Artist Updates

 

Billy Strings:  Turmoil & Tinfoil 

Rolling Stone Country magazine recently listed Billy Strings in 10 New Country Artists You Need to Know. When Billy was at Chestnut House Concerts, he was working with Don Julin. In early 2016 Billy started working on his own and anticipates the release of his debut album, Turmoil & Tinfoil on September 22, 2017.  Visit Pledge Music to hear a sample of Billy’s cover song and preorder the album.

Twisted Pine

This four piece band out of Boston was our first band at Chestnut House Concerts in 2017. Their recent video “I Miss Talking”  was recently reviewed by The Journal of Roots Music, No Depression.  The band also releases their self-titled album Signature Sounds Recordings in August 2017.

Mile Twelve

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Mile Twelve added a fifth member, David Benedict (mandolin) to their band since they played at Chestnut House Concerts. The band is nominated in 3 categories for this year’s International Bluegrass Music Association Momentum Awards. The band is listed  with four others as momentum band of the year, and Bronwyn and David are both nominated as momentum instrumentalist of the year.  They just finished recording a new album to be released October 27, 2017.  Fall 2017 is shaping up to be an exciting season for this bluegrass band.

 

 

Next House Show:  Laney Jones & the Spirits

Saturday, September 2, 2017 Chestnut House Concerts is excited for the return of Laney Jones.  Potluck at 6 pm, Music at 7 pm. We’re over half way full for the show – if you want to claim one of the vacant seats contact Tim at tlehman9@gmail.com.  Recommended donation of 15/20.

 

First Show in 2017: Twisted Pine

We’ve been following this band for a couple years and their hard work and commitment to a quality sound has made them rising stars in the string band world.  We bring you Twisted Pine on January 7, 2017.

 

Things I Learned at the 2014 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival

Having just returned from the 2014 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival I would like to share some thoughts.

1. The Deadly Gentlemen continue to be deadly gentlemen and have a new bass player with an amazing voice.

2. If you can’t put down your phone while you’re in a PORT-A-POTTY …you might need therapy. I mean really, who wants to be in there one second longer than necessary?

3. The Barefoot Movement were ON FIRE! This 4 piece band played here at Chestnut House Concerts on Memorial Day 2013 and they’ve developed marvelously as writers, performers and have become a cohesive band. They played three times on three different stages during the festival including the main stage on Thursday afternoon. Of course Tim and I had tears in our eyes as the crowd of thousands gave a standing ovation.

4. James McIver (banjo player for Cold Chocolate) is on tour with the band while completing his dissertation for his PhD in Physics from MIT – meanwhile, after studying the schedule extensively, Tim and I couldn’t remember which stage we were headed to next for more than 5 minutes – let alone which band was playing there.

5. Awesome bands come out of Boston’s Berklee College of Music. We first saw Laney Jones & the Lively Spirits a year ago at Grey Fox and this year we were wowed by Twisted Pine.

6. The woman seated behind the sound booth who kept telling the sound engineers to sit down so she could see …just doesn’t have a clue.

7. Not to my surprise – the audience members either loved or hated Gangastagrass. I won’t say my preference…but Tim did find it curious that we accidentally ended up “Astrograss for Kids – The Colored Pencil Factory” CD instead of the “Broken Hearts and Stolen Money” Gangastagrass CD he wanted.

8. Cold Chocolate played at the Creekside Stage on Saturday. Before the band started the guy to the left of me told the woman he was with “Cold Chocolate is up next and I was told I’ve got to see them”. The woman on my right told her friend “I don’t want to leave until we’ve seen Cold Chocolate – I’ve heard great things about them”. They both were right, this band is a lot of fun. Ethan and Kirsten switch on taking the lead, they do mostly originals with a few covers in the mix.

I hope you can join us on Tuesday (July 22). It’s not bluegrass – Cold Chocolate is in what I call the progressive folk/string band genre. Ethan Robbins – guitar, vocals; Kirsten Lamb – upright bass, vocals; James McIver – banjo, vocals and Ariel Bernstein – drums. Potluck at 6, Show at 7. All donations go to the band.

I’ll even rustle up some cold dessert. I don’t know, perhaps chocolate?