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Site last updated January 24, 2010

Our Lineup

The bands listed on this page played at our 2009 festival. Click on their names and photos to link to band websites with more information and clips of their music.

If you're interested in playing at the 2010 festival, please visit our Booking Information page.


The Gibson Brothers
Claire Lynch Band
Steep Canyon Rangers
Crooked Still
The Freight Hoppers
Burnett Family Bluegrass
Murphy's Law
Muskellunge Bluegrass
Red Desert Ramblers
Headline Bluegrass Band
Voluntary String Band
Mars Hillbillies
Fionn McCool
Wendy Graham
The Bears and the Bees
Tony Norris & Sid Hausman
Chuck Cheesman
Hey Lolly Productions (Laura Freeman & Heather Jarry)
Todd's Musical Petting Zoo/Todd Crowley
Tweeners

The Gibson Brothers



Originally from the Adirondack Mountains of New York, Eric and Leigh Gibson formed a bluegrass band in the early 1990s with Eric on banjo, Leigh on guitar, Junior Barber on dobro, and Junior’s son, Mike, on bass. Over the next few years they recorded three well-received albums and won the 1998 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Emerging Artist of the Year award. In 2005, the brothers signed with Sugar Hill Records. Their first release with the label, Bona Fide, went to number one on the Bluegrass Unlimited album chart and placed high on the Americana and Billboard charts as well. Two more releases followed, Long Way Back Home and Red Letter Day. These albums solidified the brothers’ reputation as singers, players, and songwriters. The current lineup includes original member Mike Barber, with Clayton Campbell on fiddle, and Joe Walsh on mandolin. Their latest release is called Iron & Diamonds.

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The Claire Lynch Band


Claire Lynch first made her name in the bluegrass world in the 1970s fronting the Front Porch String Band. After a hiatus from touring through the 1980s the band reformed in the 1991. Two of Lynch's solo albums from the 1990s were nominated for Grammies. Her songs have been recorded by performers such as Patty Loveless, Kathy Mattea, the Whites, and the Seldom Scene. The Claire Lynch Band also features Jim Hurst, two-time winner of the IBMA's Guitar Player of the Year award, bassist/banjoist Mark Schatz, known for his work with Tim O'Brien, and Canadian fiddler Jason Thomas.

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Steep Canyon Rangers


From Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the Steep Canyon Rangers: Woody Platt, Mike Guggino, Charles Humphrey, Nicky Sanders, and Graham Sharp, base their sound around a stunning catalogue of original songs, drawing on the sounds of early bluegrass, honky tonk, and blues. The band has released four albums since forming in 2001. In 2006 the IBMA voted Steep Canyon Rangers the Emerging Artist of the Year. In 2007 the title track One Dime at a Time rose to #1 on Bluegrass Unlimited's National Bluegrass Survey. In October, 2008, the Grand Ole Opry welcomed the Rangers for a debut performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. Their latest release, Lovin' Pretty Women, was produced by bluegrass heavyweight Ronnie Bowman and engineered by guitarist Wyatt Rice, affirming the band's arrival at the highest circle of acoustic music.

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Crooked Still



Crooked Still, a fresh, young quintet out of Boston features Aoife O'Donovan (vocals), banjo player Greg Liszt, Corey DiMario (bass), Brittany Hass (fiddle), and Tristan Clarridge (cello). The Boston Globe called them "the most important folk group to emerge from Boston since the early sixties." In their own words, they play "improvised old time music, bluegrass, folk and our own songs within the broad context of a string band. Like a lot of today's bands, we have modern and traditional influences that confuse the boundaries. We want to keep blurring those lines to make something all our own."

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The Freight Hoppers



During the 1990s, The Freight Hoppers became the most popular modern day old time music string band in the world. They recorded two critically acclaimed albums that climbed into the top 20 of Billboard’s Americana music charts. They toured extensively in the U.S., Canada and Europe, appeared on Garrison Keillor's " A Prairie Home Companion,” and elevated the popularity of old time music all over the world. The original band ceased touring in 2002, but re-formed in 2007 with original members David Bass (fiddle) and Frank Lee (banjo/vocals) and new members Isaac Deal (guitar/vocals) and Bradley Adams (bass).

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Burnett Family Bluegrass

From the mountains of Northern Arizona comes the sound of Burnett Family Bluegrass. This is family music at its best with hard-driving instrumentals and fine-tuned harmonies.  The intricate breaks show a deep understanding of intimate musical detail that skyrocketed them from good to outstanding in the field of Bluegrass. Brian on guitar and mandolin; Connie on stand-up bass; Rachel on fiddle, mandolin; Jessie on mandolin, fiddle, guitar, banjo; and Ryan on banjo, fiddle, guitar, and mandolin.

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Murphy's Law



Murphy’s Law presents an eclectic mix of bluegrass, swing, old-timey, and original music from a group of four highly regarded and exhilarating musicians. The creativity and diversity of this band makes for a show that you will not want to miss Murphy’s Law is Dan Meyer, string bass and vocals, Billy Parker, mandolin, guitar and vocals, Ron Rutowski, on fiddle, banjo and vocals, and John Burton on guitar, banjo, and vocals.

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Muskellunge Bluegrass



Prior to moving to Flagstaff in 1998, Nolan McKelvey (guitar) performed at the Newport Folk Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival and other festivals across the United States. Nolan has been referred to as "one of the best songwriters of the Southwest." Aaron Tyler (mandolin) has played in and around Arizona for over twenty years and was the state champion mandolinist at the Wickenberg Bluegrass Festival in 1998. His playing has been referred to as "adrenolin" for his unmatched speed and dexterity. Bass player Tim Hogan has traveled the country with several nationally-known acts, including Acoustic Semi, and the In-Betweens. Frank Dedera (banjo) has performed at festivals throughout the Southwest and Four Corners region.

