Canada’s hottest young bluegrass band, The Slocan Ramblers, embark on a Southeastern U.S. tour starting in MerleFest. Playing songs from their latest release, Coffee Creek, and their debut album, Shaking Down the Acorns, the band will play shows in the Carolinas, Virginia, and Tennessee.
Despite their Toronto address, says Elmore Magazine, “The Slocan Ramblers are turning out a piping hot brand of bluegrass that you just may think was cut fresh from a back porch in the Blue Ridge.” Members include Frank Evans (banjo, vocals), Adrian Gross (mandolin), Darryl Poulsen (guitar) and Alastair Whitehead (bass).
As they make their way, these supreme musicians will serve up for fans the energy and musicianship that earned them the 2015 Edmonton Folk Fest Emerging Artist Award and other accolades. A beacon of Canada’s roots music scene, the Ramblers’ music strikes “that perfect modern bluegrass balance of a deep respect for tradition and an itch for exploration,” notes Exclaim! Magazine.
The Huffington Post described the band’s previous release, Shaking Down the Acorns, as “excellent … and well worth repeated listening.” That pattern of excellence continues in Coffee Creek (2015), produced by Chris Coole (The Foggy Hogtown Boys), who praised the band for recording an album of “precision and virtuosity” while recognizing “the power of the fragile moment in music.”
A blend of driving, intricate instrumentals and moving vocal-driven tunes, album favorites are sure to include the lovely “April’s Waltz,” Whitehead’s world-weary original, “Elk River,” and the band’s masterful interpretation of the medley, “Pastures of Plenty – Honey Babe,” featuring Evans’ soulful, raw vocals.
Enjoy tunes from these albums and more at an upcoming show.
2016 Southeastern United States Tour Dates include:
April 28-29 — MerleFest, Wilkesboro, N.C.
May 1 — White Horse Black Mountain, Black Mountain, N.C.
May 4 — Wolf Hills Brewing Co., Abingdon, Va.
May 5 — The Downhome, Johnson City, Tenn.
May 6 — Jig and Reel, Knoxville, Tenn.
May 7 — Feed and Seed, Fletcher, N.C.
May 8 — Ervin House Concerts, Morganton, N.C.
May 11 — House Concert, New Bern, N.C.
May 12 — R.A. Fountain, Fountain, N.C.
May 13 — Palmetto Brewing Company, Charleston, S.C.
May 13 — The Southern Bar & Grill, Mt Pleasant, S.C.
May 14 — Birdfest, Panola, S.C.
May 15 — Rooster’s Wife, Aberdeen, N.C.
May 17 — RadLiCoaux House Concerts, Radford, Va.
May 18 — Prism Coffeehouse, Charlottesville, Va.
May 19 — High Point Arts Council, High Point, N.C.
May 20 — Evening Muse, Charlotte, N.C.
May 21 — Cowee School, Franklin, N.C.
May 24 — Isis Restaurant & Music Hall, Asheville, N.C.
