob says the internet station goes out all over the world where bluegrass music is appreciated 24 hours per day and seven days per week and is totally free!! We'll try to make the song available to you here if you check our page entitled Pictures and Music. Finally, we have another wedding to prepare for this winter (in Gloucester, Ma) our third of the season and it looks like we might not be in Newport, Rhode Island this year due to a financial complication with the organizers of Newport's First Night Celebration...We'll keep you posted.
September 28, 2008...NOTICE the Columbus Day WEEKEND Festival has an important update...there will be a small admission fee, $6.00.. This fee was necessary due to expenses incurred by the young Family Farm in putting this event together. There is a family admission price if you have a large family planning on going. The family admission ticket is $20. Sorry if these changes affect your planning for that weekend, at $6.00, it's still a great deal. For questions please call Tyler or Karla Young at 401 635 0110.
September 25, 2008...Ok here's what October looks like. Hang on to your hats!.. October 4, Westport Vineyards ,
1-3 PM we play for South Eastern Massachusetts Agricultural Project...$35 per ticket with proceeds going to this UMass organization to assist local food growers. Contact Westport (Ma) Vineyards for details. Then we're hosting a three day Bluegrass festival at Young Family Farm on West Main Road in Little Compton October 11, 12 and 13. This is a festival with music from 1 to 5 PM each day (we will play Saturday, Oct 11 from 1 to 2:30 PM) with six different bands playing over the three day period. Bring a folding chair and relax. This will be followed by October 18 at the Woodland restaurant in Foster Rhode Island to benefit a fellow bluegrass singer and player who is undergoing expensive cancer treatments....Contact that restaurant for more details. We go on at 9 PM. Hope to see you around.
September 24, 2008...Where did September go? We played nothing but private parties including two weddings! So much music, such little time!
August 12, 2008...You are invited on Tuesday August 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 to an afternoon of bluegrass on beautiful Aquidneck Island, home of the Newport Mansions...Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown is a beautiful and upscale place to find local organic foods and products produced locally and imported from around the world...and the bluegrass is provided to you free of charge by the Bluegrass Invitation Revue...come and enjoy!
June 16, 2008...Boy were those Srawberries good!! Young Family Farm in Little Compton RI outdid itself with delicious treats and humungous hanging plants in all colors. We had folks dancing and tapping their feet among the customers and even a few young people from Somerset High stopped by...nice to see you Brendon, "Phil of the Future" and Zack...Look for a Clam bake at Young's over the Summer, late July or early August. We'll let you know...We have several private parties coming up but you can catch us at Cup of the Bay Restaurant in Onset MA most Sunday mornings unless it's raining hard...We usually play outdoors on the patio for the weekly "Bluegrass Brunch and Open Mic". Come on down Sundays from 10AM to Noon. #3 West Central Ave, Onset MA. Call Cathy Leary at Cup of the Bay if you're not sure about the weather...
June 9 2008...Many thanks to all of you who came out to see us at Bluegrass On The Bogs 2008. The sound man nailed it and we did the rest, 14 songs and an encore including Charlie's original song "Fresh Out Of Coffee, Fresh Out Of You!" (We'll have that one available for downloading soon...) It was so much fun! Our next appearance is at Young Family Farm Strawberry Festival in Little Compton RI this coming Saturday, June 14, from 1 to 5 PM. Of course we'll be playing our regular open mic bluegrass brunch at Cup of the Bay Restaurant in Onset, Ma (on Cape Cod Massachusetts) from 10AM to noon. There is no admission charge at either the open mic on Sunday or the Strawberry Festival (Pick your own).
June 5, 2008...Oh Boy! Two more days for the 3rd Annual Bluegrass On The Bogs Festival at Edaville Railroad in Carver Ma. The Rhode Island Band, No Spare Parts, will open at 10 AM on Saturday and we'll be on from 11 AM till noon. If you like camping out you can stay for $10.00 per night (Friday and Saturday nights) . Saturday's performances will run from 10 AM to 10 PM with an admission fee of $20 Dollars and Sunday is $15 dollars and begins with gospel singing in the morning and continues with bluegrass until late afternoon. For more info check out www.bluegrassonthebogs.org.
