From the Twin Cities, 'The Piano Man,' Dan Chouinard will help celebrate the Ten Pound Fiddle's 50th season, and the 21st Mid-Winter Singing Festival. An incredible musician and favorite Singing Festival song leader, Chouinard chooses songs from all genres of the Great American Songbook, adding accompaniment on the grand piano or accordion. Lyric booklets provided. So, sit back, relax, sing any part you dream up, and make a gorgeous sound with hundreds of other voices, all led by one of the best, Dan Chouinard.
From noon - 3:30 pm, Saturday, Feb. 1, the Singing Festival will host a two singing workshops and a Community Sing.
Caller: Carol Steiner; Band: Scarlet Runner String Band
Guy Davis is a two-time, back-to-back Grammy nominee for Best Traditional Blues, a musician, actor, author, and songwriter. Guy uses a blend of Roots, Blues, Folk, Rock, Rap, Spoken Word, and World Music to comment on, and address the frustrations of social injustice, touching on historical events, and common life struggles. His storytelling is sometimes painful, deep, and real, an earthy contrast to modern-day commercial music, meant to create thought, underlined by gentle tones from his guitar or banjo fingerpicking.
Enjoy Brian and Lynn’s brand of lilting and energetic music from the 1920s… songs about birds, flowers, and love just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Lansing's Nic Gareiss travels the world both performing and teaching dance. Each season, Nic gathers very talented friends and plans a Michigan tour, making a Friday night stop at The Ten Pound Fiddle. This year, Nic and Old Time musician Jake Blount and hammered dulcimer player Simon Chrisman will combine their sound and talent to present a night of exceptional performance pieces.
Caller: River Abel; Band: Banjo Tramps
The queen of on-stage, impromptu comedy returns to the Fiddle, sharing clever, funny tunes with her long-time fans. This special Sunday (3 pm) show allows for more people to spend the day with Christine. Come early (1 pm) and enjoy a few stitches and plenty of conversation in Christine's all-comers knitting circle.
New American fiddle tunes from a supergroup of New England contra dance music. The Fiddle is proud to co-sponsor this special early evening event held at the infamous Elderly Instruments.
Bob Stein’s 90th Birthday Bash begins at 2pm with the English Country Dance. 5-7 Potluck dinner, 7-10 Contras and Squares. Caller: Gaye Fifer; ECD Band: Alchemy; CD Band: The Stringrays
One of the premier acoustic bands of Ireland, The Jeremiahs are just as adapt singing a classic Irish ballad as reving up with room with jigs and reels.
"Great songs, poignant, emotional vocals, masterful guitar and fiddle/flute conversations that work like fine embroidery, no wonder critics love them. You will too!" - Larry Groce, host of NPR Music's "Mountain Stage."
Over the last three years, Annie Capps has collected some of the Michigan's finest acoustic musicians and created a Super Group: The Badass Women Band. Fresh from a summer of festivals and a fall full of concerts, their top notch show includes 3-4 selections originating from each band member: Annie Capps, Annie Bacon, Sara Gibson, Anne Heaton, Carolyn Koebel, Cori Somers and Julianna Wilson
"This bluegrass band has the right formula: heavenly harmonies on top of furious fingerpicking, trucking down the highway at 200 mph" - Time Out, Chicago
Caller: Laurie Pietravalle; Band: Banjo Tramps
You are invited to spend actual St. Patrick's Day in a gorgeous room, Sleepwalker beverage in hand, singing Irish songs with song leaders Michael McConeghy, Abbey Hoffman, and Sally Potter. Lyric sheets provided.
Sara Pajunen was one half of a Finnish duo that stole people's musical hearts at a past East Lansing Great Lakes Folk Festival. Now based in Minneapolis, Sara has only enhanced her concert repertoire adding songs and commentary to her stunning Finnish fiddle pieces. Sara will share the stage with special guest and fellow Minnesotan, fiddler / pianist Frances Olson.
Bluegrass meets Celtic when JigJam starts to play.
"JigJam demonstrates a verve and versatility that allows them to transcend any singular style and simply create a sound that doesn't defer to any preconceived parameters. In that regard they are fully capable of conveying any number of truly tuneful treats" -BLUEGRASS TODAY
For the Ten Pound Fiddle's 50th Anniversary season, Sparky and Rhonda are the perfect act to highlight the roots of folk music. It has been too long since this duo has graced the Fiddle stage; the Fiddle is delighted that they can be part of this year's schedule.
Sparky and Rhonda Rucker deliver uplifting presentations of toe-tapping songs spiced with humor, history, and tall tales. Their music includes a variety of old-time blues, Appalachian music, slave songs, and spirituals as well as originals, and they accompany themselves with fingerstyle picking and bottleneck blues guitar, old-time banjo, blues harmonica, piano, spoons, and bones.
If you remember hearing sacred harp singing in the films "Cold Mountain" or "Behold the Earth," or the distinct sound of the lead vocalist of Cordelia's Dad, that is Tim Eriksen.
Tim Eriksen is acclaimed for transforming American tradition with his startling interpretations of old ballads, love songs, shape-note gospel and dance tunes from New England and Southern Appalachia. He combines hair-raising vocals with inventive accompaniment on banjo, fiddle, guitar and bajo sexto - a twelve string Mexican acoustic bass - creating a distinctive hardcore Americana sound.
The Jump Bunny String Band will bring you to your feet with a blend of eclectic fun swinging tunes from the past and present.
Caller: Rick Szumski; Band: Tana and the Tall Boys
Who better to start off the Ten Pound Fiddle's 50th Anniversary weekend than the multi-talented writer, composer, singer and performer extraordinaire, Susan Werner! It has been too long since Susan has graced the Fiddle stage, sharing stirring and funny songs and stories playing the piano, guitar or just plain singing a cappella.
50th Anniversary celebration full of concerts, jams, and workshops beginning at noon!
When guitar phenom Elden Kelly lived in Lansing (has since moved to Memphis), he could be found jamming at local gigs with musician extraordinaire Andy Wilson. In the meantime, via electronic magic, the two have recorded a brand new CD and will celebrate its release with a Ten Pound Fiddle concert hosted by The Robin Theatre.
Caller: Maeve Devlin; Band: Pimento Mori
"75 Septembers," "Aces," "Driving Home," "Estate Sale," " If It Were Up To Me," "Gandhi / Buddha," "When Fall Comes To New England," are just a few of the Cheryl Wheeler songs now played and shared throughout the folk music world. Concert partner Kenny White adds some accompaniment and several beautiful selections of his own. Both artists are very funny.
The Fiddle will wrap up its 50th year with a party at Old Town Lansing's UrbanBeat with classic blues, swing and world jazz...from Detroit. The Paxton/Spangler Band will make its way through the Great American Songbook, highlighting songs and tunes from Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Burt Bacharach, Carole King and many more... UrbanBeat offers food and beverage service.
Caller: River Abel; Band: Asking for Trouble
Co-produced with the Robin Theatre, don’t miss an engaging evening with John Depew, the 2022 Kansas Mandolin Champion, as he brings his masterful picking and heartfelt melodies to the stage. Experience the magic of bluegrass, folk, and beyond from one of the Midwest's most celebrated mandolin virtuosos!
Co-produced with the Robin Theatre, join folk legends Martin Carthy and Eliza Carthy, visiting from England, for an enchanting evening of timeless melodies and spellbinding storytelling. Don’t miss this rare chance to experience the iconic father-daughter duo live on stage during their special U.S. tour!
Spring Celebration! Caller: Gaye Fifer; Band: The Johns
Caller: TBD;
Band: TBD