Old-time String Band Revue

Location: R.A. Fountain

Devon Flaherty & His Railroad Ramblers
The Oak City Serenaders
Amy, Jon and Iris 

a showcase of old-time Piedmont music
musicians and instruments
3 acts!
 +
banjo orchestra
Grand Finale
don’t miss this show!

Tonight’s big show was put together by Andrew Berger-Gross, whom many around here saw perform with Devon Flaherty and Sam Harris at the Lightnin’ documentary premier in Farmville in March.

Devon Flaherty & His Railroad Ramblers
Devon Flaherty, an outstanding old-time banjo picker, with Andrew Walker on fiddle and Andrew Berger-Gross on guitar, are an award-winning old-time string trio from the Raleigh-Durham area. With a shared appreciation for the musically rich landscape of the Carolina Piedmont where they live, the Ramblers strive to preserve and carefully build on the musical traditions of the region. As frequent attendees of fiddlers’ conventions and festivals around the country, singer and banjo player Flaherty won the 2024 Charlie Poole Festival Three-Finger Banjo Grand Champion Award, and each member has won prizes on their respective instruments and as well as a group. Flaherty also is a member of the old-time string band the Three-Top Serenaders and the American Primitive-style trio Grant/McGuire/Flaherty. Walker has previously performed with the Haywood Billy Goats, Piedmont Pea Pickers, and Dwight Hawkins and the Piedmont Highballers.

The Oak City Serenaders
The Serenaders tonight are  Andrew Berger-Gross on mandolin, San Harris, from Raleigh, on banjo and mandolin, and Micah Bowen, from Coats, on guitar and vocals. They play a variety of string band music from the turn of the 20th century, specializing in popular dances from Italy and the Americas while drawing upon their archival research and expert musicianship to present a colorful selection of rare sounds from both sides of the Atlantic. Their repertoire ranges from ragtime to mazurka, from tango to tarantella. 

Amy, Jon and Iris
Amy Davis (banjo and guitar) and Jon Newlin (fiddle) met through their mutual love of old-time tunes and songs. Together they performed for over 15 years with the North Carolina singing string band the Hushpuppies., including one fine performance at RAF in 2008. Both have also toured and recorded with the Maudlin Brothers and have performed with and recorded on three CDs with their niece Elizabeth LaPrelle, and on one CD with fiddler Bob Herring as the Red Herrings. Currently they perform with their daughter Iris Newlin and others as Elizabeth LaPrelle and the Family Band, and with the local string bands Spiral Cut and Half Hog. Iris Newlin is a singer, fiddler and musician who enjoys the traditional songs and tunes with which she grew up. She’s attempted to branch out into the semi-related fields of songwriting and classical violin, but it’s never stuck, and she’s come back to folk music every time. You can find her jamming with her extended family and community and writing poetry in her spare time.

 

 

Tags: Americana, Appalachian, Concert