May 20, 2008....Boy are we tired! We set a record for our band: three gigs in two days! We had a private birthday party in Westport on Saturday night, followed by our first performance at the Cup of the Bay in Onset on Sunday morning, and finally we capped off the weekend at Stinky Pete's in Dartmouth on Sunday evening...but who's complaining!!!
May 13 2008...We're coming back to Onset, Massachusetts on old Cape Cod!!! Cup of the Bay Restaurant called to invite us back Sundays for another season starting this Sunday through Labor day in September!!! We're going to set it up this time like an open mic...we'll play interspersed with local bluegrass and acoustic music performers who will sign up and will each play a three number set. Sign ups are from 10 to 10:30 AM and the show will run from 11 AM through 1 PM. Come down for the great food, gourmet coffees and good music!
May 6, 2008... Bud's back from his annual winterizing in Key West, Florida, our winter has been spent in playing private parties and lots of practice...we are booked for May 17 and we will be playing at the 3rd Annual Bluegrass on the Bogs Festival at Edaville Railroad on Saturday June 07 at 10 AM . We are working on one other May date at a local bar and a festival performance in July...we will have more news about these additional upcoming dates in a few days. It's nice to have Bud back and to be a complete band once again....
February 8, 2008...Wow, what happened to January? We have been busy with rehearsals and several local gigs and private parties. On the horizon we can announce that we have been invited to play at the 3rd Annual Bluegrass on the Bogs Festival in Carver. We'll be opening Saturday at 10 AM...more to come on that...We also have two private weddings booked in September (September 13 and 20) and are planning to host another Bluegrass festival of our own in the fall in Southern Rhode Island.
December 26, 2007...Hope you had a great Christmas. Be sure to come on down to Stinky Pete's this Saturday Night, from 8 to Midnight.
December 19, 2007 .....Forgot to mention, New Year's Eve this year....First Night in Newport, RI .....The organizer of the bluegrass venue, had to limit participation to a total of 12 musicians due to a new insurance limitation...so it was a first come, first served basis...to make a long story short, the performers will consist of a mixture of musicians from around Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts..Only two or possibly three members of our band will be there. You will need to purchase a First Night Badge to get in to our venue, (as well as all other places) The Florence Murray Judicial Court House Building which is at the top of Broadway right across from the Jane Pickens Theater. We'll start playing around 6:30 PM. They usually have us finish around 8:30 PM.
December 17, 2007...How time flies! Looks like we'll be back playing at Stinky Pete's on December 29, 2007 for Bluegrass and classic country music...If you are in the area (Route 6 in Dartmouth across from the old Lincoln Park), stop in and give us a shout. Check out our Photos and Music page depicting our last session at ol' Stinky's...It was lots of fun with musical guests and lots of other folks who appreciated our music.
November 25, 2007... A month till Christmas...how time flies...Oh Yeah, we had a blast last Friday, day after thanksgiving, at Stinky Pete's in Dartmouth, Ma. Lots of good friends came out to hear us and we especially appreciated our musical friends coming up to join us for a few numbers . Having them join us on stage turned our show into what it's supposed to be, a REVUE, like our name says Bluegrass Invitation Revue, a variety of performers giving you their best.
Our special thanks go out to Steve and Gail Dayton of Back Eddy Bluegrass as well as Maggie Moniz of cajun and Magnolia fame and Rocky Dion who sang and played every thing from the Blues to traditional bluegrass....Thanks again for a great time. Our photos of the night will be up as soon as we can get them on line here at this site. Looks like our next performance will probably be First Night again in Newport RI. Stay tuned for the details. If its anything like previous years you don't want to miss it.....
