The Best Cellar is Back

Masks & proof of vaccination requested for everyone’s continued safety

7:30 Sharon and Dave Thormahlen

Sharon and Dave have been making beautiful music together in Corvallis for decades.  They perform traditional and new music written by Sharon, mostly on instruments made by Dave.

8:30 Wild Hog In The Woods

Stringband music from a bygone era played the way it always should have been.

Best Cellar is held on the last Friday of each month of the school year. Admission is a sliding scale, 2-10 dollars, your choice. Kids are free and welcome. Cookies, gluten free cookies, coffee and tea are available for fifty cents each. Usually in the cellar of the Methodist Church, on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis. For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

The Best Cellar

Masks & proof of vaccination requested for everyone’s continued safety

7:30 Tom Rawson

Tom Rawson, folksinger and storyteller from Orcas Island, Washington is the Northwest’s very own version of Pete Seeger. Armed with longneck banjo and other weapons of mass delight, Tom is a master of warmth and wit who loves to share his musical treasures with an ‘I know something you don’t know and you’re gonna love it too’ kind of smile’. From gospel to contemporary, profound to downright silly, Tom will have you singing, clapping, and laughing along all night.

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 a sliding scale, 2-10 dollars, your choice. Kids are free and welcome.
Cookies, gluten free cookies, coffee and tea are available for fifty cents each.
In the sanctuary of the Methodist Church, on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

Rickie Lee Jones

Oregon State University presents Rickie Lee Jones on the next installment of the College of Liberal Arts’ American Strings series.

Musician and storyteller, Rickie Lee Jones, has been inspiring pop culture for decades, beginning with her first two seminal albums Rickie Lee Jones and Pirates. The New Yorker has hailed her as “the premiere song-stylist and songwriter of her generation.”

A two-time Grammy Award winner, Jones’ celebrated memoir, “Last Chance Texaco,” was named Book of the Year by MOJO, Pitchfork and NPR. She will release her first all jazz album, produced by Russ titleman in April, 2023.

Join University Director of Popular Music/Rock Historian Bob Santelli, for an intimate conversation with this legendary pop/rock star, followed by a live performance. Seating is limited to 200.

TICKETS GO ON SALE MONDAY, OCT. 24 AT 8 A.M. AT oregonstatecla.universitytickets.com

The Best Cellar

Masks & proof of vaccination requested for everyone’s continued safety

7:30 Compass Rose

Laura Zaerr, George Beekman,
Lynn Scott, Sabina Monn,
Bill Veley

Unusual and creative instrumentation makes even familiar songs sound fresh and new.

8:30 River Rocks

Laurie Childers, Joe Casprowiak,
Michael Everett, Tracy Daugherty,
Bill Veley

RiverRocks plays some of Laurie’s originals and a broad range of sweet covers.  We like lyrics that matter, that uplift, that tell a good story, that make us laugh or cry, that prompt us to get up and dance.  You might even sing along!

Best Cellar is held on the last Friday of each month of the school year.
Admission is a sliding scale, 2-10 dollars, your choice. Kids are free and welcome.
Cookies, gluten free cookies, coffee and tea are available for fifty cents each.
In the sanctuary of the Methodist Church, on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

The Best Cellar

Masks & proof of vaccination requested for everyone’s continued safety

7:30 The Lucky In Love String Band

Pete Kozak, Ron Green, Jeff Hino, and Mark Weiss

Bluegrass and Newgrass

8:30 Dave Plaehn and Jeff Hino

The best Blues duo this side of the Mississippi delta.

Best Cellar is held on the last Friday of each month of the school year.
Admission is a sliding scale, 2-10 dollars, your choice. Kids are free and welcome.
Cookies, gluten free cookies, coffee and tea are available for fifty cents each.
In the sanctuary of the Methodist Church, on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

The Best Cellar

Masks & proof of vaccination requested for everyone’s continued safety

CFS BeatlesFest

Suz Doyle, Jeannie Holmes and their uke class
Compass Rose
River Rocks
Fred Towne
Evelyn Idzerda
Jim Lynch
Sharon and Dave Thormalen
And many more

Hosted by George Beekman and Barbara Gladstone

Proceeds to go to the sister city program for Uzhgorod, Ukraine

Best Cellar is held on the last Friday of each month of the school year.
Admission is a sliding scale, 2-10 dollars, your choice. Kids are free and welcome.
Cookies, gluten free cookies, coffee and tea are available for fifty cents each.
In the sanctuary of the Methodist Church, on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

The Best Cellar

Masks & proof of vaccination requested for everyone’s continued safety

7:30 Rita Brown and Bill Smyth

Wonderful singing and playing from one of Willamette Valley’s favorite musical duo.

