Mark your calendar for our next online concert, November 8th at 4 pm Pacific with Vermont trad-roots power trio Pete’s Posse. We missed them at Echo Summit Dance Camp in September, but they’ve agreed to join us for 2021 instead!

Composed of acclaimed musician Pete Sutherland, his talented protégé Oliver Scanlon, and the uber-dynamic Tristan Henderson, Pete’s Posse never fails to surprise and excite! Twin fiddles in tight, wild harmony over high-powered guitar and pounding foot percussion with mandolin, clawhammer banjo, jaw harp, rocking keyboards, and soaring vocal harmonies adding color to the Posse’s sonic landscape. 

With a steady flow of powerful uplifting energy that spans their age gap, they tap into many traditions from the north to south, and east to west, to distill a distinct sound that is completely their own. The Boston Irish Reporter recently proclaimed the Posse puts forth “(a) kaleidoscope of sounds and styles with equal parts amiability and energy.”  

The Posse’s signature is variety: all multi-instrumentalists, the band plays a dynamic repertoire of folk-roots genres; songs and tunes, traditional and original. For over four years, they’ve been bringing their brand of ‘neo-traditional folk’ to festival stages, dance halls and concert series across the US, Canada and Europe.

You can join the concert at https://contradance.link/SCDS, starting at 3:45 pm on November 8th. 

Tips are appreciated via https://www.petesposse.com/donate.

Please share this information with anyone you know who might be interested. To receive email announcements of SCDS events, sign up at https://groups.io/g/SactoCDS.

Upcoming events:
December 13th – Jeff Spero and Christa Burch

Don’t miss our online concert on Sunday, September 13th, at 4 pm Pacific time! We’re hosting Cedar Stanistreet and Donal Sheets from Cloud Ten, who were booked to play at Echo Summit in 2020 and instead will be joining us at Camp Sacramento in September 2021. You can join the concert at https://contradance.link/SCDS, starting at 3:45 pm. Tips are appreciated – see details below.

Please share this information with anyone you know who might be interested. To receive email announcements of SCDS events, sign up at https://groups.io/g/SactoCDS.

Cedar Stanistreet, fiddle

Cedar grew up playing both classical violin and traditional fiddle music, and studied violin performance at the Crane School of Music. For the past ten years he has played for contra dances across North America with bands including Nor’easter, Cardinal Direction, Maivish, and Cloud Ten. His spirited, rhythmic playing and clear tone keep dancers on their feet. In between gigs, Cedar can be found at home in Brattleboro, Vermont, growing vegetables, baking bread, and birdwatching. He also repairs violins, violas, and cellos. (Photo credit: David Frantz)

Donal Sheets, cello and guitar

Donal grew up surrounded by traditional music and dance and played jazz bass and classical cello from a very young age. He has spent many years playing American and Irish music on cello and a variety of other instruments. The resonant chords and percussive rhythms of his cello create an indescribably vibrant soundscape drawing from many different traditions. He has taught and performed at music and dance festivals throughout the United States and is a member of Gallimaufry.

Tips:
Paypal: paypal.me/cedarfiddle or stanis66@potsdam.edu

USPS:
Cedar Stanistreet
130 Belmont Ave
Brattleboro, VT  05301

Upcoming online concerts:
October 11th – Star Thistle
November 8th – Pete’s Posse

On Sunday, August 9th, at 4 pm Pacific time, Sacramento Country Dance Society will host an online concert with Topher Gayle and Louisa Knabe. Please join us for an afternoon of fun!

Topher Gayle (OpporTunists, Rosin Doctors, Swingin’ Chickens, Mercury Rising, Chaos Wranglers, et al.) has been happily busy playing contra dance music for nearly twenty years. But he’s been writing funny songs and pretty tunes since he was a teenager (shortly after the Fillmore administration). If you’ve seen him playing at a dance, you’ve perhaps noticed he’s usually surrounded by a music store’s worth of stringed, percussive, and unusual instruments. Many instruments, many styles, many grooves! Topher has several CDs and instructional books available at his web site, www.tophergayle.com

Louisa Knabe (Santa Rosa groups Home Made Jam, The Charms, New Math Trio) plays bass and sings. She was involved in the Bay Area bluegrass scene and — of course! — in playing Topher’s songs and tunes. After moving to Santa Rosa, she added some swing and Americana with a couple of bands. She’s delighted to be able to join Topher for this pleasant event.

Together, this duo will entertain you with a mix of pretty songs, rollicking mandolin tunes, humorous original songs, and a waltz or two. There will be a break in the middle of the concert for everyone to chat and more time for catching up after the music is done.

Please share this information with anyone you know who might be interested. You can join the concert at https://contradance.link/SCDS. Tips are appreciated by PayPal to music@tophergayle.com.

To receive email announcements of SCDS events, sign up at https://groups.io/g/SactoCDS.

We hope everyone enjoyed listening to the Syncopaths on July 12th. Our plan is to host an online concert every month, on the second Sunday at 4 pm Pacific, so watch this space or join our email list at https://groups.io/g/SactoCDS for future announcements.

In the meantime, you can find lots of online concerts and dance events on the website of our parent organization, the Country Dance and Song Society: https://www.cdss.org/community/covid19/online-events