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Red Desert Ramblers



Red Desert Ramblers perform old-time, country, swing, and bluegrass music. Steve Hewson (guitar, lead and harmony vocals) is best known as the host of the Rockport Dam Jam. Sharon Mitchell (hammered dulcimer) has played music since she was 8, and the dulcimer since 1989.. Joe Farmer (mandolin, guitar, and bass) became a convert from rock 'n' roll to bluegrass back in '73 when he heard Norman Blake, Doc Watson, and Dan Crary at the Horsepens Forty Bluegrass Festival in Alabama. Rick Martinez has played the five-string banjo at least 30 years. His style is steeped in traditional and progressive bluegrass music with diverse influences ranging from Earl Scruggs to Tony Trishka. Dave Bates (bass) has been a mainstay in the Salt Lake City music community for many years.

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Headline Bluegrass Band


Headline Bluegrass Band is based out of Phoenix, AZ. Performances began in early 2008 with a focus on playing throughout the entire southwest region of the United States. Drawn together by a mutual passion and love for bluegrass, members Billy Lee Cox, Jeff Schnuck, Tyler Walls, and Nathan Furiga form a tight knit band making music with a strong emphasis on tradition, harmony, and DRIVE! Headline Bluegrass Band was the winner of the 2008 Pickin' in the Pines Band Contest.

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Voluntary String Band


The Voluntary String Band has been a staple of the Flagstaff acoustic music scene for several years with many strange and fantastic lineups. Its current incarnation is a foursome with banjo picker (and sole founding member) Matt Robinson, standup bassist Joe Sorren, guitarist/vocalist Ryan Heinsius, and fiddler/vocalist Kristin Straka. The VSB, while it may resemble a traditional string band lineup instrument-wise, is far from just a bluegrass band. The band's varying influences range from bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe and newgrass virtuosos Belá Fleck, Tony Rice, and Sam Bush, all the way to the Rolling Stones and glam rock legend David Bowie. The VSB are fans of the greats: Dylan, Cash, the Stones, Gram Parsons, and the Clash. Although the VSB hovers loosely around bluegrass, they always manage to venture into the untapped, outer reaches of the genre. Over the last few years the VSB has endured a lot of changes, yet they forge on, picking tunes and having a blast in their great mountain town of Flagstaff, Arizona.

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Mars Hillbillies

The Mars Hillbillies take their name from a prominent mesa, known as Mars Hill, overlooking the town of Flagstaff, Arizona, where the members of the band currently reside. Founding member Rusty Tweed on mandolin, got the band started in 2002. He is joined by the solid lead and rhythm guitar work of Bill Vernieu, which tends to drive the band into high gear. Jesse Anderson plays an electrifying and versatile style of banjo, adding an interesting old timey twist to the more contemporary sound of the band. Jason Andolino’s solid and steady bass playing keeps the ship on an even keel. All members of the band enjoy singing both lead and harmony. The band has enjoyed a regular gig in Flagstaff since 2002 at the Wine Loft, while playing a variety of other venues.

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Fionn McCool

Fionn McCool is a contra-dance band made up of good friends who enjoy playing Celtic style music for dances. The band features Kari Barton (fiddle, banjo), Richelle Chelpka (fiddle), Jay Ham (flute, whistle), Ron Barton (guitar), and Laura Lizut (piano). Many of the band members also play at the Irish sessions at Charly's.

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Wendy Graham

Wendy Graham from Durango, Colorado is a self-described "dance maniac,” and a favorite dance caller for dances around the Four Corners area. With an infectious enthusiasm and smile, Wendy serves up delicious and nutritious dances for all ages and skill levels. Wendy will lead a Saturday afternoon family dance and evening contra dance, a Sunday workshop, and free-style clogging during concerts. Find out where in the world Wendy is calling next or watch a hip-hop-inspired contra dance online at folkmads.org/wendy.html

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The Bears and the Bees

This band was a big hit as a tweener act at last year's Pickin' in the Pines, so we invited them back to the mainstage. Megyn Neff (violin and vocals), Marykate Glenn (guitar, musical saw and vocals), Faith Purvis (accordion and vocals) and Anna Ramsey (eclectic percussion) make up this unusual band with influences ranging from The Orkestra, Joanna Newsom, Gillian Welch, Devon Sproule, Woody Guthrie, Madeline, Devendra Banhart, Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire, Sufjan Stevens, Hot Rize, Silly Wizard, The Moldy Peaches, Old Crow Medicine Show and Gogol Bordello.

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Tony Norris & Sid Hausman

Sid Hausman (sidhausman.com) of Tesuque, NM writes songs of folk and Western Americana, and is a strong varied instrumentalist, playing banjo, 12-string guitar, baritone ukulele, harmonica and bones. He tours throughout the US doing concerts and workshops. Tony Norris(tonynorris.com) is an Arizona original, charming audiences of all ages with stories and songs from Appalachia to the Southwest. In West Virginia he farmed with horses and planted by the signs of the moon. He’s made whiskey, dug graves, worked as a horse shoer and sung at weddings, funerals and hog butcherings. He and Sid have performed tunes from their CD OVERLAND AND WATERWAYS at libraries, schools and cowboy poetry gatherings throughout the Southwest.Together Tony & Sid charm and delight audiences around the Southwest and beyond. Tony will also perform a solo set for the kids on the Yavapai Ramada Kids' Stage.

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Chuck Cheesman



Chuck Cheesman is a singer/songwriter, fingerstyle guitarist, and children's musician who lives in Flagstaff. His latest recording, Campfire, has received significant airplay on public radio folk shows across the country

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