Calendar
Submit calendar info to:
calendar@corvallisfolklore.org
The Bridgetown Boys
- Victor Fiore – fiddle
- Lanny Martin – piano
- Jon Neff – guitar
We’re all experienced contra dance musicians. We’re in the Portland Megaband and, following a rehearsal, we jammed together and decided to form a band. We sound sound pretty darn good, if we say so ourselves. (Formerly named “Magpie”, then “Lanjovic”)
Tarka Ayres
Tarka Ayres credits contra dance with helping keep her mental stability through school. She started dancing in 2004 and has called dances in Oregon and Washington since 2012. Dancers appreciate her ability to integrate new dancers into the community, her clear teaching and succinct calling, and her choices of challenging dances.
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 p.m with host Relan Colley, 745 NW 16th St; 541-753-2617. (Located near the south side of Corvallis High School and several blocks east of Fred Meyer. The closest intersection is NW Taylor & NW 16th.) Probably in the backyard if the weather is good!
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
Annual
Pete Seeger Celebration
Fun, family-friendly celebration of resistance and song
featuring three songs presented by JOE HICKERSON (co-author of Where Have All the Flowers Gone) which were learned from, or by, Pete Seeger during his July 1960 visit to CAMP WOODLAND.
Before there were Riverkeepers, there was Pete Seeger. Most commonly associated with American folk music, Pete’s passion for the Hudson River helped spawn not only the cleanup of that industrialized river but a whole organization to protect and restore rivers around the globe. Pete lived along the Hudson River with his wife, Toshi. Outraged by the pollution in river, the couple built a boat named the Clearwater. The Clearwater served as hub of the Hudson River revival and it caught the attention of John Cronin, who became the first Riverkeeper. The connection to water, music, and organizing runs strong in the Waterkeeper movement. We owe a part of our existence to the passion, dedication and creatively of Pete Seeger. We hope you join us to celebrate his birthday and our Columbia River.
All proceeds benefit Columbia Riverkeeper.
Guy Davis
once said, “I like antiques and old things, old places, that still have the dust of those who’ve gone before us lying upon them.” Blowing that dust off just enough to see its beauty is something Guy has excelled at for over twenty years of songwriting and performing. It’s no wonder his reverence for the music of the Blues Masters who’ve gone before him has been evident in every album he’s ever recorded or concert he’s given.
Guy has had his musical storytelling influenced by artists like Blind Willie McTell and Big Bill Broonzy, and his musicality from artists as diverse as Lightnin’ Hopkins and Babatunde Olatunji. However, there’s one man that Guy most credits for his harmonica techniques, by stealing and crediting from him everything that he could, and that man is the legendary Sonny Terry.
Guy’s new album, “Sonny & Brownie’s Last Train – A Look Back at Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry” is an homage to these two hugely influential artists, not only on Guy’s career, but to thousands of musicians around the world. One such artist is the Italian harmonica ace, Fabrizio Poggi, who collaborates with and produced this recording.
Recorded in the summer of 2016 in Milan, the album features the original, title track song written by Guy Davis, songs by both Sonny and Brownie, as well as songs known to have been recorded and performed by the famed duo written by their contemporaries, such as Libba Cotton and Leadbelly.
Guy and Fabrizio have a relationship going back a decade in which they’ve performed together on tour in Europe and in the United States. In 2013 Fabrizio produced and played on Guy’s highly acclaimed recording, “Juba Dance”, which was number one on the Roots Music Charts for eight weeks. And ‘Fab’ also performs on Guy’s last album, “Kokomo Kidd”.
Guy Davis has spent his musical life carrying his message of the blues around the world, from the Equator to the Arctic Circle, earning him the title “An Ambassador of the Blues”. His work as an actor, author, and music teacher earmark him as a renaissance man of the blues.
What music and acting have in common, he explains, “is that I don’t like people to see the hard work and the sweat that goes into what I do. I want them to hear me and be uplifted. And I want some little eight-‐year-‐old kid in the front row to have big eyes and say, ‘Hey, I want to do that!’.”
Guy Davis is an exceptional harmonica player, and accompanied Pete Seeger on his final tour. He is well worth seeing and hearing.
The evening is hosted by Bob Santelli of the GRAMMY Museum and features storytelling, a live on-stage interview, audience questions and a performance by Guy Davis.
Click here to purchase tickets.
