Countercurrent

Countercurrent is an acoustic folk music duo based in Olympia, Washington, composed of Alex Sturbaum and Brian Lindsay. They have achieved nationwide acclaim for their high-energy style, which draws on deep traditional roots from Ireland and North America while incorporating new influences to create a sound that is at once unique and timeless. Alex’s driving guitar and gifted songwriting, Brian’s lyrical fiddle and rock-solid foot percussion, and the duo’s lively interplay, tight vocal harmonies, and unstoppable groove make a Countercurrent performance an event unlike any other. Wherever they go, the question remains the same: “How does that much sound come out of just two people?”

For this special fundraiser concert, they will be joined by renowned New England fiddler Cedar Stanistreet for twin fiddle harmonies and driving dance tunes that can’t be beat! Countercurrent has a huge following among Corvallis contra dancers. This house concert provides a rare opportunity to hear the full breadth of their musicianship in an intimate, acoustic setting. 

Tickets will go on sale April 14 at https://www.corvalliscelticfestival.org/upcoming-events/

The location has a capacity of only 40 people, so order early

Masks welcomed for everyone’s continued safety

7:30 Jim Lynch

Jim Lynch is a singer/guitarist whose music reflects his passion for blues, country, old standards, and folk-inspired Americana. His set will include an eclectic variety of both well-known songs and hidden gems in these genres.

8:30 Choro na Cozinha

The name is Brazilian and means “choro in the kitchen.” And they, in fact, practice in the kitchen.  CnC plays a Brazilian music style known as Choro, whose character ranges from fun to sweet. The quartet has clarinet (Bill Pfender), mandolin (John Bliss), 7-string guitar (Spencer Doidge), pandeiro (hand drum) and vocals (Kimberly Cullen). Choro has a long history as an urban popular music in Brazil, and has become better known around the world in the last few decades.

 Best Cellar is held on the last Friday of each month of the school year.
Admission is pay-what-you-will, with a minimum of 2 dollars. Kids are free and welcome.
Coffee, tea, and gluten free cookies are fifty cents each.
Masks are encouraged but not required.
Most often in “the cellar” of the church, with an entrance around the back side of the church.
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

Masks welcomed for everyone’s continued safety

7:30 Flat Stanley Incident

The Flat Stanley Incident is an Oregon band based in the Willamette Valley.  They deliver their own eclectic mix of Americana music built on original material, ranging from traditional folk to contemporary genres. Rob Pugliese and Steve Martin (formally of The Kindreds) are joined by Texas bass player Ron Green

8:30 Can’tNeverCould

Can’tNeverCould is a new Corvallis band made up of long-time local musicians Rita Brown, Bill Smyth and Leigh Ann Starcevich. Featuring rich vocal harmonies, expressive guitar, they do originals as well as intriguing songs from the 60s to the present (The Band, Joni Mitchell, Pure Prairie League, Guy Clark, Brandi Carlile, Tracy Chapman, Natalie Hemby, and more).  A fun and friendly band.

 Best Cellar is held on the last Friday of each month of the school year.
Admission is pay-what-you-will, with a minimum of 2 dollars. Kids are free and welcome.
Coffee, tea, and gluten free cookies are fifty cents each.
Masks are encouraged but not required.
Most often in “the cellar” of the church, with an entrance around the back side of the church.
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

Masks welcomed for everyone’s continued safety

7:30 Tom and Ellen Demarest

Fifty-one years, one month, and five days after Tom played the very first night of The Best Cellar, he’s back with his wife Ellen. They have great vocal harmonies to go with terrific song selection. Although they’ve played The Cellar many times in the past, it’s a treat to have them back.

8:30 Mike and Carleen McCornack
with Dale Bradley

These three absolutely delighted The Cellar audience last summer and for decades before. Here’s what some other artists have said about them:

“Beautiful melodies, great musicians, pure, heartfelt vocals all blended together into music that will leave you smiling in your heart.” -Bill Staines, singer, songwriter

“Their songs are wonderful. exquisite. I love their voices and sweet harmonies. Very expressive. -Steve Gillette, songwriter

 Best Cellar is held on the last Friday of each month of the school year.
Admission is pay-what-you-will, with a minimum of 2 dollars. Kids are free and welcome.
Coffee, tea, and gluten free cookies are fifty cents each.
Masks are encouraged but not required.
Most often in “the cellar” of the church, with an entrance around the back side of the church.
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

Rakish

In a performance that toes the line between concert music and session music, Boston-based Rakish explores tunes and songs from Irish and American folk traditions in a way that reflects their shared interest in and love for old traditional tunes and chamber music. Maura Shawn Scanlin, a two-time U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion and a winner of the Glenfiddich Fiddle Competition, wields the technical range of a classical violinist and the deep sensitivity of a traditional musician. Guitarist Conor Hearn, a native to the Irish music communities of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, performs with several traditional music bands. Rakish has taken the Celtic music scene by storm with performances at festivals across North America. This concert, co-presented by the Corvallis Folklore Society and PRAx, is a benefit for the Corvallis Celtic Festival, July 25-28.

