The Kenny & Amanda Smith Band is one of the most highly respected Bluegrass bands performing today, with the group winning International Bluegrass Music Association's Emerging Artist of the Year Award in 2003 and Kenny twice winning IBMA's Guitarist of the Year. Born of the intensely personal musical and romantic connection between Kenny and Amanda Smith, the band shares an all-too rare sense of intimacy and cohesion where each musician feels an almost telepathic connection. Originally from Nine Mile, IN, Kenny Smith is widely considered one of the most important and influential flatpicking-style guitarists of his generation, and is in great demand at guitar workshops and master classes throughout the country. Born in the small town of Davisville, WV, Amanda Smith grew up singing in church choirs and participating in talent contests at local fairs. She met her future husband at a Lonesome River Band concert, and the couple began dating and playing music together almost immediately. Their latest album "Tell Someone" was nominated for Gospel Recording of the year in 2006 and featured the song "Shoutin Time" which was #1 on Bluegrass Now's Gospel Charts in 2007.

It used to be that a green card was an immigration document.  But in the world of acoustic music The Greencards are a phenomenal band featuring two Australians and a Brit who have taken their adopted USA by storm.  Since forming in the thriving Austin, TX music scene a few years back they have played around the world, headlined major festivals, won awards, and toured with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. Their label debut Weather and Water was strong enough to secure their slot on the Dylan/Nelson tour, but then they had to stand and deliver. Fortunately, The Greencards have this great trick they do. They go out on stage in front of 20,000 strangers, and whaZAM, they turn them into friends and fans. It's happened at Merlefest and Telluride, on both coasts, Down South and Down Under, and of course many times in Austin "The Live Music Capital of the World" Texas, city of the band's chance origins and initial successes. And it's happened with their critically-acclaimed new release "Viridian" which Bluegrass Now called "Delirious fun... bright, brisk and full of brilliant musical vignette" with a 5-out-of-5 rating. And it will happen in Medical Lake next August when we continue the Blue Waters tradition of showcasing the cream of the crop of the next generation of Bluegrass musicians.

After they blew the Ponderosa Rooftop off Waterfront Park at Blue Waters 2007 it was a no-brainer to invite back The Infamous Stringdusters. The audience response was overwhelming on the feedback forms, and so was the bands' -- they contacted us before we even had a chance to get to them, asking if they could come back for 2008 because they had such a great time at our humble little festival.  Recently-awarded the INBA's prestigious awards for Emerging Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and tieing for Album of the Year, and featured on the cover of the October edition of Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine, this is THE hot young band in bluegrass right now. With jaw-dropping instrumental virtuosity, razor-sharp vocals, and a collective pedigree that reads like a who's-who of Nashville music, this band has it all. Don't miss their one-and-only Blue Waters 2008 appearance on Sunday, August 10 when they close out the festival with a bang!

The haunting quality of Martha Scanlan's voice, unique perspective and poetic imagery of her songs helped to gain national acclaim for the innovative old-time string band, Reeltime Travelers. Martha's songwriting first turned some heads in 2003 at the prestigious Merlefest Chris Austin Songwriting Contest where a panel of judges including Gillian Welch and Jim Lauderdale awarded her first and second place in the bluegrass and country music categories for "Little Bird of Heaven" and "Hallelujah". Martha's first solo project was produced by and features Dirk Powell along with Levon Helm, Amy Helm and Glenn Patscha from the band Ollabelle. When not on the road she divides her time between the mountains of East Tennessee and those of Western Montana.  Joining Martha for this tour are The Stuart Brothers, critically-acclaimed old-timey musicians from the Mountains of North Carolina.  It is with great pride that we welcome Martha & The Stuart Brothers to their debut Blue Waters appearance. 

