High Noon Saloon and Sugar Maple Music Festival present The Revelers
High Noon Saloon
Sunday, March 15 at 6:30 pm

The Revelers, founding members of the Red Stick Ramblers and The Pine Leaf Boys —  “unquestionably the two groups at the vanguard of the Louisiana cultural renaissance” — have joined together to form a Louisiana supergroup which combines swamp-sop, Cajun, country, blues and zydeco into a powerful tonic of roots music that could only come from southwest Louisiana.

As individuals, they are each in high demand having performed and recorded with T-Bone Burnett, Natalie Merchant, Linda Ronstadt, Preston Frank, Walter Mouton, Mamadou Diabate, the Duhks, Cedric Watson, and Tim O’Brien, to name a few. As a group they play with a sense of empathy and depth that can only be fostered after years of making music together. They have all appeared on the 2011 season finale of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, and they also were handpicked by David Simon (producer/creator, The Wire) to be featured musicians for the third and fourth seasons of HBO’s Tremé.

Long-time fans of the Red Stick Ramblers may find themselves very familiar with The Revelers: the powerful singing and songwriting of Chas Justus and Eric Frey, a mix of traditional Cajun and zydeco dance music, some of the swing that was such a strong focus of early RSR, the magical rhythm section chemistry of Glenn Fields and Eric Frey, and impressive musical virtuosity across the board.

Take what you know about the Red Sticks, add into the mix the crooning vocals of Glenn Fields, and the singing/songwriting of Blake Miller (founding member of the Pine Leaf Boys and unarguably the most prolific French songwriter coming out of Louisiana right now, the tightly arranged section of sax-fiddle-accordion, and you’ll start to get The Revelers’ picture.

The depth of this band has only developed from digging deeper into the dancehall traditions of Southwest Louisiana and emerging with an arsenal we call Louisiana Jukebox Music. Music critics are wont to categorize music into clear genre styles, but that’s not really the way folk traditions develop — things are passed around, the lines are blurred — and particularly in a culture as unique as that of SW Louisiana (we won’t use the old gumbo cliché, but you get the idea … ). The Revelers have embraced that musical truth in a way few bands have — the lines between traditional and original, Cajun, country, zydeco, swamp-pop, and the blues, are blurred, and wide-ranging styles are honed into an extremely cohesive performance.

The genre of swamp pop may bear some explanation. Little-known outside of Louisiana (but still quite popular in the region) it’s a music that’s nearly confined to the archives of the 50s and 60s, save for a handful of bands today. In short, swamp pop is Southwest Louisiana’s answer to the R&B and rock ’n roll that came out of New Orleans, Memphis and Detroit in the 50s. When that unstoppable sound reached Cajun and zydeco musicians, they caught the bug and played their own versions the only way they knew how — sometimes in French, and traded in their fiddles and accordions for horns and electric guitars. It’s a perfect example of how everything that comes from Acadiana is dripping with its own unique culture.

This year’s String Gathering was another fabulous time. Folks from all over the Midwest converged in Baraboo, WI, for a couple days of music and fun.

For those folks who missed it, or if you’re just curious, here’s what it’s like to walk the halls…

The Four Lakes Traditional Music Collective is proud to sponsor and take part in, The 2nd Annual Spring String Gathering!

Hosted at the Clarion Convention Center in Baraboo, WI, The fest will feature impromptu jamming, showcases and workshops, and will coincide with an evening concert at the historic Al Ringling Theater.

The String Gathering is an indoor, Bluegrass and Old-time music jam-festival, in Baraboo, WI. The fest provides an opportunity for Bluegrass and Old-Time musicians all across Wisconsin, it’s bordering states and beyond, to come together and celebrate their common love of music, and shake off the long Midwestern winter.

For 2014, the host bands are Art Stevenson & High Water (bluegrass) and White Mule (old-time). Both bands will be leading workshops at the hotel, as well as jamming throughout the night. They will also be performing a special concert Saturday night at the Al Ringling Theater, in downtown Baraboo.

New in 2014, the Gathering doubles down! They’ve added a day to the fest… twice the jams; twice the fun. And there will be an old-time contra dance Friday night, featuring host band, White Mule (and very likely Chirps Smith), with caller Dot Kent. All are welcome at the dance; you don’t need a partner or experience. Just show up ready to have fun.

For more information, see their website at www.stringgathering.org

October 23rd marks the 4th annual Old-time Barn Dance out on the farm at The O’Brien Barn in Brooklyn, WI (map). This event is in the spirit of family fun and open to all ages. The Evening will start with a Potluck Dinner @ 5:30pm. Come meet some friends and neighbors, bring your favorite dish to pass and a beverage for the evening.

Entertainment will start at 7pm with a special guest performance by the Kentucky Waterfalls followed by LIVE DANCE MUSIC performed by the The Dusty Millers with dance caller Mike Mossman.

This year, the hosts will also be collecting donations for the Second Harvest Foodbank. All non-perishable food items brought to the Barn Dance will be donated to the Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern, WI.

A suggested donation will be collected.