Jake and Taylor Armerding Tearing Up The Cantab Tonight!

My latest shameless plug. Come to the Cantab tonight (2-20) for Jake and Taylor Armerding.

If you’ve just been to Joe Val and saw Taylor perform with Bluegrass Gospel Project, then you won’t want to miss Taylor playing with his son tonight. What makes Taylor Armerding so amazing is that he can play bluegrass gospel over the weekend and bluegrass versions of 80’s pop the following Tuesday. If you didn’t go to Joe Val and live in the area, then you definitely won’t want to miss tonight’s show.

Jake is a star in his own light. He also writes some of the best newsletters around.
This is what he said about tonight’s show:

Tuesday, February 20
Cantab Lounge, Central Square, Cambridge, MA. By now, most Bostonians know the best ‘grass in town is at the Cantab every Tuesday night. We’ll be jamming on our usual fusion of trad grass, originals, and eighties pop. (This week, we turn to those beloved synthesizer cowboys, Genesis.) With Taylor Armerding, Zack Hickman, Neil Cleary and Wes Corbett. 10pm, free ($5 donation suggested).

Jake is an excellent musican with a penchant for telling great stories as well. The musicans with him tonight are also stellar. I try to see Jake every time he plays around here and am never let down.

Joe Val Festival Day 1

Friday Feb 16, 2007 2:32 am ( this will be brief with maybe a more detailed update of some things later- very tired)

I arrived and hour and half later than planned as I had to remove a thick layer of ice from the top and front windshield, and hood of my car. I heard stories of people who forgot to remove the snow from the top of thier cars causing all sorts of projectories on interstates. I was not going to be one of those people.

The plan was to arrive for a banjo bootcamp to learn the basics of the instrument.
They had loaner banjos. I didn’t make it to the bootcamp but a friend who did showed me what he learned. Now I can do a forward roll. Trouble is, I have no banjo to practice on.

I got to the main hall in time to see Frank Drake’s Short Life of Trouble. I was impressed. The music had an old timey feel. This band also plays a regular gospel brunch at the Plough and Stars every Sunday.

Next up was Buddy Merriam and Backroads- they were excellent as well.

Then I heard The Gibson Brothers. Since seeing them last they seem to have aquired more members to thier band, none of them being brothers, except for the original two. The Gibson Brothers sound has gotten bigger and more polished. Before they sounded more folky, tonight they sounded more bluegrassy. I prefer Bluegrassy, which brings me to the last band ( or not)

Chris Thile and How to Grow a Band. The musicans in this band are of high quality, but I have to say that they are not a bluegrass band and the end of the first night of a bluegrass festival I want to hear bluegrass.
More later. did I mention how tired I was?

Home again and Traditional Ties Tonight 2-11-07

I took a brief respite from my cold city apartment to visit my grandmother in her warm house. There’s just something about Grandmothers. Did I mention she has a fireplace?

My apartment is still freezing, but my spirits should be on fire again since it is Sunday and if you’ve been reading, you know what that means:

Tradtional Ties on Wyep. (2-11-07) 10 pm.

It streams over the internet so you have no excuse not to listen. Tonight John Trout will feature an interview with Russel Johnson of the Grass Cats and new bluegrass from the Infamous Stringdusters.

I’ll admit that I don’t know much about Russell Johnson, but I am excited to learn. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the Infamous Stringdusters live and they are hot! The Stringdusters are a powerhouse of young talented musicans and singers. They also are based in my dream destination- Nashville ( someday….*sigh*)

Better news for me and those of you who have tickets- I get to see the Stringdusters perform next weekend at the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival ( this festival deserves it’s own post, so maybe while listening to Traditional Ties tonight I will write one) All I will say is that this Festival is amazing. As of posting this, weekend tickets are sold out but there are still day passes available for Friday and Sunday. – a very kind soul bought me a weekend pass for my birthday and I am very thankful!

sidebar: I am incredibly excited right now as I just spent four hours this after noon listening to Loose Ends in Newton and they were fabulous!