November 16, 2007...We'll be playing next Friday, Nov 23, 2007 at Stinky Pete's Pub in Dartmouth, Ma from 8 to midnight. Also there is a bluegrass jam starting tonight and every Friday night in the upcoming future at the Dartmouth VFW (next door to the Fire Station) from 7 PM to closing. Finally, our collaborative CD is just about ready to be released. We are the second cut on the compilation entitled Hope In Our Hands - The Christmas Sessions, and our song "The Child Who Was King" has been renamed "Peace in the Valley" on this CD. Anyway, we'll let you know where to buy this CD just in time for the Christmas and Holiday Season. The proceeds go to the Children's Advocacy Center for abused children in the New Bedford and Fall River region.
October 29, 2007...
***** Wow! The First Annual Young Family Farm Bluegrass Weekend was terrific. We had some strange New England Weather ("if you don't like the weather...wait a minute!) but the music and fun (hayrides, Cooking demonstrations from real chefs and college professors...) it was all good!!! We have been asked to do it again even bigger next year and we will be inviting even more bands and folk/acoustic performers to join us in a three day variety show worth coming to see and hear. We are also making plans with Young Family Farm for next summer...a clam bake with Bluegrass....
***** Last Saturday, October 27, we cut a recording at Digital Wave Multimedia studios in Fall River for a Winter/Holiday CD which is being produced to benefit the Children's Advocacy Center serving abused children in the South Coast area. The song we did was written by Charlie Santos and is entitled "The Child who was King". We'll let you know where to get a copy of the CD when it is released.
***** I'd like to introduce a new permanent member of our band, Frank Bouchard who plays lead guitar in many of our numbers as well as vocal leads and harmonies. Frank played in a duet in the South Coast area for several years performing a wide variety of songs from Celtic to Folk to popular acoustic. He also plays a mean banjo and mandolin.
****Finally, with Glenn Sampson, our esteemed banjo player, having asked for a leave of absence due to a job change, we are announcing the temporary addition to our band of young Benjamin Marshall who also plays a mean Scruggs style banjo. In addition, Ben plays a honking doghouse bass, a smooth mandolin and a clean, flat picking lead guitar ...all in the package of a 17 year old high school senior..Ben also plays for Crossfire Bluegrass band, another respected South Coast bluegrass group!
****** More to come!
October 29, 2007...
***** Wow! The First Annual Young Family Farm Bluegrass Weekend was terrific. We had some strange New England Weather ("if you don't like the weather...wait a minute!) but the music and fun (hayrides, Cooking demonstrations from real chefs and college professors...) it was all good!!! We have been asked to do it again even bigger next year and we will be inviting even more bands and folk/acoustic performers to join us in a three day variety show worth coming to see and hear. We asre also making plans with Young Family Farm for next summer...a clam bake with Bluegrass....
***** Last Saturday, October 27, we cut a recording at Digital Wave Multimedia studios in Fall River for a Winter/Holiday CD which is being produced to benefit the Children's Advocacy Center serving abused children in the South Coast area. The song we did was written by Charlie Santos and is entitled "The Child who was King". We'll let you know where to get a copy of the CD when it is released.
***** I'd like to introduce a new permanent member of our band, Frank Bouchard who plays lead guitar in many of our numbers as well as vocal leads and harmonies. Frank played in a duet in the South Coast area for several years performing a wide variety of songs from Celtic to Folk to popular acoustic. He also plays a mean banjo and mandolin.
****Finally, with Glenn Sampson, our esteemed banjo player, having asked for a leave of absence due to a job change, we are announcing the temporary addition to our band of young Benjamin Marshall who also plays a mean Scruggs style banjo. In addition, Ben plays a honking doghouse bass, a smooth mandolin and a clean, flat picking lead guitar ...all in the package of a 17 year old high school senior..Ben also plays for Crossfire Bluegrass band, another respected South Coast bluegrass group!
