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.
Guy Davis
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.
Bill Staines
Oct. 2, 2015 and April 5, 2013 performances. “Bill Staines has been my hero since 1977. He carries on where Woody left off-carrying on the tradition of stories and characters you wish you knew.” – Nanci Griffith
Rev. Robert B. Jones and Sister Bernice Jones
October 1, 2010 Performance
Lonesome Ace Stringband – featuring banjo virtuoso Chris Coole
This is old-time music for today’s old soul.
Chris Coole on banjo, John Showman on fiddle and Max Heineman on bass bring a deep respect for the roots of the music, a keen sense of innovation to the performance and material, and a passion for the sound that transcends both.
“Three of the most accomplished Old-Time musicians on the planet, the Lonesome Ace Stringband does a masterful job melding their talents”-Brad Kolodner (WAMU Washington, DC)
SOLD OUT – The Sweet Water Warblers: Rachael Davis, May Erlewine, Lindsay Lou
Michigan songbirds, Rachael Davis, Lindsay Lou and May Erlewine have each carved out successful careers on the American Roots Music circuit and have grown to respect each other’s work. When they finally gelled into a potent musical force, it was natural – three singing sirens and multi-instrumentalists whose repertoire swings from gospel and bluegrass to soul and even joyful interpretations of pop. Their three-part vocal harmonies are sublime, and they trade instruments including mountain fiddle and banjo, uke, guitar and double bass.
Rev. Robert B. Jones – in place of Luke Winslow-King – with opener The Dangling Participles
A last minute change brings the Reverend Robert B Jones to the fiddle stage. Reverend Robert Jones, Sr. is an inspirational singer, songwriter, storyteller and self-taught award-winning multi-instrumentalist. Lansing’s The Dangling Participles open.
SOLD OUT – Le Vent du Nord
SPECIAL WEDNESDAY SHOW! “If you’ve seen them before, you already know. And if you’ve never seen them, words won’t do them justice. Le Vent du Nord is one of the best bands touring today, no matter your musical taste” – SYRACUSE NEWS TIME
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.
The Bills – Quintet from Western Canada
“Their sound is panoramic, mischievous, fiercely unpretentious – and musically splendid” – Boston Globe
Joshua Davis
Joshua Davis was raised in the folk tradition: the music, the social movements, the land.
Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project
Focusing on songs collected by folklorist and field recording pioneer Alan Lomax, this collaboratory brings together some of North America’s most distinctive and creative roots musicians to revive, recycle, and reimagine traditional music. Join the Fiddle for this very, very special mid-week concert, to be held at Urban Beat, a new, intimate performance space on the first block of Turner Street, in Lansing’s Old Town.
May Erlewine – In Concert
“May Erlewine has the sort of soul-baring voice that moves the Alan Lomaxes of the world to abandon the ivory tower for the back roads of rural America.” -The Harvard Independent
Ten Strings and a Goat Skin
“A seamless, polished, barrel-drum-tight, rhythmically innovative and wildly entertaining traditional music powerhouse.” -The Guardian