SWBMAI member band The Henhouse Prowlers are celebrating their sixth anniversary with a special concert at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Saturday, July 17th starting at 7:30 p.m.
“It’s by far the best room in Chicago to see acoustic (or any) music,” the band proclaimed in a recent release. ” There isn’t a single bad seat in the house and the acoustics are pristine.”
Opening for the Prowlers will be songwriter and clawhammer banjoist Mark Dvorak, one of the performers traveling with the Weavers tribute band Weavermania.
SWBMAI Member Band the Henhouse Prowlers were recently honored with a coveted Chicago Music Award for Best Country/Western Entertainer, and now they’re headed for Madison’s High Noon Saloon.
The popular bluegrass quartet is playing at the High Noon Saloon this Friday, February 12, starting at 9:30 p.m. They’ll be joined by the St. Paul group Two Many Banjos.
2010 marked the 29th anniversary of the Chicago Music Awards, which has honored Chicago musicians ranging from George Solti to Kanye West. Stewart Mason of the All Music Guide writes, “The Henhouse Prowlers are a Chicago-based group of youngsters trying mightily to re-create the spirit and form of vintage bluegrass. . .a solid piece of contemporary bluegrass with its heart in the right place.”
What could be a more thoughtful gift this holiday season than a CD from one of the Midwest’s best bluegrass groups? When you buy an album from a SWBMAI member band, you not only give your friends and family outstanding entertainment with a unique “local sound,” you also help support the live bluegrass scene in Wisconsin.
Here are some terrific CDs selected by the bands themselves for this Holiday Buying Guide. Any one would make a splendid gift:
Henhouse Prowlers
Chicago bluegrass powerhouse The Henhouse Prowlers have a brand-new album out called A Dark Rumor. Find out why music blog Wildy’s World said “This is one of those albums that makes you want to run out and find what else The Henhouse Prowlers have done, and when the next new album might be expected. Check out The Henhouse Prowlers, a must-hear band.”
2009 WAMI Bluegrass Artist of the Year Liberty Bluegrass is offering two CDs this holiday season. The first is their debut album Life, Liberty Bluegrass and the Pursuit of Happiness, featuring their 2008 WAMI CD-Roulette winning cover of “Rank Stranger to Me.” Their latest CD is Goin’ Burlap, featuring four original songs and a cover of Lynard Skynard’s “Simple Man.”
Both CDs can be purchased for $10 each plus $2 S&H. During the holiday their online purchased CDs come with free gift wrapping! LBB’s on-line store is located at http://www.libertybluegrassband.com/LBB_Store.html
Alzen Family Bluegrass Band
Fans of gospel bluegrass will want to own some discs from the Alzen Family band. The group have three CDs available: On the Sea of Life, Let My Life Be a Light, and Traveling Through God’s World. CDs cost $15, plus $2 shipping. Available to listen and order on band website www.alzenfamily.com via PayPal. Those wishing to buy the old fashioned way may also order by phone at 715-749-3977, or send check or cash by mail to Alzen Family, 1016-110th Avenue, Roberts, WI 54023. Please specify which CD and quantity.
Round the Bend
Round the Bend’s self-titled debut album is a perennial favorite. Country music historian Bill Malone says “The diversity of styles is one of the most appealing aspects of the music heard here. . .You’re going to like what you hear.”
Copies are still available of Jeff Hickey’s MAMA-winning album, Loose Ends. Hickey, a gifted guitarist and singer/songwriter, died earlier this year from injuries sustained in a car accident, and the limited supply of CDs are being sold to benefit Jeff’s family. You can find out how to order a copy here: http://www.thirdhandcapo.com/jeff/index.html.
We’ve got four pairs of tickets to the fabulous Bluegrass Caravan this coming Friday and Saturday, and we’re going to give them away to SWBMAI members. But to claim your pair, you need to email me right now!
The Bluegrass Caravan is a fast-paced show featuring The Henhouse Prowlers, Liberty Bluegrass Band and The High 48s.We have one pair of tickets for the Friday, Oct. 9 show in Milwaukee, and three pairs of deluxe box seats for the Saturday, October 10 show in Baraboo. To claim a pair, you need to email me right away at swbmai@gmail.com and let me know you want one! The first one to respond gets their pick of performances, and the next three to respond get their pick of what’s left! See the article below for more information on the Bluegrass Caravan!
When three of the Midwest’s hottest bluegrass bands team up, it’s something you’ve got to hear. And you can, because The Bluegrass Caravan is coming to a town near you!