****** More to come!
September 21,2007... Great time was had by all on September 7 at the Holy Ghost Club with the Wish Come True Foundation which is celebrating their 25th year this year. Joe Lepage and his sister Carol were a great hit as always. We are now gearing up for the First Annual Young's Family Farm Columbus Day Weekend Bluegrass Festival which we are hosting. We have invited Crossfire Bluegrass Band and Falmouth Fiddlers to join us as featured groups, along with other who will appear with us for two or three numbers throughout the weekend. The event runs from two to five PM on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Bring the family and lawn chairs and pick some apples, pears, peaches and pumpkins as we pick our instruments.
August 23, 2007 We have some news. We'll be playing on Friday September 7th at the Westport Holy Ghost Club (which is on Sodom Road in Westport and Not connected with the Dartmouth Holy Ghost Club where the Blowout occurred earlier this month). This is the event which is a charity for children with terminal illness. See the Schedule Events section for details. Also we are hosting a three day Bluegrass Festival during Columbus Day Weekend in Little Compton RI. More on this coming up.
August 15, 2007...We had a great time at the Dartmouth Blowout last Saturday. John and Toni Taylor were a nice addition to our band. Nice crowd and the food was fantastic. We are currently planning on some Fall gigs with a three day appearance Sat, Sun and Monday during Columbus Day Weekend in October....More about that later. Right now Glenn is in San Diego, California and Labor Day is around the corner with the Thomas Point Bluegrass festival which some of us wouldn't thinkof missing...so we'll re-assemble after Labor Day and see what's what. Meanwhile those of us who are around will be going to the Westport Pier Wednesday nights to jam under the stars, weather permitting.
August 5, 2007... This has been a hectic summer trying to get everyone together despite family commitments from New Jersey to San Diego and Bluegrass festivals from Grey Fox to Podunk to Thomas Point... But we are still on for the annual Dartmouth Blowout Festival next Saturday August 11th . We will be on stage from 12:30 to 2:30 PM. We are hoping to be joined once again by John and Toni Taylor who did a great job last year.
We'll keep you posted on some upcoming events this fall...
July 18, 2007 We have had a good time at Stinky Pete's and have found an appreciative crowd that likes a mixture of Bluegrass and Country Classics which we have a lot of fun with. Ol' Stinky Pete himself graced us with some Willie Nelson numbers and we discovered that he has a great voice and knows all Willie's lyrics.
June 22, 2007...I (Charlie) am home from the hospital and feeling great. I had gastric bypass surgery on Monday. The boys can be found playing at the Westport Pier Wednesdays when the weather is nice or the Westport Social Club when the weather is poor. Also it looks like Stinky Pete's is still on for a while Saturdays 8-12 (See Scheduled Gigs). When I am 100% back on my feet we'll have more performance dates to share.
June 15, 2007... about Stinky Pete's in North Dartmouth Ma., that's located right across Route 6 from the old Lincoln Park amusement park at the end of route 177. This gig is expected to feature our invited friends John and Toni Taylor, a well know bluegrass couple in the Southcoast area of Massachusetts. Don't let the name throw you Stinky Pete's is a great place to have some good food and listen to some good bluegrass! We'll be there tomorrow night (June 16) from 8 to midnight.
June 6 2007...We have been asked to play at Stinky Pete's on Route 6 in North Dartmouth Ma. on Saturday June 16 from 8-12. More on this later.
June 04, 2007...Bluegrass on the Bogs at Edaville Railroad this weekend...Carver Ma. It's going to be a great time, camping Saturday and lots for kids and adults to see and do. We'll be on at 9 PM on Saturday Night...Hope you can make it.
