Jo Miller and Her Burly Roughnecks are one of those bands that Wintergrass 2010 will be providing a bit of contrast to the bluegrass bands. The Burly Roughnecks lean to the traditional country honky-tonk and western swing styles of music. Led by vocalist Jo Miller features David Keenan’s  lead guitar playing (David is also going to be playing banjo with Downtown Mountain Boys), Nova Devonie on accordian & vocals, Corey Kaiser – bass & vocals CT – drums. A Burly Roughneck set is always fun with great singing and lyrics to go with country dance beats. You might recognize Jo,David and Nova from their years playing with Seattle based Ranch Romance.

Check out their website for some audio clips.

The Steep Canyon Rangers having a busy fall season-touring as Steve Martins band with whom they also  performed on The View,David Letterman, on the cover of Bluegrass Unlimited’s November issue and preparing for a tour of Germany. The band was nominated 2 International Bluegrass Music awards in 2008 (including Album of the Year, ”Lovin’ Pretty Women), the Rangers were named ’Emerging Artist of the Year’ in 2006 at the IBMA awards ceremony in Nashville, TN. Fiddle fans who love the hard driving fiddle style of fiddlers in the Scotty Stoneman style will love Nicky Sanders. Even with the hard driving fiddle and banjo they also can turn around and play some great slow numbers to show off their great harmonies featuring all of the members. They have perfected the art of band dynamics. No longer the “Emerging Artist” we are sure you will agree after seeing them that they have arrived. Take a look at their website for some great video clips about their band. They will be appearing at Wintergrass 2010 on Friday only this year.

Woody Platt (guitar and lead vocals), Graham Sharp (banjo, harmony vocals), Mike Guggino (mandolin and harmony vocals), Charles R. Humphrey III (bass and harmony vocals) and Nicky Sanders (fiddle and harmony vocals)

Multi-instrumentalist Joe Craven who is a fixture with the Youth Academy will also be performing a set this year on Saturday. Jo Miller & Her Burly Roughnecks will be playing their western-western swing style roots music on Friday, The Rockin’ Acoustic Circus are scheduled for Thursday and Friday playing some great acoustic music featuring some amazing award winning instrumentalists. Keep an eye on the blog for more info on these bands and the rest of the lineup.

Mountain Heart brings its pure sound to Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, VA.

Mountain Heart is accustomed to large stages; the group has appeared on the Grand Ole Opry over 100 times and performed with acts ranging from Brad Paisley to Lynyrd Sknyrd to Montgomery Gentry to Alison Kraus.

In the decade since the group assembled, Mountain Heart, or members of the band, have either won or been nominated for multiple Grammys, ACM, CMA and IBMA awards.

The band’s musical ability and high energy produces a unique sound and stage show, which appeals to a wide variety of fans, in the United States and abroad.

Mountain Heart’s appearance at Martinsville Speedway will be a homecoming for the band’s young lead singer, Josh Shilling.

The 24-year-old Shilling grew up almost in the shadow of Martinsville Speedway, attended local schools and still calls the area home, despite living in Nashville.

Shilling graduated from high school a year early at 17 so he could hit the road as a professional musician. He performed with nationally-known groups in wide-ranging types of music from rock to beach to funk before settling in as Mountain Heart’s lead singer in 2007.

After his debut performance on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry with Mountain Heart, he received a standing ovation, a rare accolade at the Opry, especially for a newcomer.

Tickets for the TUMS Fast Relief 500 on Sunday, October 25, the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday, October 24 and the Farm Bureau Insurance Pole Day on Friday, October 23 are on sale and can be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX or by visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

Ticket prices range from $25 to $77 for the TUMS Fast Relief 500.

Just a reminder for you to bring your instruments or pick up a new one at Wintergrass 2010. Plenty of dedicated jamming space, picking floors, 24 hours of jamming!! Workshops to perfect your picking. Then when you are ready to see your fave’s on stage Wintergrass will have an instrument check so you don’t have to carry the instruments back to your room.

If you plan on attending Wintergrass 2010 in Bellevue,WA there is a full service trailer park less then 10 miles to the Bellevue Hyatt Regency. The Trailer Inns RV Park features 100% full hookups with 15/30/50 amp electrical service, large super sites 67 feet long, free cable TV, phone hookups and now FREE Wi-Fi (Wireless Internet) among it’s amenities. Check out their website for more info and reservations.