“Naturally nimble and stylistically well-matched, with a genuinely infectious sense of delight, heart, and jubilation.”             —STRINGS MAGAZINE

Pre-concert happy hour with Celtic harp music by Laura Zaerr, 6:30 p.m.

CFS discount code: cfsceltic24

San Miguel Fraser

Celtic + Castilian fiddle duo, María San Miguel and Galen Fraser, are multi-instrumentalists and educators who celebrate the values of community and traditional music in their unique chamber music style.

San Miguel Fraser is a project that will always stand for connection, celebrating the joy of music and shared inspiration. The dynamic duo was born as a result of the 2020 quarantine with the “Stay At Home Festival”. Thanks to the beautiful and universal folk community, they raised over $60,000 with the aim of bringing light to the world, maintaining morale and financially helping musicians around the globe. The “Stay At Home Festival” family lives on today with San Miguel Fraser.

As a lifelong fiddler and the son of Alasdair Fraser (Scottish fiddle champion), Galen Fraser continues the tradition of bringing us the traditional music of Scotland while adding contemporary tunes, some of which he has written himself. Maria San Miguel adds the voice of traditional Spanish music to the mix.

Contra dance is returning to a regular schedule in Corvallis this fall! The dance will start at 7:00 PM with a newcomer’s lesson and community meetup, helpful for all dancers. Following the lesson will be dancing from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. No partner necessary. Dance calling and role terms will be Larks & Robins. The cost is $12 – $20 sliding scale.

Masks are required at this dance

Because of the Covid-19 situation:

All attendees must sign a waiver for the First Congregational UCC (our dance hall) before their first dance of the 2024-25 season. Please read the waiver here before you arrive in order to speed up the check-in process at the door.

Thank you for helping to keep our dance community safely dancing! For more information on attendance requirements and other precautions, please see our current COVID-19 policy here, to be further updated soon.

The Nettles

The Nettles play improvisational music based on traditional tunes. Playing hard, they’re a Celtic jam band that makes audiences move and groove. Playing soft, they’re a lyrical folk-jazz group.

The Nettles blend traditional Irish and American music with modern spices. Laura Brophy’s fiddle forms strong melodies punctuated by soaring improvisation and intertwined with Kevin Nettle’s muscular guitar. The Nettles are propelled by the purring but powerful rhythm engine of Michael Proctor on bass and Tracy Daugherty on drums.

The Nettles play for festivals, dances, bars, and weddings on the West Coast. Their music retains the vital energy of its roots, but The Nettles’ unique interpretations add to The Tradition with every performance. The Nettles joke that “We never play the same tune once.”

Kelly Tabor

Kelly Tabor is a caller and organizer from Portland, Oregon. She enjoys dances that play with elasticity of momentum and works to incorporate them at an accessible level.
dance I visit.

Contra dance is returning to a regular schedule in Corvallis this fall! The dance will start at 7:00 PM with a newcomer’s lesson and community meetup, helpful for all dancers. Following the lesson will be dancing from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. No partner necessary. Dance calling and role terms will be Larks & Robins. The cost is $12 – $20 sliding scale.

Because of the Covid-19 situation:

All attendees must sign a waiver for the First Congregational UCC (our dance hall) before their first dance of the 2024-25 season. Please read the waiver here before you arrive in order to speed up the check-in process at the door.

Thank you for helping to keep our dance community safely dancing! For more information on attendance requirements and other precautions, please see our current COVID-19 policy here, to be further updated soon.

Three Piece Sutra

Contra Sutra, less their drummer and with a different fiddler, becomes Three Piece Sutra, with

• Marni Rachmiel on flute
• Betsy Branch on fiddle
• Dave Bartley on guitar, mandolin and cittern

Marni Rachmiel (flute) has been playing for contra and English country dances since 1990. She’s closing in on the halfway point of her goal to play in every US state, and recently added the UK into the mix after spending a few years based in Cambridge. Bringing soaring harmonies and funky groove on the flute & sax and matching tunes to dances for maximal dance ecstasy is her happy place. Her improvisational CD “Violet” with Reverie, including two of her waltzes, is available on Bandcamp. Besides the various incarnations of Contra Sutra with Dave Bartley, The End Effects with Anita Anderson, and other contra/ECD configurations, Marni plays with the Fremont Philharmonic and Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band.

Betsy Branch (fiddle) got her start at age 5 in classical music, and then in her 20’s fell in love with folk fiddle music. She has wandered her musical way through music from Ireland, Scotland, Appalachia, Quebec, Sweden, England, Bulgaria and New England, to mention a few. She plays regularly for contra and English Country Dances, and at times you can find her playing at a local pub. Her main work is teaching fiddle across the country, from Portland, Oregon to the mountains of North Carolina at the John C. Campbell Folk School. She was Program Director at Pinewoods Camp (Boston) for a camp called Harmony of Song and Dance through summer of 2023. As a music transcriber and editor, she has collaborated on a large book project with Kevin Burke, is the music editor for The Portland Collection (a series of contra dance tune books), and has collaborated with Sue Songer and Clyde Curley on a recording to accompany the books called A Portland Playalong Selection.