American Strings participates in Corvallis Arts for All. When tickets are still available on the evening of the performance, SNAP participants with an Oregon Trail card may purchase up to two tickets for $5 each at the door. No advance purchase.
We’re throwing a fest!
Sinking City Pop Fest
is happening here in Corvallis, Oregon
from May 11-13, 2018.
We’re still very much in the planning stages, but it’s going to be a stacked weekend of all-ages DIY punk shows and events around Corvallis to celebrate our awesome community. There will be a ton of updates on this project in the next few months, so check back here or join our fb group to stay in the loop.
Touring bands often refer to the stretch of I-5 between Portland and San Francisco as the “dead zone.” In 2015, some friends started organizing shows under the umbrella of Corvallis DIY in an attempt to make Corvallis a more visible destination for punk, indie, emo, and hardcore bands booking their own tours. At the same time, we started hosting regular meetups and throwing events like Band in a Hat and the Halloween cover show to get people excited about participating in their local community. Our scene has been growing steadily since then, and Corvallis has gained a reputation as a fun, semi-secret place to play on the west coast – a rainy city sunken into the heart of the Willamette Valley.
Sinking City Pop Fest is not-for-profit and volunteer-run. All proceeds after expenses will be donated to the Rural Organizing Project, an intersectional nonprofit that supports radical organizing efforts in small Oregon communities.
Stay tuned for the show schedules and ticket presale information.
BANDS
Adieu Caribou (Salem/Corvallis)
Bad Dates (Corvallis)
Bobby’s Oar (Seattle)
Broken Dead (Eugene)
Dogbreth (Seattle)
Dooley (Corvallis/Eugene)
Flexing (Corvallis)
Garage (Corvallis)
GLIT (Eugene)
Lisa Prank (Seattle)
Mr. Wrong (Portland)
Plattenbau (Berlin)
SEACATS (Seattle)
Shaene Marie Pascal (Corvallis)
The Shifts (Eugene/Corvallis)
Special Moves (Olympia)
trying to be brave (Corvallis)
Watercolor Paintings (Thousand Oaks/Oakland)
Wayside Ghost (Eugene/Portland)
The Wobblies (Portland/Corvallis)
VENUES
Interzone (Friday night)
1563 NW Monroe Ave, Corvallis, OR 97330
Mudville Stadium (Saturday matinee)
House / ask-a-punk
Chintimini Community Center (Saturday night)
2601 NW Tyler Ave, Corvallis, OR 97330
Nearly Normals (Sunday matinee)
109 NW 15th St, Corvallis, OR 97330
SPONSORS
Razorcake, Interzone, Sacred Art Tattoo, Nearly Normals, Bullfrog Music, Happy Trails Records, & The Arts Center
Gerry O’Connor
with Richard Mandel
(and afternoon workshops – see below)
From Dundalk, County Louth, Gerry O’Connor has played and recorded with such highly regarded groups as Lá Lúgh (Eithne Ní Uallacháin, Sony Music) and Skylark. Gerry has toured and recorded with members of all the legendary groups including Planxty, Bothy Band and others. Lá Lugh’s album “Brighid’s Kiss” was voted Album of the Year 1996 by readers of the Irish Music Magazine. His solo album “Journeyman” was counted in the top five Albums of the year 2004 by the Irish Times.
Richard Mandel (guitar, tenor banjo, bouzouki) fell into the well of Irish music in the mid-‘90s and was soon driving every session he could get into. As a first-call accompanist, Richard has performed and toured with legendary Irish musicians including Gerry O’Connor, Paddy Keenan, Jimmy Keane, Mick Maloney, Paddy O’Brien, Tony DeMarco and many others. Richard plays in the trio Three Mile Stone with mandolinist Marla Fibish and fiddler Erin Shrader. Three Mile Stone released its debut CD, produced by John Doyle, in March 2010 and has received rave reviews. In addition to Three Mile Stone, Richard can be heard on Christa Burch’s CD “Love of the Land”, Radim Zenkl’s, “Restless Joy”, and Tipsy House’s CD, “Sets in the City.”
[P]owerful guitar work, whether taking the form of a high-energy rhythmic input or a more intricate embellishment. —David Kidman, Living Tradition Magazine
Richard’s guitar playing is a perfect support and backdrop for Marla’s and Erin’s tune conversations. It never draws attention to itself except by its excellence and appropriateness. And he can play the snot out of the tenor banjo, too! —Roger Landes (Irish bouzouki master and Zoukfest founder)
[A] lightning right hand and spot on chord choices. He is also a precise and powerful tenor banjo player.—Kevin Carr, FolkWorks
Advance Tickets (at Grassroots Books, 227 SW 2nd St.) are recommended as space is limited.
