Sara Pajunen wsg Frances Olson

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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.

Badass Women Band

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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

Larry & Joe

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What happens when a Venezuelan harpist starts playing music with an award-winning bluegrass artist? Absolute magic! Come hear one of the hottest new acts on the folk music circuit. (Yes, there is a circuit, with a several hundred venues.)

“The headline for this duo is the odd couple pairing of two master musicians. On one hand, you have GRAMMY nominated artist Joe Troop, a brilliant musician and songwriter, staunch political activist, and one of the first openly queer voices in bluegrass. On the other hand, you have Venezuelan harpist Larry Bellorín, an asylum seeker and former construction worker whose rough hands fly impossibly delicately across the strings of his harp. But what’s really astounding with this duo is the precision and boldness of their craft. Working with jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter, they took two very different worlds, bluegrass and Venezuelan llanera music, and built a new musical language to unite them. Their virtuosity is jaw dropping live; they were easily the best music I saw at the Folk Alliance International conference earlier this year. But more than that, they both take great, transcendent joy in making this music together, and that kind of joy is contagious.” – Folk Alley

Amythyst Kiah – Wednesday Show

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Fresh from touring with Our Native Daughters (Rhiannon Giddens, Allison Russell, and Leyla McCalla), opening for Brandi Carlile, playing The Grand Ole Opery, and receiving a Grammy nomination (“Black Myself”), Amythyst Kiah returns to Lansing for one very intimate solo show. Over the last six years, Fiddle audiences have twice experienced her immense musical talent. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear this rising star in an intimate setting. (Tickets will go quickly.)

Claudia Schmidt and Rachael Davis

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Two performers with deep Michigan roots combine to share songs and stories, and to celebrate the Ten Pound Fiddle’s 50th season! Claudia has given over twenty Fiddle shows, as a soloist, with Sally Rogers for over ten Mother’s Day weekend concerts, and as a song leader at the Mid-Winter Singing Festival. Rachael is right behind, either performing solo, as one third of the Sweet Water Warblers, or as part of the Mid-Winter Singing Festival. The Fiddle is billing this show: Two Voices: One Terrific Night of Music

Stella! Photo by Rustic Dandelions Photography.

Stella! and The Lesser Halves

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Stella! is the Michigan-based, singer-songwriting trio of Jo Serrapere, Jen Sygit, and Julianna Wilson. From comic relief to heartbreaking ballads, they accompany their three-part harmonies with guitar, banjo, upright bass, and percussion. For this special event, each member of Stella! will also perform with their respective lesser half: John Divine, Geoff Lewis, and Andy Wilson.

Sound an Echo: Sara Pajunen and Rachael Kilgour – Wednesday Show

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In Sound an Echo, Rachael Kilgour and Sara Pajunen bridge their distinct yet complementary musical histories within traditional music from their European heritages. What happens when a Finnish fiddler extraordinaire teams up with a veteran singer songwriter? Magic. These Minnesota natives match energy, speed and intonation and deliver an evening of solid sound and song.

SOLD OUT! Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves – Wednesday Show

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Co-produced with The Robin Theatre, in Lansing’s REO Town. Already leaders in the young generation of roots musicians, de Groot has become known for her intricate clawhammer banjo work with Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, while Hargreaves has brought her powerhouse fiddling to the stage with Gillian Welch and Laurie Lewis. Together they create a sound that is adventurous, masterful, and original, as they expand on the eccentricities of these old songs, while never losing sight of what makes them endure.

Postponed: Katie Dahl and Kitty Donohoe: Twin Bill

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New Date: October 14, 2022. “Katie Dahl’s songs aren’t just melodies and words, they’re journeys that are firmly grounded in a sense of place—beautiful, real landscapes that help you feel places that you may have never been before. That’s the very best kind of songwriting. – Dar Williams  ‘Kitty is making a name for herself in Irish America and you can see why from the high quality of the work here.‘ Irish Music Magazine.

May Erlewine

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Michigan’s May Erlewine returns to the Fiddle to give a rare solo performance. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience wonderful songs penned by this marvelous singer.
“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

SOLD OUT! Sweet Water Warblers: Rachael Davis, May Erlewine, Lindsay Lou

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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.

MWSFF Community Sing with Songleader Dan Chouinard

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With lyrics supplied, Chouinard lets fly with inventive, often playful, accompaniments, rarely glancing at the keyboard — a feat that one regular considers magic. “It’s kind of his calling,” said the man who’s attended these singalongs for ten years. “I mean, you know he could be playing with anyone, but here he is with us.”

MWSFF Concert: House of Hamill, and Liz Carroll with Nic Gareiss and harpist Maeve Gilchrist

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Chicago’s premier Irish fiddler Liz Carroll is joined by harpist Maeve Gilchrist, and Lansing’s own dance phenom Nic Gareiss. Opening the night will be intricate, unpredictable arrangements of traditional songs and fiddle tunes; compelling and catchy original songs and completely unexpected covers, by Philadelphia’s House of Hamill.

The Outside Track – Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day

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A Scots, Irish, and Cape Breton fusion of songs, tunes and step dance, The Outside Track is a young, tight, very talented, high-energy quintet which combines immense talent from three shores. On the weekend of St. Pat’s Day, don’t miss live Celtic music at its finest!

Annual Ten Pound Fiddle Membership Meeting, 6 pm – 7 pm. All are welcome. (Only) Fiddle members vote on any issues. Meet the Fiddle Board of Directors. MSU Community Music School, East Lansing.

CANCELLED The Fretless – Sunday Concert

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“People ask us how to make a living in an instrumental folk band,” says second fiddle and viola player, Karrnnel Sawitsky. “My answer is simply put: ‘creatively.’” Sawitsky continues, “When our four voices meet at the center of agreement is when our music echoes most effectively. It’s not the sum of our parts. It’s the individual sum of the band.”

2017 Juno Award Winners: Instrumental Album of the Year

The Matchsellers & Red Tail Ring: Old Time Duos

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Based in Old-Time music, two incredibly talented and charming duos will share the stage in this exciting twin bill.

The Matchsellers: “The first song I listened to was the one about the Pigeon and the Dove and I said “you’re hired.” -Larry Groce, NPR’s Mountain Stage

Red Tail Ring: “The very best of the 21st century’s minimalist and highly original folk music . . . a peerless duo.” – American Roots UK.

Jen Sygit – CD release

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Jen’s fourth studio album “It’s About Time,” is produced by long time friend and collaborator Dominic John Davis (bassist for Jack White, Buddy Miller, North Mississippi Allstars, Joshua Davis). This new collection of original songs is an eclectic sonic journey drawing influence from a cross section of middle America, from the Gulf Shore sands to the Great Lakes basin. “It’s About Time” was engineered at La Luna Recording & Sound in Kalamazoo by Ian Gorman and features a talented ensemble of players including Davis, Drew Howard, Mike Lynch, Geoff Lewis and Ross Huff.