Also our good friend Skip Beltz and some friends will be doing the Sunday mornings at Cup of the Bay in Onset, Ma. this summer. Skip started the festivities last season but was called away to warmer climates, and we kept the gig warm until his return from the Carribbean. Best wishes Skip and glad to see you back! We'll be joining Skip from time to time through the summer. Finally, don't forget the Wednesday Night Jams outdoors on the fishing pier at Westport Ma. Harbor have started back up and will be going strong until shortly after Labor Day. See you there maybe? If the weather is poor you might find us at the Westport Social Club.
May 16, 2007...Cantab II is history and another great time was had by all. That Cambridge crowd really knows and appreciates its bluegrass especially those kids and faculty from Berkley School of Music...and the whole night was amazing...
We now will play for a private graduation party or two and are considering returning to The Cup of the Bay on old Cape Cod (Onset) Sundays starting Memorial Day Weekend...stay tuned. We are also getting a new set list ready for the Bluegrass on the Bogs Festival in Carver Ma (Site of Edaville Railroad). We'll be there on June 9 at 9 PM.
April 25, 2007....We had a very busy Saturday. First we played at the 63rd Annual New England Folk Festival in Mansfield Ma from 11AM to 12 PM. It was a huge affair with literally thousands of spectators and participants coming in from three distant satellite parking lots to see folk and international dancing and various kinds of entertainment. Our venue was filled early and some people were actually asked to leave because of fire codes and safety issues in overcrowding the room.
In the PM we played at the City Oasis Club in Norton MA from 3 to 4 . Many thanks to Steve Shaw and Dave Carney of Empty Pockets Bluegrass Band for inviting us to participate as one of nine scheduled bands, and special thanks to Harry Cooke who handled our sound system in a masterful way!!! We noticed a major difference in quality of sound and can say we never sounded better. Next stop is the Cantab in Cambridge on May 8 where we played last January and were invited to return. That's from 8:30 to 9:30 PM.
April 13, 2007...Friday the 13th........Bud Smith our bass player is back from Key West Fla where he played with a group three nights per week for much of the winter. Many thanks to Gene Hannah for doing a great job filling in for Bud at the Cantab in Cmbridge Ma , the Bay Club at Mattappoisett Ma and at the private parties we have played since Bud went South in December. Also welcome back to Glenn after surgery and a trip to be with family in San Diego. It's great to be reunited and preparing for our upcoming performances. (See Scheduled Gigs Above)
March 21 2007 Happy Spring!...We have confirmed with Geoff Bartley at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge that we will play on Tuesday night, the 8th of May from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM. More info later.
March 9, 2007...We just received a choice of dates in May to open once again at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, Ma. The dates are either May 8 or May 29. We'll let you know of our final choice. If the experience is anything like our last time out it will be a blast. Don't miss it!
March 5, 2007...Our time on stage at the Oasis City Bluegrass Festival in Norton MA will be from 4 PM to 5 PM on April 21, 2005. There will be continuous bluegrass music from 2 PM through 11 PM. With bands like Dan Hellman and Marking time, plus Tripping Lilly and Empty Pockets and more! Hope to see you there!
February 22, 2007...We have been invited to play at the Oasis in Norton, Massachusetts on the night of April 21. We are also playing as mentioned below, the same day at 11 AM at the New England Folk Festival in Mansfield, Ma.
February 21, 2007...We have changed our appearance time at the Bluegrass on the Bogs Festival. The day is the same, June 9, but the time will now be 9 PM instead of 8 PM. We will play for an hour and then be joined by other musicians for a bluegrass jam on stage starting at 10 PM. If you are there with your instrument, please join us on stage at ten! Also a compilation CD should be available at this festival with several of our songs included which we recorded live at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge on January 9, 2007.
January 31,2007...Another bit of good news. Looks like we'll be playing at the Bluegrass on the Bogs festival in Carver, Ma. again this year. While the site is the same, Edaville Railroad grounds, the date has been changed to the weekend of June 9th and 10th. We'll be performing on Saturday night, June 9th on the main stage.
