Jackstraw was born when rhythm guitarist Darrin Craig and lead player Jon Neufeld, met mandolin picker David Pugh and bassist Jesse Withers in 1997 at Artichoke Music–a Portland guitar store and acoustic music institution. Not long after their formation, Jackstraw recorded their first album and hit the road. Five albums later, Jackstraw is now a Northwest institution. While they typically play bluegrass, Jackstraw also has a deep collection of well crafted originals, and performs honky-tonk and rock ‘n roll as well.

A Jackstraw show is truly an inclusive, multi-generational experience. The band’s devoted following includes bluegrass purists, alt-country fans, kids who want to dance, and people who know a good tune when they hear one. They have shared bills with many bluegrass greats such as Del McCoury and Tim O’Brien and included legends like Danny Barnes (Bill Frisell, Robert Earl Keen, Bad Livers) and Tony Furtado (Earl Scruggs, Alison Krauss) as temporary band mates.

Jackstraw plays Friday at 6pm and again Saturday at 3pm.

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