Afternoon Workshops on May 17 ! ($7/$5 CFS members)
2pm: DADGAD Guitar Accompaniment w/ Richard Mandel
4pm: Irish Tunes for all Instruments w/ Gerry O’Connor
A reprise of a dance cancelled in December 2017 because of icy roads
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)
CFS Annual Membership Meeting with Potluck at 5:00 pm (all are welcome) at South First Alternative Co-op meeting room, 1007 SE 3rd ST
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
InTentCity
Betsy Richards – fiddle
Graham Richards – guitar, fiddle
Seth Richards – piano, bass
David Richards – percussion
From North Idaho, InTentCity is more than just a contradance band. We bring all the fun family dynamics that come with years together of living, working, playing, dancing, traveling, eating, sleeping, joking, talking, walking, singing – you get the idea. And after all this time we still cannot think of a better way to spend our time together than playing and dancing in the contradance community. During the summer we set up our big canvas wall tents and live outside. Now you know why the name.
Jacqui Grennen
Jacqui Grennan is a contra dancer, caller, and choreographer from Los Angeles. She is known for her clarity in teaching and her ability to adjust to the dancers on the floor. She breaks down the dance figures and gets dancers moving so that they can immediately feel the connection with other dancers. As a caller, Jacqui likes to put together a session of dance that is varied and enjoyable for newer dancers as well as for those who have been dancing for years.
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.
A Celtic Evening
James Wilson
with
Dave and Sharon
Thormahlen
James Wilson was a English as a Second Language teacher at the Benton Center for awhile, now lives in Portland. He is getting together with Corvallis musicians Sharon and Dave Thormahlen to present an evening of Celtic tunes (“which we will deviate from a bit with some Latin and originals”).
Sharon and Dave have been performing all sort of music, from swing (in the Swing Beans) through children’s music to British (Celtic, Beatles, etc.) and more for many years. They always put on a good show.
Treehouse
- Rachael Young, piano
- Benjamin Young, whistle and guitar
- Kevin Craven, fiddle
- Shari Ame, fiddle
- Bo Leyden, mandolin, flute
bring a mix of Irish, Quebecois, and New England style, and put it together with Pacific Northwest flair. Becky has played for dances throughout Vermont, New Jersey, Arizona, and California, and previously played with Amazon Creek in Eugene. Ben and Rachael come from the Irish traditional session background, having played with many groups across Canada and throughout Washington, Oregon, and California. Bo and Shari play with several Corvallis area bands.
Noah Grunzweig
Noah Grunzweig is a master of stories and dance! He called in Corvallis most recently last November. Noah brings enthusiasm and encouragement to new and experienced dancers alike. He promotes safe dancing and a culture of consent that welcomes children and adults to contra dancing. Noah is fluent in traditional and techno contra.
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.
An evening house concert with
Birch Pereira
and the Gin Joints
from Seattle
Born out of a love of the early years of swing, americana and rock ‘n ‘roll, Birch Pereira & the Gin Joints is a band whose sound transports you to the time of speakeasies, honky-tonks and roadhouses. With upright bassist and vocalist Birch Pereira at its center, the band features skilled and versatile musicians who share the love of the American song traditions and a desire to offer a fresh angle on them.
Check out all the fun videos at https://www.theginjointsband.com
If you’ve seen them before, then don’t miss this opportunity to hear the continuing evolution of their repertoire and skills.
The band’s debut album, Dream Man, was released independently and received the Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Award for “Northwest Jazz Recording of the Year” in 2016. Their second album “Western Soul” was released in March 2018 and features western-tinged jazz and soul originals along with reinterpretations of old blues, swing and early rock’n’roll. Fans, critics and deejays have delighted in Birch Pereira’s “old soul,” tenor voice, the group’s new, stripped-down arrangements of musical gems from the past and Pereira’s ever growing repertoire of original, yet period-evoking material. Frank Gutch Jr, of No Depression described the new album thusly: “I love this album. I love the sound of it. I love the feel of it. I love the idea of it.”
One of the fun aspects of the Gin Joints is that, depending on availability, Birch can draw from a large pool of highly talented Seattle musicians, who all love playing this music. Joining Birch this time are Adrian Van Batenburg on drums/percussion (returning again to Corvallis) and fine Seattle guitarist Colin Higgins (see below).