January 24, 2007...Today we got a future performance date which looks like fun. It's the 63rd Annual New England Folk Festival which will be held from April 20th to the 22nd at Mansfield Massachusetts High School and Middle School grounds. We will go on at 11AM on Saturday the 21st. at the Middle school, rooms 103/104. We are honored to be selected to this granddaddy of all folk music and dancing festivals.
January 23, 2007...Looks like we're not going to be available for the March 6 return to the Cantab in Cambridge. We are hoping that Geoff Bartley can offer us some other dates beginning in April or May.
January 19, 2007...While revising our press kit I got an email from Geoff Bartley at the Cantab who asked us back to open again in Cambridge!!! He gave us a date of March 6 if we are available or a later date if we are not. We're thinking it over right now. We'll let you know the date when we have decided.
January 11, 2007....Wow! Just getting back to earth from our gig at the Cantab on Tuesday January 9. It was a complete blast! The house was packed unbelievably and we had the greatest time! We are currently editing the digital recordings and hope to replace our scratchy tunes from this website once and for all. Also we had two videographers shooting our 1 Hr. set who will compile a dvd of the performance. Can't wait to see that! Many thanks to our friends who made the trip to Cambridge. Let us know how things went for you!
December 21, 2006... Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all. We're getting ready for New Year's Eve in Newport. Music Starts around 6:30 PM to 9 PM at the Florence Murry Judicial Center. This Court House is located right next door to the Old State House on lower Broadway before it runs into Thames Street. Right next to the Jane Pickens Theater.
Don't forget our appearance at the Cantab Lounge on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge on January 9 from 8:30 to 9:30 PM. And, finally, there's talk about putting a CD together in early spring. Also something about the New England Folk Festival in Mansfield Massachusetts coming up.. Keep in touch for more news.
December 5, 2006... We expect to be with Randy and his usual band of revellers at First Night on New Year's Eve in Newport Rhode Island. Unless things change, we will be playing our bluegrass music at the Florence Murray Judicial Center at around 6 PM until around 8 or 9 PM. Stay tuned for details....
November 27, 2006...Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Our Wednesday night at Little Bear Lounge in Tiverton RI was a lot of fun and we have been invited back for a full Saturday Night Gig in early May...We'll let you know the details sometime in April. Right now we are getting ready for the Cantab on January 9. Google the Cantab Lounge Cambridge for more info.
By the way get your tickets soon for the Joe Val feb 16-18. Hotel and concert tickets are going like hot cakes! Get your tickets online at www.BBU.org
November 15....Yikes!! On Tuesday, Nov. 14, we received a last minute call to perform at Little Bear Lounge in Tiverton, RI for the following night. Like true Minutemen we responded to the call!... five out of six of us were able to be there on time and we played from 6-10 PM. as requested and we had a great time. This is a fun place. Something different every night. If you are in the area, check it out!
Nov 6, 2006......About last Saturday Night at the Bay Club, Mattapoisett, Ma...What a great time!!! We played, they danced (approx. two hundred "Cowboys and Cowgirls" ) the night away with Texas style BBQ and refreshments of all kinds...and they were most appreciative not to mention quite generous. Thanks a million and hope to see you next year! Our thanks to Gene Hannah for filling in for Bud who was up in North Country chasing a ten point buck.
Nov 7 2006, We are going to call an end to the Friday nights at the Country Harvest with the holidays coming up and uncertain winter weather...Possibly we might start up the barn dances in the spring...Thanks to all who stopped by during the month of October.
Our date to perform at the Cantab in Cambridge will be January 9, 2007. We'll be opening for the really hot band consisting of: "Zack Hickman & Barn Star"
Jake Armerding; fiddle & vocals
Taylor Armerding; mandolin & vocals
Adam Larrabee; banjo & vocals
Jesse Harper of Old School Freight Train; guitar & vocals
Zack Hickman; bass & vocals
More info will follow. Google the Cantab Lounge Cambridge for more info.
