The following musicians joined us for the 2013 Traverse City Winter Microbrew & Music Festival. As the 2013 Summer Festival nears, we will update this list to reflect who will be joining us during the August 23 & 24, 2013 weekend!
LOWDOWN BRASS BAND
The Lowdown Brass Band hails from Chicago, IL, and is a ten-piece, horn-driven tour de force. A fierce sousaphone sets the foundation for trumpets, trombones, and saxophones to intertwine in a cacophony of tight lead lines, spontaneous call-and-response and bombastic brass attacks. LDB melds second-line street beat, funk, hip-hop, reggae and pop into a unique, high-energy style. Lowdown’s original compositions challenge the listener and player alike, breaking down the barrier between performer and audience.
FUNKTIONDon’t show up to a live Funktion show unless you’ve come to get down; this stuff is additive-free, high-octane dance fuel. And due to the fact that Funktion’s sole mission in life is to make you shake your booty, trying to stand still might cause you a few problems. You see, the human body simply isn’t equipped to deal with this much raw musical energy in the stationary position. The only way to withstand this tidal wave of sound is to get loose, get down with your bad self, and feel that groove out on the floor. Ride that funky wave out, because the only thing that could bring it to an end is last call. But then there’s always the next night’s last call in another city just down the road…
THE RAGBIRDSLike a mix tape made by a well-traveled friend, The Ragbirds music is diverse and foreign, yet somehow familiar. The voice at the front of The Ragbirds carries the freshness of the journey itself, and the lyrics point out the scenery like a friendly tour guide. With a brand new album in 2012, this up-and-coming Michigan band has been traveling the country with their “infectious global groove” gathering a passionate grassroots fan base of all ages. The 2012 release of The Ragbirds fourth studio effort Travelin’ Machine is a new milestone for the band. It’s the soundtrack of the observant road-warrior, with layers of world grooves that stir the listener to move. The songs strike a balance between home and adventure, drawing upon elements of Pop, Gypsy, Afro-Cuban, Celtic, Middle Eastern and African sounds, with a little Cajun spice.
THE CHARDON POLKA BANDIt’s polka … with attitude! The Chardon Polka Band is known for being innovative and extremely adaptive with the ability to please almost any audience; whether it be 20-somethings at a college hang-out, or the patrons of a local senior center. In their nine years together, the band has made a mark for itself by adding a colorful twist to the traditional genre of the polka.
THE CRANE WIVESThe Crane Wives are an indie-folk outfit from Grand Rapids, Michigan, that defies musical stereotypes. Formed in late August of 2010, they just finished recording their debut album entitled “Safe Ship, Harbored.” Using three-part vocal harmonies, eclectic instrumentation and a knack for dynamics, they create organic music that is both accessible and innovative. Each live show features contagious energy as well as original music that ranges from whisper quiet ballads to danceable grooves.
DELILAH DEWYLDE & THE LOST BOYSA long time ago, at the dawn of the Atomic Age, a succession of no-good punks and ill-mannered teenagers took the best of American roots music — hard-partying honky tonk country, searing gutbucket blues and lonesome hillbilly twang — and distilled it into a potent moonshine known as rockabilly. This combustible formula, passed down through the generations, forms the heart of the revved-up stylings of Delilah DeWylde And The Lost Boys.
BILLY STRINGS & DON JULINBilly Strings & Don Julin play traditional American string band music with energy levels usually associated with extreme sports. A typical set includes haunting Appalachian songs, righteous gospel standards, and blazing bluegrass instrumentals. Honoring the musical traditions of Doc Watson, Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, and Jimmy Martin, these boys will take you back to that high lonesome sound of yesterday’s bluegrass. This is your grandaddy’s bluegrass delivered with a pedal to the metal intensity of a moonshine runner.
DJ DOMINATEAs a DJ, Dominate’s ability to accurately control any genre of music, the keen insight of what it takes to keep a dance floor full combined with live light and music production together on the stage, has taken DJ Dominate to BlissFest Music Festival, Hoxeyville Music Festival, Up North 4th Festival, and countless Traverse City Microbrew & Music Festivals. DomiNate continues to excel in every event detail he is a part of and his club-oriented mash up tracks are becoming a staple in his DJ career. Performing with DJ JR and DJ CDX.
GRAND TRAVERSE PIPES AND DRUMS (Microbrew & Music Festival’s house band!)
Founded in 1974, The Grand Traverse Pipes and Drums have entertained crowds throughout the Northern Michigan region. The haunting sound of the pipes, the crisp thunder of the drums, and the flash of the kilts is an unmistakable delight to the eyes, as well as the ears.
ONE MORE SHOT POLKA BAND
One More Shot consists of seasoned polka musicians from Mid-Michigan dedicated to playing the music we love while entertaining polka fans. We perform fresh songs for the listener while preserving that “Snappy” polka beat the dancers enjoy.
G-SNACKSG-Snacks plays music transcribed through Kellen’s original passion which is the bass guitar, and is accompanied by the high energy vocals and musical mastery from Jimmy Olson on keys, some rippin’ guitar and a real heavy, funky groove. DEEP BLUE WATER SAMBA BATUCADA
Deep Blue Water Samba Batucada is a samba drumming group based out of Traverse City, Michigan. Samba Batucada is a parade style of drumming, from Brazil, using snare drums, bass drums, cowbells, shakers, and other percussion instruments.