Tune up your flat top, rosin up your bow, re-string your washtub and put on your best dress overalls. It’s time for BREWGRASS! A Bluegrass and Microbrew Celebration.

If you're coming down from the hills for just one event this year, make sure it's Friday and Saturday, November 11th and 12th 2011 for the 8th annual BREWGRASS! where you're gonna find all kinds of great Bluegrass music and a load of great craft brewed beers.

And for any Brewgrass! goers wishing to spend the night in town, the nearby Cap Sante Inn is offering a discount on lodging with advance reservation. Call them @ (360) 293-0602 and tell them your coming to town for Brewgrass!

Check out this line up:

Friday 11/11
Brown Lantern - Pickled Okra
Majestic - Cliff Perry and Laurel Bliss
Rockfish - Polecat

Saturday 11/12
Brown Lantern - Whiskey Swillers
Majestic - The Duntons
Rockfish - Abby Mae & the Homeschool Boys

ARTISTS APPEARING AT BREWGRASS!:

There are many bluegrass and old-timey bands out there, but none quite like Pickled Okra. This trio of acoustic string players from Seattle Washington breathes life into a classic genre with fresh ideas and pure family charm. Conceived in 2006 by a husband and wife team, Todd and Paisley Gray, what started out as a living room pass-time became a band in 2007 when Tony Markey joined in the fun. The band is Tony on banjo, Todd on mandolin and Paisley on bass & all three on vocals with dulcet 3 part harmonies. What people are saying about us... "Although their repertoire includes many bluegrass and old-timey standards, the trio brings unique string band twists to songs that everyone will recognize." Pickled Okra currently hosts a weekly jam in Seattle, and also keeps busy performing at other jams, outdoor events, pubs, and private functions... and through it all, they still make folks feel like they're guests right there in the living room.

The Duntons are a bluegrass based vocal group that call Anacortes home. They have received national acclaim over the years. Here's a sample of what folks have said:

"Boy, I tell you, these girls can sing, can't they!" --Ralph Stanley


"These are very talented ladies." --Tony Rice

"Don't forget their name...man oh man, great music there!" --Sam Jackson, Owner, Station Inn, Nashville

"I don't know how Milton (Harkey) happened upon these songbirds from the great northwest, but all in attendance (at Bluegrass First Class) were treated to some of the loveliest harmonies you're likely to hear anywhere...with all the beauty one's soul can absorb." --Wooville Newsletter


Polecat is a Bellingham based new grass group made up of some of the best pickers in the area:

Bassman extraordinaire, Richard started playing the low end in high school on a 5-string Warwick bass guitar. His love for African music and polyrhythmic sounds have transferred over to the blonde 3/4 size K Style upright bass he uses in Polecat. He dominates the complex changes and hits, keeps the groove thumping along with Karl's kick, and adds a third vocal harmony on some of the barn burners.

An avid student of percussion for many years, Karl Olson is an uncommonly well-rounded rhythm man, with studies and projects based on orchestral, jazz, funk, reggae, udu, and tabla drumming. His precision, dynamics, and energy keep Polecat's listeners' ears on their toes. With only kick drum, snare drum, hi-hat, and one crash cymbal, he uses an array of sticks and brushes to maximize each piece of the kit.

With many years of piano lessons in early life, Aaron Guest gradually picked up more instruments over the years and has played drums, guitars, bass, and keyboards in several bands and recordings in his years in Bellingham. Polecat showcases his song-writing and baritone vocals, backed up with his high energy 12-string guitar playing. His wide range of listening and playing makes his songs less traditional, but they still pulse with the feel of American roots music. Cayley Schmid

Immersed in Celtic music, dance, and culture for the better part of her life, Cayley Scmidt's 5-string fiddle playing embodies the energy of that tradition and brings a whole different kind of stompin' sound to Polecat's bluegrass/americana feel. She leads a few traditionals and writes her own reels that get people up out of their seats. Her complex lines in harmony with Jeremy's guitar are some of Polecat's most exciting musical moments.

Jeremy Elliott's articulate yet soulful, fast as lightning but smart guitar playing adds an undeniable spark to the band. Growing up in Georgia and being surrounded by some of the best roots players in the country really shows, but his style is his own. He melds rock rhythms, bluesy bends, and bluegrass lines with ease. Jeremy's song-writing and arranging is featured on several tunes, and his vocal harmonies add another layer to the Polecat sound.

Cliff Perry and Laurel Bliss began as a singing duo in the late 80’s and are now recognized veterans in the bluegrass and old-time music communities. Together they formed the heart and soul of Southfork, a legendary Northwest bluegrass band in Washington and up and down the West Coast.

Respected by their peers and beloved by their fans, Cliff and Laurel always deliver a wonderful collection of old-time country duets. When listening to them, you can tell they are greatly influenced by the Carter Family, however, they’ve also internalized and taken their own approach to the material. Old-time country music encompasses a myriad of styles and Perry and Bliss opt for a composed, straightforward approach that, like the Carters’ music, suggests an earlier era.

The popular foot-stomping, Abby Mae and the Homeschool Boys, offer bluegrass seasoned with gospel, a hint of folk and the scent of mountains. Born out of budding friendship and youthful exuberance, the band combines the timeless tradition of Ol’ Tymey music with Gaelic, Blues, and Gospel. Silly, sultry, spiritual, and heartbreaking, Abby Mae and the Homeschool Boys features Abby Mae on vocals, David Rivers on guitar and banjo, Joey Gish on fiddle, and Hayden Pomeroy on upright bass. Their talents combine in a sound that is toe tapping, authentic, warm and joyful.

“This young, talented band has been busy honing their talents, going from strength to strength with audiences growing as everyone hurries to get on board for the ride. Abby’s vocals sparkle and soar, surrounded by foot stomping guitar, fiddle, banjo and bass. Abby Mae and the Homeschool Boys offer up a bluegrass base, seasoned with gospel, a hint of folk and the scent of mountains. It all combines in a sound that is toe tapping, authentic, warm and joyful.” -Karen Hanan, Executive Director, Arts Northwest and Host, KONP Radio 1450’s

The Whisky Swillers started around the beginning of 2006 when Jeremy and Adam drank whisky and played music in Adam's living room. A whole new world opened up, friends were made and good times were had by all. Since then, this rowdy old-time duo have played shows all over the northwest and even managed to make a recording that's now available.