Cascade Crossing

Carl Thor – piano, dulcimer, mando
Lori Prime – Fiddle
Rich Goss – guitar, percussion
Sarah Goss – Bass, whistle, oboe

Cascade Crossing is currently one of the hottest and most sought after bands in the Pacific Northwest region. They have developed a reputation for intense creativity, breadth of instrumentation, and energizing dance crowds. Cascade Crossing’s music is influenced by many styles, with touches of baroque, Caribbean, Celtic, Klezmer, traditional, northern, southern, jazz and ragtime. With many original tunes, expect the unexpected, from hard-driving reels to smooth, mysterious jigs. Using their wide range of instrumentation and styles, Cascade Crossing fills the dance hall with an exciting palette of musical colors and textures.

William Watson

William Watson, a resident of Eugene, OR, danced his first contra in 1989 and began calling in Texas in 1992. Having called numerous contra events in cities coast-to-coast, William’s extensive experience and soothing voice project a calm confidence. His vigilant and thoughtful dance programming ensures a variety of figures, transitions, and sequences to entertain and support new dancers while offering the occasional challenge for the more advanced. His calling proficiency and sensitivities ensure everyone has a good time.

Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

WB Reid & Bonnie Zahnow

WB & Bonnie present a wide range of musical traditions: old-time country songs and fiddle tunes, string blues music and rags from Mississippi and Memphis, early tin pan alley songs, and a Mexican song or two. Both play fiddle and guitar, and WB also plays both 5- and 6-string banjo. Sweet harmonies on songs ranging from poignant to humorous, twin-fiddling, foot-tapping tunes and slow waltzes, all make for an entertaining evening of music.
Based in Seattle, they perform and teach annually at a number of festivals including Lark Camp, Fiddle Tunes, and the Berkeley, Portland, and Olympia old-time music gatherings. Their third CD, “Ryestraw,” released in May, 2016, is getting great notices across the country.
Together they played for 10 years in a trio with the ledendary Lee Stripling, and currently play in several other bands. WB was the fiddler for the Tallboys for four years. He also plays regularly with the Todalo Shakers and the Rhythm Rollers, and as a jazz duo with Mark Graham.

A house concert is an excellent place to hear and meet great musicians in a very intimate setting.

Full Moon

Gordy Euler – fiddle
Dave Hamlin – fiddle, mandolin
Janet Ghoulston – concertina, banjo
Fran Slefer – fiddle, button accordion,  piano

Full Moon have used their 15+ years of playing together to hone a distinct sound focused on lifting dancers’ feet and hearts.
Laurel Thomas

Laurel Thomas has called contra dances all over Oregon and Washington since 2008. Dancers appreciate her clear teaching, her articulate calling and her carefully crafted programs designed to build skill for beginning dancers while keeping experienced dancers happy with an appropriate level of challenge. .

Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

The Weisenheimers

Alan Snyder – fiddle,
Dave Goldman – keyboard

from Portland play zesty dance tunes with a sly sense of humor.

Marlin Prowell

Marlin Prowell is a well known caller from Bellingham. “Marlin has an easy-going way of teaching so that your feet know what to do before your mind has time to worry about it. If you’ve never danced a step in your life, follow the caller’s instructions and you’ll be smiling and swinging in minutes.”

Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Special Halloween Dance

The Nettles

Laura Brophy – fiddle
Kevin Johnsrude – guitars
Michael Proctor – bass
Brian Bucolo – percussion

The Nettles are well-known on the West Coast for their original approach to contra dance music. Playing traditional music from all over the world, The Nettles create a strong rhythmic groove under soaring improvisations. Rhythmic drive and melodic fluidity allow The Nettles to propel contra dances into the stratosphere. .

Noah Grunzweig

Noah has been calling contra dances in Corvallis for a couple of years now.

Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

~POTLUCK at 6:00 pm: Diane Arney, 770 SW Lookout Drive; just a 1/4 mile from the dance hall! Phone: 541-753-0762

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

John Reischman
& the Pine Siskins

John Reischman – Mandolin, Mandola
Eli West – guitar, bouzouki, vocals
Trent Freeman – fiddle
Patrick Metzger  – bass

The Pine Siskins is a new group John Reischman assembled to perform the music from his recent solo CD, “Walk Along John”. The all-instrumental recording includes nine new John Reischman originals, a few hand-picked traditional tunes, and a remake of the very first tune John wrote.

John Reischman is one of the premier mandolinists of his generation. He’s a master instrumentalist capable of swinging between re-inventions of traditional old-time tunes, deconstructions from the bluegrass repertoire, and compelling original tunes, many of which have become standards. He’s also a powerful bandleader, touring his band the Jaybirds all over Canada and the United States. But most of all, he’s an understated visionary, the kind of master craftsman whose music is virtuosic without ever being flashy and who is renowned for his impeccable taste and tone as an artist. John Reischman embodies the true spirit of acoustic music in the 21st century.