The Bluegrass Caravan is a fast-paced show featuring the best pickers from three states — all SWBMAI Member Bands, of course:
The Henhouse Prowlers: With a PBS series soundtrack already to its credit and a sophomore recording in the works, The Henhouse Prowlers have been barnstorming on to the red hot bluegrass scene since 2004. The Henhouse Prowlers perform bluegrass in suit-and-tie and work in a tightly choreographed, one-mic stage setting. Combining passion, confidence and flair with instrumental and vocal prowess, The Prowlers deliver bluegrass with an edge.
Liberty Bluegrass Band: This popular Milwaukee band was recently named WAMI Bluegrass Band of the Year, and their razor-sharp debut CD won them a headliner slot at the Wisconsin State Fair. Liberty Bluegrass Band performs traditional bluegrass with powerful, soaring vocals and driving instrumentals.
High 48s: Steaming out of Minneapolis, the High 48s have grabbed the attention of festival audiences in the Upper Midwest and beyond, toured steadily, released two critically acclaimed CDs and won first place in the 2008 RockyGrass Band Competition. They perform original compositionsand old favorites in a style that combines close three-part harmonies and the harder-edged sound of alternative country and roots rock.
In the Bluegrass Caravan, these three stellar acts perform non-stop, circulating on and off stage without a pause. The result is more bluegrass than you’ve ever seen packed into a single show. You’re sure to be entertained!
SWBMAI’s own Henhouse Prowlers will burn up the stage at the High Noon Saloon this coming Thursday, July 9.
With a PBS series soundtrack already to its credit and a sophomore recording in the works, The Henhouse Prowlers have been barnstorming on to the red hot bluegrass scene since 2004. A couple of personnel shifts later, in 2007 the roughly thirty-something quintet made the commitment to go the distance, to be a full-time touring bluegrass band.
The Henhouse Prowlers perform bluegrass in suit-and-tie and work in a tightly choreographed, one-mic stage setting, which adds a dynamic dimension to their shows. Combining passion, confidence and flair with instrumental and vocal prowess, The Prowlers deliver bluegrass with an edge. “This bluegrass band has the right formula: heavenly harmonies on top of furious fingerpicking, trucking down the highway at 200mph. When you’re dealing with a force of nature this big, you either get on the truck or get the hell out of the way.” (Time Out Chicago) The Barley Brothers open with an acoustic Americana blend that spans bluegrass, ragtime and country. The show starts at 9:00 pm, and there’s a $6 cover charge.
Chicago’s Henhouse Prowlers are one of several new SWBMAI member bands we’ll be spotlighting in the coming days.
With a PBS series soundtrack already to its credit and a sophomore recording in the works, The Henhouse Prowlers have been barnstorming on to the red hot bluegrass scene since 2004. Dedicated equally to tradition and innovation, the five-piece combo center their sound on that of the early, formative years of bluegrass, while they keep their pulse on today by covering contemporary topics in a largely original repertoire.
Guitarist Ben Benedict describes what they are trying to achieve. “None of us in this band lives in a ‘Little Cabin Home on the Hill.’ Most of our audience doesn’t either. But there is a broad spectrum of life that we can all relate to, so those are the themes we try to hit on and tell stories about in our original material.”
Along with Benedict, fiddler Ryan Hinshaw, dobro player James Weigel, five-string banjo picker Ben Wright, and upright bassist Jon Goldfine bring to the table diverse musical backgrounds, drawn from their respective families and homeplace communities. Each pursued music in a variety of settings, ensembles, and genres prior to jelling as The Henhouse Prowlers.
SWBMAI member band The Henhouse Prowlers are celebrating their sixth anniversary with a special concert at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Saturday, July 17th starting at 7:30 p.m.
Chicago bluegrass powerhouse The Henhouse Prowlers have a brand-new album out called A Dark Rumor. Find out why music blog Wildy’s World said “This is one of those albums that makes you want to run out and find what else The Henhouse Prowlers have done, and when the next new album might be expected. Check out The Henhouse Prowlers, a must-hear band.”
Fans of gospel bluegrass will want to own some discs from the Alzen Family band. The group have three CDs available: On the Sea of Life, Let My Life Be a Light, and Traveling Through God’s World. CDs cost $15, plus $2 shipping. Available to listen and order on band website 
Round the Bend’s self-titled debut album is a perennial favorite. Country music historian Bill Malone says “The diversity of styles is one of the most appealing aspects of the music heard here. . .You’re going to like what you hear.”
When three of the Midwest’s hottest bluegrass bands team up, it’s something you’ve got to hear. And you can, because The Bluegrass Caravan is coming to a town near you!
SWBMAI’s own Henhouse Prowlers will burn up the stage at the High Noon Saloon this coming Thursday, July 9.
Chicago’s Henhouse Prowlers are one of several new SWBMAI member bands we’ll be spotlighting in the coming days.