PERSONNEL
After playing cello in the Corvallis Youth Symphony, Birch Pereira got his BA in Jazz Studies (bass performance) from the University of Washington in 2005. Since then he has become well-known in Seattle as a highly versatile bass player, band leader, composer, producer/engineer and teacher. With the formation of the Gin Joints he moved out front as vocalist, arranger, composer and bass player — and hasn’t looked back since.
Adrian Van Batenburg got his BA in Jazz Studies (drumming/percussion) from University of North Texas in 2002. He has been gigging, recording, touring and teaching since moving to Seattle that year.
Colin Higgins studied jazz guitar performance at North Texas University and University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. He graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Music degree from University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. Colin moved to Seattle in the fall of 1997. He’s performed in a wide range of musical settings, from jazz to classic rock, with many great Seattle musicians.
A house concert is a great way to hear music in an intimate setting and get to know the performers up close and personal.
To reserve a space and get directions, email to peartree15@comcast.net
(or, if an email won’t work, call 541-753-9224).
Verlon Thompson and Chris Arellano
As a solo performer and as the trusted sidekick of Texas Americana songwriting icon Guy Clark, Verlon has viewed the world from stages everywhere from Barcelona to Binger (his hometown in Oklahoma). Along the way Verlon Thompson compositions have been recorded by Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson, Dierks Bentley, Anne Murray, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Del McCoury, Sam Bush, Trisha Yearwood and many more.
Chris Arellano, a Willamette Valley resident off and on for two decades, weaves together the Norteno music of his Northern New Mexico upbringing with Alternative Country and Blues influences-for a signature style that he calls Nuevo Americana. Fused with song and story, Spanish and English, his transcendent lyrics move listeners with emotion and passion.
Roy Zimmerman
There’s a new president and administration for Roy Zimmerman’s song-writing mill. With everything going on in the world, this should be interesting (and entertaining).
Roy Zimmerman is a satirical songwriter in the Tom Lehrer/Phil Ochs tradition with a great gift for clever and funny lyrics that really rhyme and an incredibly entertaining banter between his songs.
“You’re brilliant. Just brilliant!” — Terry Jones, Monty Python
Tom Lehrer himself says, “I congratulate Roy Zimmerman on reintroducing literacy to comedy songs. And the rhymes actually rhyme, they don’t just ‘rhyne.'”
Joni Mitchell says, “Roy’s lyrics move beyond poetry and achieve perfection.”
He spent the Comedy Boom years of the Eighties doing stand-up in San Francisco, sharing stages with George Carlin, Bill Maher, Kate Clinton, Dennis Miller and many others. He wrote all the material for his funny folk music quartet The Foremen, recording two albums for Warner/Reprise Records. He’s done several shows with The Pixies’ Frank Black, swapping songs in a solo acoustic setting.
“Roy Zimmerman simultaneously inspires me and makes me laugh my ass off,” says comedian/author Paul Krassner.
Zimmerman tours almost constantly, taking his funny songs about fracking, creationism, marijuana laws, government shutdown, same-sex marriage, guns, taxes and abstinence across the country, often playing in some of the least Progressive places in America for the most Progressive people there. “I get accused of preaching to the converted,” he says, “but I don’t think of it that way. I think of it as entertaining the troops.”
In thirteen albums over twenty years, Roy has brought the sting of satire to the struggle for Peace and Social Justice. His songs have been heard on HBO and Showtime. He has recorded for Warner/Reprise Records. He’s been profiled on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Zimmerman’s YouTube videos have amassed over seven million views, and he’s a featured blogger for the Huffington Post.
Sing Out! Magazine writes, “Zimmerman is a guy on the left skewering folks on the right with rapier-sharp lyrics … underneath the caustic satire is a man who is surprisingly optimistic.”
Wesley Hall at the First Presbyterian Church is upstairs, most easily accessed through the entrance on 11th Street near the corner of Monroe. This event is sponsored by the Benton County Democrats. It is not a church-sponsored event.
RUNA
“Best of all, RUNA sounds like no one else!” – Travis Rogers, Jr., Music Life & Times
Quickly gaining recognition as one of Irish music’s new “super-groups,” RUNA has been en- chanting audiences by pushing the boundaries of Irish folk music into the Americana and roots music formats since their formation in 2008. Interweaving the haunting melodies and exuberant tunes of Ireland and Scotland with the lush harmonies and intoxicating rhythms of jazz, bluegrass, flamenco and blues, they offer a thrilling and redefining take on traditional music.