8:30 Fionnghal

A Celtic Trio playing a variety of Celtic and Celtic inspired tunes. In addition to Erika
Nagamoto, Marjorie Sandor and Beth Brown on fiddle, guitar, flute and cello, Fionnghal will be joined by vocalist and fiddler Katie Maxey and percussionist Tracy Daugherty. Look forward to an evening of great
tunes and songs.

Best Cellar is held on the last Friday of each month of the school year.
Admission is a sliding scale, 2-10 dollars, your choice. Kids are free and welcome.
Cookies, gluten free cookies, coffee and tea are available for fifty cents each.
In the sanctuary of the Methodist Church, on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

The Best Cellar

Masks & proof of vaccination requested 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 Loose Flagstone

Loose Flagstone is a Corvallis Celtic band featuring Leslie Glassmire (flute), Jennifer Parke (fiddle), Marjorie Sandor (guitar), and Tracy Daugherty (bodhran). Their repertoire explores a wide range of Celtic instrumental music, from great old Irish and Scottish tunes to some of the best contemporary Celtic music being played today.

Best Cellar is held on the last Friday of each month of the school year.
Admission is a sliding scale, 2-10 dollars, your choice. Kids are free and welcome.
Cookies, gluten free cookies, coffee and tea are available for fifty cents each.
In the sanctuary of the Methodist Church, on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

American Strings Celebrates Women’s History Month

featuring Shannon McNally
with Marilyn Jordan and Fiona Daley

GRAMMY® Nominated Americana Musician Shannon McNally has been called a Zen-like, post-Beat song poet. Those who have followed her nearly 20-year career, know the thing that stands out about McNally is the timelessness and effortlessness of her work. With a long catalog and longer list of peers with whom she has written, recorded, and toured, McNally continues to turn out great music that crosses many genres.  McNally’s music career began on the jam band circuit of the 1990’s with bands like Robert Randolph and Derek Trucks. She writes original music as well as she interprets the songs of others. With a top tier musicality to her craft, a soul stirring voice that immediately grabs one by the heart strings, and a troubadour’s wanderlust, not to mention that she is also an excellent electric guitar player, McNally knows she can serve up a song much like her anti-hero heroes J.J. Cale, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan. Dr. John, and Jim Dickinson.

Our host Bob Santelli will will talk to Shannon about her quiet but steady plodding through the many layers of music business. And while she hasn’t yet been rewarded with massive fame and fortune, that slow burn has become the treasure in and of itself. Perhaps the music industry is finally catching up with her independent spirit. We’ll explore that and more and hear Shannon perform at this special installment of American Strings.  Joining Bob and Shannon in this special evening will be two special guests, from right here at OSU:

Marilyn Jordan is a jamband-inspired singer-songwriter who creates songs like impressionist paintings, from her native rural Oregon. Drawing on themes of home, hiding out, and running like hell, Jordan tells stories of badass adventures through this bittersweet life, with intriguing stories, and a soul-saving sense of humor. An OSU graduate student studying Nanci Griffith’s songwriting, Marilyn is releasing her debut album titled “Both Things Are True,” on March 3.

Fiona Daley is a freshman in the College of Liberal Arts. She was born and raised in a small town in Montana just outside of Yellowstone. Daley has been playing guitar for four years and writing songs for two, but grew up always listening to and playing music. Fiona loves and writes music because of the ability it has to connect people, no matter how different. In sharing pieces of her life through music, she hopes to do just that.

Regarding tickets to this event: A ticket vendor with which Oregon State University contracts is experiencing an outage. This outage could last as long as five to seven days. Our ability to sell tickets online, as well as to take credit card payments in-person, are both impacted.

If you have not yet purchased tickets: Tickets will be available for purchase at the event by cash or check only. Ticket sales will begin one hour prior to the performance. Please note that we anticipate that this performance may sell out. Tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

If you have already purchased tickets: We will have your name on a will call list at the event. We recommend you arrive early for general admission seating.

The Best Cellar

Masks requested for everyone’s continued safety

7:30 Adam Scramstad

Adam is an award winning Acoustic/Electric Finger-style & Blues Musician, born and raised in Oregon. Performing regularly throughout the Pacific Northwest, Scramstad’s reputation as a professional Blues Guitarist & Vocalist is rapidly becoming widespread.

A strong and creative Songwriter in his own-right, Scramstad’s repertoire also covers a broad range of early American Folk/Blues artists’ works – such as: Son House, Bukka White, Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Lightning Hopkins, Blind Blake, John Fahey, Elizabeth Cotton.

