Contra Dance Musicians
Bethany Waickman & Glen Loper (ME)
Websites:
www.bethanywaickman.com;
www.glenloper.com
Lineup:
• Bethany Waickman (guitar, piano)
• Glen Loper (mandolin, tenjor banjo, vocals)
Bethany and Glen will play a variety of tunes from Ireland, French Canada, Spain and France, along with some newer tunes. They play fantastically energizing music on mandolin, tenor banjo, and guitar to light up our dance-at-home world! Glen & Bethany also play with "Stomp Rocket", Glen with "Riptide", and Bethany with "Anadama", all superb dance bands!
The Box and String Trio (PA)
Website:
www.boxandstringmusic.com
Lineup:
• Bill Quern (fiddle, banjo, melodeon, mandolin)
• Sarah Gowan (guitar)
• Laura Alexander (cello)
The Box and String Trio from Philadelphia, PA came together to play contra dance and Balfolk music about 5 years ago and have been fortunate to continue playing as group through the pandemic (with careful social distancing, of course.) With several virtual contras under their belt, they look forward to bringing the dance to you!
Cosmic Otters (IN)
Website: thecosmicotters.com
Lineup:
• Eric Schedler (accordian, piano)
• Meg Dedolph (guitar, snare drum)
• Jonathan Witall (guitar, piano)
• Edward Wallace (fiddle)
The Cosmic Otters make people dance.
We start with a solid rhythmic foundation of guitar and piano, add inventive fiddle harmonies, and finish with juicy, pulsing accordion playing and tasteful percussion.
The tunes are from the British Isles and its relatives – Ireland, England and Scotland with side trips to Cape Breton and Quebec – but definitely our own, with an unshakable drive and playful improvisations that make dancers smile. We play for contra dances, Irish set dances, English country dances, and square dances, in dance halls, in houses, at parties, at house parties, and -- on NYE 2020 -- at Sea to Sea NYE
Dan Levenson & Emmy Truckenmiller (AZ)
Lineup:
• Dan Levenson (fiddle)
• Emmy Truckenmiller (guitar)
Broadcasting Live from the Living Room in Tucson, AZ, Fiddling Dan Levenson and Emmy Truckenmiller on guitar combine their musical talents playing their rousing old time sound in the Southern Appalachian tradition. They are also known for their twin fiddling in Dan Levenson and the Cat Mountain Rounders.
Dan (fiddle) and Emmy (guitar) will play in the New Year with spirited fiddle and rhythmic guitar, featuring their lively selection of dance tunes. Their music will keep you dancing from the first call of the dance through the first notes of the New Year.
Dear Crow (WA)
Website: facebook.com/dearcrow
Lineup:
• Brian Lindsay (fiddle, banjo)
• Penka Jane Culevski (fiddle, guitar)
Contra dance & folk music from western Washington, featuring driving guitar, foot percussion, lyrical fiddle, and harmony vocals.
Gròóvåtrøñ (ON)
Facebook: facebook.com/groovatronband
Lineup:
• Grace Hendrickson-Jones (flute)
• Jonathan Werk (oboe)
• Everest Witman (guitar)
Groovin' Montréal contra trio with flute, oboe, guitar, didgeridoo, hotel bell, and various groovatronics™
M'Gilvry Allen (OR)
Website: mgilvryallen.com
Coming to you live from a straw bale music studio in southern Oregon… Fiddler, producer and eclectic jungle cat M'Gilvry Allen will be blending a live mix of booty-shaking house music with improvised looping violin and a funky box of fx pedals. Bringing together the Scottish fiddle tradition of his upbringing and the French club scene of his degenerate youth, M'Gilvry brings a unique and playful spirit to his live creations, inviting us to dance away the dust of this strange year and celebrate the continued gift of existence.
Reelplay (GA)
Website: reelplayband.com
Lineup:
• Dave Marcus (concertina)
• Robbin Marcus (piano, percussion)
Reelplay, a New England-style contra dance band from Atlanta, play a mix of tunes including New England, Quebecois, bal folk, ECD, and originals.
Reelplay serves as the house band for the Atlanta DistDance Zoom-based dances. They've played live gigs all over the southeast and virtual gigs all over the world.
Dave's treble concertina is a 2017 Wakker Concertinas Parnassus. He also plays an older Wheatstone baritone. He uses DPA 4099 mics.