The group has been honored internationally, winning Top Group and Top Traditional Group in the Irish Music Awards and four Independent Music Awards including Best Live Album, Best World/Traditional Song and Best Bluegrass Song.
“Timeless and flawless…” – Jim Allford, PA Music Scene
RUNA consists of vocalist and step-dancer, Shannon Lambert-Ryan of Philadelphia, Dublin-born guitarist, Fionán de Barra, Cheryl Prashker of Canada on percussion, Zach White of St. Louis on guitar, vocals and mandolin, and Maggie White of Kentucky on the fiddle and Mandolin.
RUNA recently released their fifth album, “RUNA: LIVE”, which was recorded at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, MD on Thursday, March 17th, 2016. Receiving lavish praise on both sides of the Atlantic, the album has been hailed as “an incredible masterpiece” – Marcene Bronson, The Celtic Crier
Seeking to preserve and continue a traditional culture in a modern age, RUNA creates the backbone of its signature roots sound from the musical and geographical diversity of its individually established band members. Their strive for excellence and creativity blazes a trail for the future of folk music, earning them the reputation as one of the most innovative Irish folk groups of this generation.
“Genuine and with endless innovation…” – John O’Brien, Jr., Ohio Irish American News
Folk-Americana Duo
Jennings & Keller
Jennings & Keller is an award-winning nationally touring duo based out of Florida. They offer up 21st Century Americana with influences in folk, jazz, and roots music. They fuse many different musical elements into a unique eclectic style that is refreshingly diverse.
Dana Keller, a veteran pedal steel, dobro, and guitar player, has spent years performing on stage or in the studio with such luminaries as Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Stevie Wonder, Larry Graham, Marvin Gaye, Dave Mason, Johnny Rodriguez and The Allen Brothers, to name a few. Dana has been an endorsee of the Gretsch Guitar and Drum Company since 1980. His dobro playing has been called “jaw-droppingly good”. Along with being lauded for his world-class musicianship, he is known as a “songwriter’s songwriter”, often drawing comparisons to Gene Clark and Jessie Winchester.
Laurie Jennings Oudin is a former Shakespearean actress who has spent many years on the stage. Her theater background combined with a lifetime of professional singing gives her an obvious command of the stage as well as the songs she sings. With a vocal style that ranges from early Joni Mitchell to Emmylou Harris, Laurie leaves audiences mesmerized by her stunning vocal delivery.
In the 11 years of playing together, Jennings & Keller have released 4 CDs. They have received accolades and airplay from radio stations at one end of the country to the other. In true troubadour spirit, Laurie and Dana travel the country in their motor home, performing at festivals, cafes, wineries and house concerts. Along with developing a large and loyal fan base, they have earned a reputation for quality musicianship and expert storytelling.
The Fire
- Rebecca Lomnicky on Scottish fiddle,
- David Brewer on Highland pipes and whistles,
- Adam Hendey on guitar & bazouki
The Fire is a high energy pure-drop Scottish music band, with world class fiddling in combination with bagpipes, guitar, bodhran, whistle, and bouzouki. The group includes, International Scottish Fiddle Champion Rebecca Lomnicky, multi-instrumentalist David Brewer of the popular Celtic band Molly’s Revenge, and Adam Hendey on guitar and bouzouki. Members of the trio have each spent copious amounts of time delving into the traditions of their respective instruments, with Rebecca and David having additionally lived and studied in both Edinburgh and the highlands of Scotland. Together, The Fire performs captivating Scottish music which bridges the gap between the fiddle and bagpipe music of Scotland—two worlds united, into a heartfelt and rousing musical experience. Between their entertaining and informative stage banter, vast array of instrument combinations and extensive repertoire, including everything from soaring slow airs to intricately arranged dance tunes, these charismatic performers will leave you on your feet with your hands together. The Fire has headlined at Celtic festivals such as The Pleasanton Scottish Highland Games, The Utah Scottish Association Highland Games, The Portland Highland Games, The Sedona Celtic Harvest Festival, The Northwest Folklife Festival, The Oregon Scottish Festival, The Yachats Celtic Music Festival, The Monterey Scottish Games and Celtic Festival, and has performed at a variety of venues throughout the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland.
The Fire is currently based out of Santa Cruz, California, and has recorded two albums together. (Rebecca is from Corvallis)