Eli West is one half of the highly acclaimed Northwest duo Cahalen Morrison & Eli West. He is an adventurous soloist equally adept at playing fiddle tunes and slow ballads. His rhythm playing features unusual and sophisticated chord voicings that strongly support the melody. Also adept at bouzouki, mandolin, and clawhammer banjo, he finds his musical identity in collaboration, and has created music in the Northwest with John Reischman, Tony Furtado, and many others.

Trent Freeman can play everything from groove based old- time tunes to melodically intricate modern Jazz. He excels at playing back up to the other soloists, incorporating lush double stops and a propulsive rhythmic chop. 

The recipient of numerous awards, he has a broad range of experience and is a well-respected and sought after session musician.  Trent’s Rock Paper Scissors album, an all original endeavor, won him the 2012 Canadian Folk Music award.  Trent has toured and recorded with many bands and artists such as the Wailin Jennys, Jessie Farrell, The Griffins, Wyclef Jean, The Fretless and countless others.  

Patrick Metzger’s Bass playing exhibits a robust tone and solid groove coupled with a fine melodic sense. A fixture of the Vancouver roots music scene, Patrick is at home playing a wide range of styles from jazz and rock to folk, bluegrass and old time. He performs regularly with a wide range of artists from the Western Swing of Petunia and the Vipers and jazz pianistBruno Hubert to the haunting folk-noir group The Abramson Singers. 

Potluck munchies at the break, BYOB.  Parking is limited, please bike or carpool if possible.

A house concert is an excellent place to hear and meet great musicians in a very intimate setting.

Broken Top

Bo Leyden – mandolin
Shari Ame – fiddle
John Light – keyboards

A new Corvallis contra band, with a Portland keyboardist, Broken Top brings lively traditional music to the dance.

Woody Lane

Woody Lane has been calling contra dances throughout the Pacific Northwest for more than 25 years, and when he’s not calling you can find him dancing.

Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

~POTLUCK at 6:00 pm: April & Craig Hall Cutting, 1975 SE Crystal Lake Dr #192. Phone: 541-754-7040.  At CoHo Ecovillage; look for the unit with the twinkle lights, visible from Crystal Lake Drive.

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Cosy Sheridan

Cosy Sheridan first caught the attention of national folk audiences  in 1992 when she won the songwriting contests at both The Kerrville Folk Festival and   The Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

When she released her critically acclaimed CD Quietly Led on Waterbug Records,  The Boston Globe wrote “She is now being called one of the best new singer/songwriters.”

Her concerts are wide-ranging explorations: love songs for adults and practical philosophy for  a complicated world. She has written about the stock market crash of 2008 and fall-out from uranium mining in the  American southwest. She has re-written greek myths: Persephone runs away with Hades the biker. And then there are her signature parodies on aging and women. Her lyrical dexterity is backed by her distinctive percussive guitar style.

A house concert is an excellent place to hear and meet great musicians in a very intimate setting.

Birch Pereira
and the
Gin Joints
afternoon house concert

Born out of a love of the early years of swing, country and rock ‘n ‘roll, Birch Pereira & the Gin Joints is a band whose sound transports you to the time of speakeasies, honky-tonks and rock ‘n’ roll joints. With upright bassist and vocalist Birch Pereira at its center, the band features many of Seattle’s most skilled and versatile musicians who share the love of the American song traditions and a desire to offer a fresh angle on them.

The band itself plays in a variety of formats from intimate duo or trio gigs to dance gigs as a larger ensemble and features a revolving cast of professional, Golden Ear nominated, Seattle musicians. Birch Pereira & the Gin Joints released their debut album Dream Man on May 12th and continue to support the release with performances around the West and East Coast.

“The Gin Joints are a new group in town and feature Seattle mainstays Birch Pereira on bass and vocals, Jason Goessl on guitar, Sam Esecson on drums and Kate Voss on Harmonies. On this cover of “Lost Highway,” Pereira sweetly carries the lyrics of loss as Goessl accompanies on lead guitar. The quartet are masters of the early Americana sound. In short, we expect big things from their upcoming record, Dream Man.”    Jake Uitti – The Monarch Review

This is a special MONDAY evening dance.  We book Wild Asparagus when they are available.

Unfortunately, they are not available this year

Wild Asparagus

Ann Percival – piano, guitar, and vocals,
David Cantieni – flutes, tin-whistle, oboe, saxophone and bombard
Becky Tracy – fiddle
and various additional players
Wild Asparagus is the premier contra dance band, performing all over the country.

George Marshall

George calls with Wild Asparagus and other bands, and plays bodrahn or concertina when he gets the chance.