Prairie Flyer is a Pacific NW based band that has been playing in the NW for a few years now featuring some great singers and instrumentalists. Taking their name from the  old-time American train, a diesel-powered machine on a transcontinental route from the past to the present, most often found flying across the prairie under a full moon.  They compare their style of music as ” an eclectic collection of high-powered musicians who like to travel nonstop across the boundaries of bluegrass, folk and Americana – all on the same trip”

The band’s Jim Faddis brings some great singing and has been a finalist twice in the Sisters Folk Festival Songwriting Contest. Andre Vachon adds his instrumental skills with his background of playing  mandolin,fiddle and steel guitar on the road with  Reba McEntire and Gene Watson. Jason Stewart was raised in East Tennessee where he started playing the banjo at eight years old. His bluegrass background was playing with James Monroe and the Midnight Ramblers.  Dave Hackwith’s bass playing has been heard around the Pacific NW for a long time and did some backup for a young Mark O’Connor and was the bass player for Custer’s Grass Band.  The lead guitar is played by Steve Blanchard who  has been playing and teaching bluegrass guitar for nearly 40 years and has performed with  Steve Blanchard and the Open Range and with the Jake Henry and Bill Jolliff Band. 

Väsen will be back  at Wintergrass 2010 with Mike Marshall and Darol Anger ( an acoustic performance with a unique sound). Here is a recent story about Vasen:

On their 20th anniversary as a band, Väsen has a lot to celebrate: a new album, a long career of doing what they love, and now, they even have a street named after them.

It started as a joke for some music lovers in Bloomington, Indiana – “We love Väsen so much, we should name a street after them.” But the members of “Team Väsen“ – as their fan club came to be called – started to take the idea more and more seriously; eventually, they petitioned the mayor’s office, and the result?

A proclamation from Bloomington’s mayor Mark Kruzan saying that given Vasen’s 20th anniversary of making music for the world, and given their performances at Bloomington’s Lotus World Music Festival, a “portion of Kirkwood Avenue shall be named Väsen Street.”

Team Väsen member and longtime WFHB community radio volunteer Cindy Beaule calls the feat evidence of the “power of positive thinking.” She said it’s also a “sign” that Väsen’s message of music bringing people together knows no boundaries: “I loved what Olov said, that there a lot of people who live on Väsen Street, people from all around the world. It’s more of a conceptual thing, not just a physical thing.”

Before Väsen came onstage for their September 24th show, over a dozen members of Team Väsen stood on stage while city councilwoman Susan Sandberg read the proclamation, after which a wooden street sign was brought onstage and presented to the band. When Olov Johansson, Roger Tallroth and Mikael Marin came out, they were genuinely surprised that the efforts of Team Väsen had paid off.

“We don’t even have a street named after us in Sweden!” said Olov Johansson, who plays nickelharpa for the group.

After an electrically charged performance at the Buskirk-Chumley last night, Vasen received two standing ovations and performed an encore. Olov ended the night by saying, “Thank you so much, it’s been a wonderful night. We got a street.” Roger immediately interjected, “I guess we’ll have to clean it now…we’ll bring our brooms next time.”

The band’s genuine love of music and sense of humor was apparent throughout the night; after their first standing ovation, Roger said, “We love you – and yet, we don’t really know you.” Olov added, “That’s a great feeling, you know?”

The band honored Team Väsen’s efforts by naming their latest 20th anniversary album “ Väsen Street,” which is “a mixed repertoire with new composed material, old Väsen favorites not recorded earlier and some traditional Uppland tunes.” The cd is now available in the US, released by Northside.

Väsen Street signs will be posted for the duration of the Lotus World Music Festival, September 24-27.

full press kit, w/ hi-res images: http://www.rockpaperscissors.biz/go/vasen

l to r: Roger Tallroth, Mikael Marin, Olov Johansson

l to r: Adam Nunez (fan), Rachael Himsel (publicist), Roger Tallroth (guitar), Cindy Buele (member of Team Vasen), Mikael Marin (violin), Olov Johansson (nickelharpa), Dmitri Vietze (the mastermind behind rps)