2010 LINEUP

Dan's most recent album, the grammy-nominated Wheels (2008), is a riveting collection that blends the sophistication of Union Station with the intensity of Dan’s hard-driving approach. Wheels was named the 2009 Album of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association.

We are one of a very few festivals in the country to host The Dan Tyminski Band this summer, so you won't want to miss the rare opportunity to see them live!

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.

The Growling Old Men don't consider themselves old, nor do they growl very much. What they do is play acoustic music on mandolin, guitar, octave mandolin and vocals.  Ben Winship (mandolin) and John Lowell (guitar) are two of the most respected pickers on their respective instruments in the West.  The duo often performs as a trio with David Thompson on bass, which will be the case when they take the stage at Blue Waters.  Playing an eclectic mix of music including bluegrass, americana, folk, swing, and original songs, these Rocky Mountain boys have been playing together in various capacities over the past couple of decades, as Growling Old Men and also in the award-winning bluegrass band Kane's River.  

The Growling Old Men are also avid fly-fishermen and have put together two critically-acclaimed "Fishing Music" CDs.   If you want a taste, check out this hysterical video of their original tune "Little Miss Cutthroat".  We just hope we don't have to drag them out of the lake for their sets.

From songs that explore independence and urban adventure to timeless themes of love and loss, Della Mae brings acoustic grit and twang to town with no apologies.

Della Mae features the reigning National Fiddle Champion (and former Spokane resident) Kimber Ludiker, powerhouse vocalist and songwriter Laura Cortese, seasoned bassist Amanda Kowalski, accomplished guitarist Avril Smith and the driving banjo of Grace Van’t Hof. Formed during the Fall 2009 in Boston, Della Mae was born from a yearning for a traditional bluegrass sound in the heart of New England. In July of the previous summer Avril, Amanda, and Kimber had the opportunity to spend a week playing together at the Mount Shasta Fiddle Camp. During that time together the three women enthusiastically made a pact to continue their musical relationship. Upon hearing the idea of a female-driven bluegrass band, Laura jumped in, bringing a refreshing vocal style and a healthy handful of exciting unrecorded material. Grace was brought on board to deliver the traditional banjo style that grounds the band.

“So refreshing to see a band of 'ladies' but that's not what it's about... These gals can also get down and are not messing around.” - Mike Marshall

THEY'RE BACK!!!!!

Last year at Blue Waters the The Loose Digits announced that it would be one of their final shows, much to the disappointment of the legion of fans this young band has acquired over the past couple years at Blue Waters and throughout the Pacific Northwest.  But there was no way around it -- one of the key members would be moving to Europe for a few years to work on his PhD, and the band couldn't imagine continuing without the mandolin of Mike Canney.

But as it turns out, Mike will be back home for a month or so, and his visit just happens to coincide with Blue Waters.  So they called us up and we of course could not pass up the opportunity to have them back!

For those of you who are new to this band, Loose Digits is a Seattle-based group of day-job urbanites who love to play bluegrass. Syphoning as much bluegrass ilk as the NW can afford, these guys unashamedly also pull from Celtic and Swing persuasions as well. The result, however, is nothing generic, but instead honest arrangements and dynamic delivery. Shows have ranged from the Puget Sound through the Montana skies, dodging oversized trucks in Jackson WY, through the dreadlocked forests of Colorado, and back through the hipster swamps of Portland OR. In addition to making their debut appearance at Blue Waters in 2008, Loose Digits performed at Wintergrass 2008 and the Rockygrass 2009 Band Competition.  

Eli West (Loose Digits) joined up with Cahalen this past year and the two have travelled throughout several different regions across the country since then, honing their new sound as a duo. Eli -- like Cahalen -- is a multi-instrumentalist, and it's a joy to see and hear these two musicians trading not just licks and vocals, but also actually trading instruments multiple times throughout their sets!

In five short years The Panhandle Polecats have gone from being just another cute family band to being the Top Dogs (er, 'Cats) in the thriving Inland Northwest Bluegrass scene. The lightning picking, tight vocals and infectious stage presence of these five siblings have won them a devoted following throughout the region.

Molly & Tenbrooks are familiar faces in the Inland Northwest Bluegrass Community who have played throughout the Northwest at major festivals like Wintergrass and Blue Waters, as well as at numerous smaller venues, churches and picking parties.  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!  Joining them are longtime Inland Northwest bluegrass veterans Daniel Gore and Mark Harding.  Their debut recording "It Feels Like Home To Me" is essential listening to find out what Inland Northwest Bluegrass is all about.