Dance starts at 7:30pm with no teaching session (inexperienced dancers are welcome)

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

A schedule conflict has been resolved: The dance is ON

Penk, Pinney & Lindsay

George Penk is a well-known fiddle player across the USA, especially in the Pacific Northwest. He lives in Portland where he currently plays with the bands Joyride and Jigsaw. George collaborates with many musicians in various musical adventures, including being part of the Portland Collection project through his playing on the Portland Selection CD’s. His spirited and rich fiddle style is a delight to listen to. George is widely appreciated as a consummate dance fiddler working with callers to make sure the music is in-tune with the spirit of the dances. The Penk, Pinney, Lindsay trio, which includes Heather Pinney on piano and fiddle (also a member of Jigsaw) and Deborah Lindsay (from Corvallis) on percussion, works most often with the caller Erik Weberg, who also lends his expertise on wind instruments to the tune medleys.

Erik Weberg

I danced my first contra dance in Moscow Idaho in the Fall of 1986.  Several excursions to the dance hall were necessary for me to find the courage to actually dance, but once I, tried it caught hold quickly and I became a regular dancer. Christian Petrich encouraged me to try calling for the first time in 1990 and soon after that I started regularly attending the first Wednesday open mic in Spokane Washington. I called dances around Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho for a few years before moving west of the Cascades in 1993. I was soon asked to call dances in Portland and up the Willamette Valley. Since then I’ve been calling dances, festivals and weekends around the country from Seattle to Boston, from Fairbanks to Tuscon and most places between. I am able to enjoy this craft because of the good folks who encouraged and taught me to call dances years ago, the booking agents and local dance committees who have given me wonderful opportunities to practice in their communities, and the thousands of dancers and musicians who forgive me my mistakes and make it all worthwhile. If you’re reading this you’re probably one of them; so, thank you!

Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

~Potluck 6:00 p.m.  Hosts: Greg McKenzie & Maria Orv, 3316 SE Hathaway Dr.  Phone: 831 -325-7627.  Directions: From Rivergreen (off of SW 3rd St.) turn on Hathaway and go 1 block to Villa Dr.  Look for the salmon-colored house on the left at the corner of Villa and Hathaway.

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Wild Hair

Though we’ve known each other for eons, Wild Hair began as an ad hoc ensemble for a 2006 Northwest Folklife Festival contra dance. Everyone – including us – had such a good time (whoa!) that we knew we’d better play together more often. Dancing listeners from the Bay Area to Alaska since have agreed.

Lindsey Dono

Massachusetts transplant Lindsey Dono is rapidly establishing herself as a Northwest mainstay. With her serene teaching, meticulous programming, and sunny demeanor, Lindsey transforms absolute beginners into confident regulars. Known for her creativity on the dance floor, Lindsey incorporates knowledge of waltz, swing, and blues to lead a variety of workshops, including the ever-requested “advanced contra flourishes.” By day, Lindsey is a devoted research scientist.

Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Cancelled because of concern about icy roads

The next contra dance will be on New Year’s Eve at the First Congregational Church. It will feature the band Tree Top with Noah Grunzweig calling a regular contra until 10:30 pm. followed by a techno contra until 12:30 am.

The Nettles

Laura Brophy – fiddle
Kevin Johnsrude – guitars
Michael Proctor – bass
Brian Bucolo – percussion

The Nettles are well-known on the West Coast for their original approach to contra dance music. Playing traditional music from all over the world, The Nettles create a strong rhythmic groove under soaring improvisations. Rhythmic drive and melodic fluidity allow The Nettles to propel contra dances into the stratosphere. .

Michael Karcher

From New York via Seattle.

Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

~POTLUCK at 6:00 pm: Marfa Levine, 650 SE Bridgeway; Phone: 541-754-1433.
Directions from central Corvallis: Drive south on SW 4th St, which becomes SW 3rd St (Hwy 99 W). Turn left onto SW Bridgeway Ave. Veer left to stay on Bridgeway. Drive approximately 0.2 miles. 650 SE Bridgeway is on your right.
 Map: https://tinyurl.com/27ptkhy

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Special New Year’s Dance

Tree Top

• Bo Leyden – mandolin
• Shari Ame – fiddle
• Benjamin Young – whistle, banjo, guitar
• Rachel Young – Piano

Noah Grunzweig

Noah will be calling and DJing for the Techno Contra.

Bring snacks for a potluck at the dance.

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

KGB

• Julie King – piano
• Claude Ginsburg – violin, concertina, viola
• Dave Bartley – mandolin, guitar, cittern, etc.

This KGB is not a spy organization, but a band from Seattle that plays for New England style contradance, English Country Dance (as MI-5), Mostly Waltz and other social dance events, concerts, and private functions such as wedding receptions. We write a lot of our own music, and the rest comes from all over the world: the British Isles, French Canada, the Northeastern USA, Western and Eastern Europe, South America, the rest of the USA, and places we haven’t yet identified.

Andrea Nettleton

Andrea Nettleton is a Contra, English and Celtic Dance Leader from Atlanta.

Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.