Adam’s 2006 debut Solo album “No Sun Around Blues” climbed to #33 on the Roots Music Radio Blues Chart – June 2006. The CD is a mix of acoustic blues (w/vocal) & finger-style guitar songs, and quickly became a favorite of local NW Radio Stations. His music has been featured on the nationally syndicated “Blues Deluxe Show” as well as receiving regular airplay on many regional, national and international stations/shows.

Although he maintains a focus on Solo Acoustic Delta Slide & Country Blues (both vocal and instrumental), Adam also regularly performs with Blues Guitar Legend Terry Robb (Adam’s Producer & Mentor)– as an acoustic duo as well as slinging electric guitar in the acclaimed Terry Robb Band. You can hear Adam’s rhythm & lead electric guitar work throughout the 2012 Terry Robb Band release “Muddyvishnu”.

8:30 The Wallop Sisters

Suz Doyle and Jeannie Holmes (joined by their spouses, John Swanson and Nils Nielson) doing “Novelty Songs through the ages.” One of the most “alive” groups around. Full of energy, great singing, and some very special instrumental work.

Best Cellar is held on the last Friday of each month of the school year.
Admission is a sliding scale, 2-10 dollars, your choice. Kids are free and welcome.
Cookies, gluten free cookies, coffee and tea are available for fifty cents each.
In the sanctuary of the Methodist Church, on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

American Strings
An Evening with
the Kingston Trio

Join University Director of Popular Music Bob Santelli in a conversation with the legendary folk group: The Kingston Trio. Current members Mike Marvin, Tim Gorelangton and Buddy Woodward, have intrinsic links and experience with the iconic trio’s original members. Mike is the adopted son of founding member Nick Reynolds, who was also his musical mentor; Tim, a close friend since boyhood, is one of the few musicians outside the trio who has recorded with Nick Reynolds; and Buddy has performed with longtime Kingston Trio member George Grove. Together, they recall and will talk with Bob about the original members’ journey as folk music made its extraordinary ascent to the pinnacle of popular culture and the top of the music charts.

Following the interview, the trio will perform such timeless classics as “Where Have All The Flowers Gone?” and “Tom Dooley”.

Only 200 seats!  Take advantage of the presale now at the link above to secure your seats.

The Best Cellar

Masks requested for everyone’s continued safety

7:30 Cassandra Robertson

A muse with a message, Cassandra has the heart of a lion, and the mane to match. Accompanied by her acoustic guitar, she floors the audience like a sonic boom with captivating messages of peace, prosperity, hope and above all, inspiration. Her unique style of “acoustic conscious folk” kick starts the heart and levitates the soul; reminding us all that we CAN positively affect the world we all share, as long as we choose planet over profit and remember to be ourselves.

8:30 Evelyn Idzerda and friends

Great vocal harmony and some pretty flashy guitar work.

Best Cellar is held on the last Friday of each month of the school year.
Admission is a sliding scale, 2-10 dollars, your choice. Kids are free and welcome.
Cookies, gluten free cookies, coffee and tea are available for fifty cents each.
In the sanctuary of the Methodist Church, on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

The Best Cellar

Masks requested for everyone’s continued safety

7:30 A Bunch of Pals

A benefit for Mid-Valley Health Care Advocates

Audrey Perkins, Tim Hardin, Mark Weiss, and Chere and Cliff Pereira have been getting together to make music around a mobile fire pit during the pandemic and will share their music in various mashups.  They play some very fun songs, use a lot of vocal harmony, and locally, lovingly, developed musicianship.

 Best Cellar is held on the last Friday of each month of the school year.
Admission is a sliding scale, 2-10 dollars, your choice. Kids are free and welcome.
Cookies, gluten free cookies, coffee and tea are available for fifty cents each.
In the sanctuary of the Methodist Church, on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

The Best Cellar

More details soon.

 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 sanctuary of the Methodist Church, on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com

The Best Cellar
50-year Celebration

Masks requested for everyone’s continued safety

7:30 Some of the long time Cellar performers

including one who played the very first night of the Best Cellar, will be on hand. They include Rita Brown and Bill Smyth, Tom and Ellen Demarest, Barbara Gladstone, Audrey Perkins, John Swanson and Jeannie Holmes, Mark Aron, Sharon and Dave Thormahlen, Dave Plaehn, and Tim Hardin. We are also trying to track down some of the folks who created The Cellar back in 1973, so that we can honor them, as well. Please join us for this special occasion

 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 sanctuary of the Methodist Church, on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis
For more information contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com