Dave Bartley (guitar, mandolin and cittern), combines a broad musical background with the rhythm sense of a drummer to provide an exciting and solid drive for contra, English
Country, ballroom and international folk dancers. He has played with the groundbreaking contra and couple dance trio KGB for 30 years and in other bands too numerous to list
here. He also has written almost 400 contra, English and couple dance tunes, many of which are now in circulation. In addition to USA and Canada, Dave has played in England, Franceand Australia. He has played in Balkan bands, swing and jazz combos, performed with the Seattle Symphony and Opera, performed traditional Greek music in concert in Greece, and at age 16 opened for Paul Revere and the Raiders. There’s more about him at davebartley.com.

Laurel Thomas

Laurel Thomas started calling contra dances in 2008. Since then, she has called at dances all over the Pacific Northwest, and has made several appearances on the East Coast. Dancers appreciate her clear teaching, articulate calling and her ability to choose fun, lively dances that have good flow. Her carefully crafted programs build skill level throughout the evening and aim to satisfy a mixed level crowd of beginning and experienced dancers.

Masks welcomed for everyone’s continued safety

7:30 Revel’n

Evelyn Idzerda and Ron Snyder have wowed Best Cellar audiences in the past with their fine harmonies, flashy guitar playing and great song selection.

8:30 The Idle Hands Trio

Nick Rivard, Dave Chiller, and Ben Woodman will bring something new, to The Cellar: Acoustic Gypsy Jazz. Some great instrumental work to classic songs of the past.

 Best Cellar is held on the last Friday of each month of the school year.
Admission is pay-what-you-will, with a minimum of 2 dollars. Kids are free and welcome.
Coffee, tea, and gluten free cookies are fifty cents each.
Masks are encouraged but not required.
In “the cellar” of the church, with an entrance around the back of the church.
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@alyrica.net

Contra dance is returning to a regular schedule in Corvallis this fall! The dance will start at 7:00 PM with a newcomer’s lesson and community meetup, helpful for all dancers. Following the lesson will be dancing from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. No partner necessary. Dance calling and role terms will be Larks & Robins. The cost is $12 – $20 sliding scale.

Because of the Covid-19 situation:

All attendees must sign a waiver for the First Congregational UCC (our dance hall) before their first dance of the 2024-25 season. Please read the waiver here before you arrive in order to speed up the check-in process at the door.

Thank you for helping to keep our dance community safely dancing! For more information on attendance requirements and other precautions, please see our current COVID-19 policy here, to be further updated soon.

Loose Flagstone

Loose Flagstone celebrates its fifth year as a Corvallis Celtic quartet drawing from Irish, Scottish, and American musical influences both traditional and contemporary. Their contra repertoire explores a rich mix of Celtic jigs and reels, rousing old-time tunes and New England dance music. Loose Flagstone features Jennifer Parke on fiddle, Leslie Glassmire on silver flute, Tracy Daugherty on bodhran, and Marjorie Sandor on DADGAD guitar.

Shell Stowell

Shell Stowell started contra dancing in 2015, and has been dancing up and down the West coast ever since. Driven by her passion for the dance, music, and community, Shell now plays the fiddle and helps to organize contra dances in Corvallis, and has been calling since 2019. As a dancer, Shell is known for her enthusiasm on and off the dance floor. As a caller, she incorporates her love of teaching, organizing, and music to strive for clear, energetic instruction and variety in her programming. Shell also emphasizes safe, inclusive dance etiquette that promotes positive communication between dancers.

The Best Cellar

Masks welcomed for everyone’s continued safety

7:30 Compass Rose

Compass Rose is a unique musical group that performs an eclectic mix of songs from around the world and across the decades. The band includes lead singer Jeanette Hardison, harpist/singer Laura Zaerr, cellist/singer Sabina Monn, percussionist George Beekman, and bassist Bill Veley.

8:30 My Canadian Girlfriend

This international duo of Ellen van der Hoeven, from Vancouver BC, and Tom Rawson, from Orcas Island WA are armed with banjo, mandolin, penny whistle, and other weapons of mass delight. Ellen and Tom love to strike up hootenanny fun on both sides of the 49th Parallel. Their humorous stories, user-friendly songs, and acoustic folk philosophy are guaranteed to have you singing along in no time and to leave you smiling. Tune up your vocal chords; you’ll need ‘em!

“I have a banjo and I’m not afraid to use it.”

 Best Cellar is held on the last Friday of each month of the school year.
Admission is pay-what-you-will, with a minimum of 2 dollars. Kids are free and welcome.
Coffee, tea, and gluten free cookies are fifty cents each.
Masks are encouraged but not required.
We will be in the cellar for this show. Enter from the back of the church parking lot.
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com