Spring Creek Bluegrass Band from Lyons, Colorado, is quickly gaining a reputation as the hottest young band in the Rocky Mountains. The quartet play a mix of bluegrass standards and compelling originals, and all four musicians are also accomplished vocalists. Spring Creek is built on the fundamentals of bluegrass, yet they create their own classic contemporary style. The young band, whose members met in music school in Texas, have studied and performed together for several years, creating a tight, polished sound. Counting such bands as Country Gazette and Hot Rize among their influences, Spring Creek's members have a deep respect for tradition, as well as an innate sense of musical innovation. Judges at two recent band competitions agree that Spring Creek have what it takes to deliver the high, lonesome sounds in the Appalachian tradition. The band won the Telluride Bluegrass Festival band contest back in June, and won their second Planet Bluegrass title at the 35th annual Rocky Mountain Bluegrass Festival held in Lyons.

Rachel Harrington has been doing things in the wrong order for quite some time. She had extensive radio play before performing her first live show, and she opened for Grammy winners and nominees before her debut full-length record was even a glimmer in her eye. Reared among the Pentecostal pines of Oregon, Harrington's rural gospel roots shone through on her 2004 living room demo. That humble four-song EP spent 13 weeks on the AMA chart and garnered the Seattle siren stellar reviews. By 2006, Rachel was touring with her songwriting hero, Guy Clark, winning national songwriting awards, and performing at large festivals. Now, from the crossroads of country, folk and bluegrass, comes her debut, The Bootlegger's Daughter. Featuring some of the Northwest's finest musicians, and co-produced with two-time Grammy winner Garey Shelton, the disc officially released on SkinnyDennis Records in May 2007. In short order, the cd has made its way around the globe, hitting #1 on the Euro-Americana Chart, and climbing into the Top 40 on the esteemed Americana Music Association's radio chart in the US. Rachel is joined by multi-instrumentalist Zak Borden (a solid songwriter in his own right) on vocals, mandolin, guitar and various other weapons of mass destruction.

Formed in Seattle in the Spring of 2006, The Loose Digits hail from all corners of what our 5th grade geography book told us is the continental US.  While resting on the laurels of driving bluegrass, the emotions of celtic, latin, and jazz find their way in.  The result, however, is nothing generic or of the fusion persuasion, but an honest ensemble of great arrangements and atmosphere.  Shows have included Northwest String Summit in OR, Tractor Tavern in Seattle, The Top Hat in Missoula MT, 43 N in Jackson WY, Boundary Bay Brewery Bellingham WA, and weekly gig at Pies and Pints in Seattle.  In addition to making their debut appearance at Blue Waters in 2008, Loose Digits is proud to have been selected to perform at Wintegrass 2008. 

What started out as a family's love for bluegrass has now taken off into an all out passion. Dewgrass, a family band made up of siblings, Jake, Luke and Kaiti and their parents, Erin and Gary play straight ahead bluegrass and gospel with a passion and collective mastery that suprises and delights those who have had an opportunity to hear them. "If this is the next generation of bluegrass, we're in good hands." - Tacoma News Tribune

Columbia, represents an exciting new collaboration of veteran bluegrass talent. This five-piece band delivers top-notch hard-driving bluegrass by some veterans and powerful newcomers on the Northwest bluegrass scene.   Founding picker Bob Asbury was assured a place in Northwest bluegrass history by recording quite possibly the first bluegrass album in the region in 1976 with his band Custer's Grass Band, featuring a guest appearance by a 14-year old Mark O'Connor.  Vocalist Doug Bond has one of the finest bluegrass lead vocals in the region, and mandolinist Steve Bauer has been turning heads with his fiery picking ever since relocating here from North Carolina a few years back.  Judy Rassmussen holds things down on bass, and the band recently welcomed nationally-regarded fiddler Terry Ludiker to it's lineup.  Don't miss this band as they kick off Blue Waters on Friday night in style!

Molly & Tenbrooks are two familiar faces in the Inland Northwest Bluegrass Community who have quickly become the new favorite local band for many folks in this area.  Kelly Bogan and Danny Lynn Plummer have harmonies that were made in heaven, and we wonder what to took them so long to get together!  Molly & Tenbrooks bring a solid mix of bluegrass and gospel standards as well as Kelly's fine originals into their performances, and Kelly's multi-instrumental talents are usually joined by a rotating cast of some of the finest pickers in town.  Their debut recording "It Feels Like Home To Me" is essential listening to find out what Inland Northwest Bluegrass is all about.