Kickin’ Grass

Location: R.A. Fountain

From our promo for this show:

The Kickin’ Grass Band, a Raleigh-based quintet, boasts tight vocal harmonies, driving instrumentation, and a high energy performance that mixes traditional and original bluegrass with some rock and roll classics performed bluegrass style.

The band was formed in 2000 to provide accompaniment for the Chapel-Hill based Apple Chill Cloggers. The current lineup started performing locally, regionally and internationally in 2002.

Lynda Wittig Dawson has been singing since the age of 5. She began playing guitar and writing songs while in college. Prior to Kickin’ Grass she performed with a country roadhouse band, the Kydells; an original acoustic duo, Innocent Lisa; and the North Carolina Master Chorale. Wittig Dawson sings lead, plays rhythm guitar, and writes some of the band’s original songs.

A Harnett County native, Jamie Dawson received his first mandolin at age 8 from his father, who played bass for Bluegrass 78. Dawson also sings bass.

Also from Harnett County, Matt Hooper started playing classical violin. He played fiddle with the country band Dakota Rain and has performed at the Cape Fear Regional Theater.

Patrick Walsh started his musical career by studying piano. He was the lead vocalist and keyboard player in the country cover band Summer Wind before taking up the bass and bluegrass. He sings lead, baritone and tenor harmonies and plays bass.

Banjo picker Ben Walters is from Birmingham, Alabama. He came to North Carolina to study at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he graduated with degrees in linguistics and music.

The Kickin’ Grass Band had released two CDs. Backroads was recorded by Tom Landgon at West Station Records and produced by Steve Dilling of IIIrd Tyme Out.

Jerry Brown at the Rubber Room in Chapel Hil produced their newest, On the Short Rows, which was released earlier this year.

Tags: bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, Concert, original, tradtional bluegrass