CALUMET, MI – Enjoy an all acoustic performance for this special Calumet Theatre fundraising event! Keweenaw Brewgrass takes the audience back 116 years when the Theatre opened on March 20, 1900 and bands played without power amplification or electric loudspeakers; taking full advantage of the wonderful acoustics. Three special guests will be performing with the band during parts of the show including the fabulous Misbehavin’ herself, Gail English on vocals; the talented Louise Oppliger on vocals; and Kora Melia Johnson, fiddle player extraordinaire.
From Harold Riter’s Ontonagon Herald review of last year’s Keweenaw Brewgrass show in the Ontonagon Theater:
“This was perhaps one of the most enjoyable concerts we have heard on the local stage and musically, one of the most entertaining. We can say in all sincerity, that if you missed this performance, you are definitely the poorer for it. This is one group we would drive some distance to hear again. These guys enjoy what they are doing and we can assure you that the audience thoroughly enjoyed their visit to Ontonagon.” “ They play tight… really tight. There are no loose ends.” “These guys sing as tight as they play their instruments.”
Keweenaw Brewgrass plays an eclectic mix of “anything rhythmic” on acoustic instruments. They tend toward bluegrass for the rhythms and harmonies, but quickly move from traditional bluegrass to Texas swing, gypsy jazz, country, and even classic rock – you never know what you’re going to hear.
It all started in Michigan Tech’s civil engineering structures lab when three band members (Bogue, Doug, and Jim on banjo at that time) got together for lunchtime picking sessions. Bogue had played in the now infamous Snow Country back in the 70’s with the most interesting banjo player in the world, Doc Kurtz. Several of the band members had played individually in folk, rock, and even jazz bands. So they banded together and brought Doug over to the dark side – singing about trains, lost love, loose foxes – bluegrass. After playing Sunday afternoons at the Keweenaw Brewing Company for a while, someone asked what the band’s name was. For lack of a name they became Keweenaw Brewgrass (KBG for those into brevity) and it stuck. The five are attracted to any song that has a good melody line, a great story and room for rhythm. As folk singers have done for centuries, they find songs that interest them regardless of style and pass the story along to whoever will listen. They always have fun!
Band members include: Jim Hertel – upright bass/banjo/vocals; Craig Kurtz – 5-string banjo/bass/vocals; Doug Oppliger – guitar/vocals; Bogue Sandberg – 8-string dobro; Marshall Weathersby – mandolin/guitar/vocals
All ticket sales go to the Calumet Theatre’s “Lift Us Up” Elevator Project so mark your calendars and plan on attending this “historic” show! General seating tickets are $10. Tickets are available 12–5 pm Wednesday through Friday at the Theatre Box Office at 340 Sixth Street, Calumet or phone 337-2166.
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