2012 Berkeley Old Time Music Spring Situation

Submitted by the Event Organizer

The 2012 Berkeley Old Time Music Convention is here.

This free all-day event at the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley has everything your old-timey heart desires — jamming in the lobby, bands and solos in the concert hall, and workshops upstairs and outside if the weather cooperates.

Schedule for May 12, 2012

Noon to 1:00pm: Family Dance with caller Erik Hoffman and open band (this means YOU!) led by Geff & Masha Crawford in the lobby — all ages welcome! Dances will be geared towards families and kids, with some that even a babe in arms can do! You don’t need to bring a partner, and no previous experience is necessary, Erik will teach all the moves. And when you’re worn out from dancing, pick up an instrument and join in the open band!

1:30pm-3:00pm: Stewart Port, luthier and instigator of the Tin Can Banjo Project, will be leading a “Build An Instrument” workshop for kids and families in the lobby – bring your own tin can! See pictures from last year here.

In the Concert Hall:

12:10-12:30 pm: The Ragtime Skedaddlers (Dave Krinkel, Nick Robinson and Dennis Pash) explore the long tradition of ragtime music played on stringed instruments, with twin mandolin rags, cakewalks, two-steps, marches and waltzes from late 19th and early 20th century America.

12:40pm-1pm: Black Crown Trio combine the best elements of old-time stringband music and Bill Monroe’s “high lonesome” sound to create a unique fusion that is at once old-school and brand spanking new.

1:10pm-1:30pm: Dianne Ferlatte & Erik Pearson – stories for all children. Diane Ferlatte is a nationally-aclaimed storyteller whose repertoire includes fables, folktales, legends, ghost tales, historical tales, and contemporary and personal stories. Ferlatte sees herself as a preserver of the oral tradition, folk history, culture, and values.

1:40pm-2:00pm: The Drifter Sisters – The Drifter Sisters are Berkeley-bred beauties Robin Fischer (red-hot fiddle stylings) and Allegra Thompson (classic country crooning). You can usually find them playing Blue Honky Time tunes while nestled between flower-sellers at the Farmers’ Markets.

2:10pm-2:30pm: Laura Lind has a powerful unique voice and an extensive repertoire of traditional historic songs and fiddle tunes, and is a prolific and published song writer. She rocks and sings the blues.

2:40pm-3pm: The Rhythm Rangellers are a family band that plays a wide variety of music. Paul Rangell and Emily Abbink were original members of Bayo Seco and most recently have been appearing weekly in Santa Cruz performing Italian, Mexican, and Puerto Rican music on mandolin and guitar.

3:10pm-3:30pm: Alex Sharps first appeared on the Freight stage two years ago at the 2010 Spring Fling. He has continued to grow as a musician, most recently playing with Them Boys, the Bay Area’s exciting new youth acoustic quartet (average age is 16.25). Alex will be doing a solo set featuring his stellar fiddle and banjo playing.

3:40pm-4:00pm: Twice as Nice – Mark Olson and Penelope “Penny” Critchlow: Singing and playing in the tradition of recordings by the Carter Family, early Country and Bluegrass music, String Bands, and the cherished harmony duets of the Delmore Brothers and the Louvin Brothers among others.

Upstairs: Workshops

1:00pm-1:55pm

• Fiddle: Earl White
• Harmony Singing: Penny Critchlow and Mark Olson
• Autoharp: Laura Lind
• Old Time and Rag Time: A Listening Session on Shared Tunes – Nick Robinson & David Brown

2:00pm-2:55pm

• Old Time Mandolin: Eric Thompson
• Stringband Blues: Suzy Thompson
• Beginning Fiddle: Eric Hoffman

3:00pm-3:55pm

• Banjo: Ben Sigelman
• Mountain Dulcimer: DJ Hamouris
• Guitar: Karen Celia Heil – Fiddle tune backup, intermediate level: for those who know and can play basic chords and a few bass runs. More advanced players might pick up some tips as well!
• Hambone: Eric Hoffman

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.