June 2017
Band Brings Bluegrass Pride to Jacoby
6/24/2017 -

There’s a small change in the line-up for River Bend Bluegrass band, but there continues to be huge pride in offering the music they do. The 5-piece band is returning to Jacoby at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, June 24. Jacoby Arts Center is located at 627 E. Broadway, Alton.

“We really pride ourselves to stay (true) to the roots of bluegrass, whether it’s the music we play or the image we project,” says Kris Shewmake.

Shewmake plays banjo, Dustin Greer is on guitar, Andy Novara plays mandolin and Will Miskall is on upright bass. Fiddler Ian Walsh is replacing Matt McGibany. The members share the vocals.

Formed in 2015 in the heart of the Midwest, River Bend is dedicated to the performance and preservation of the “High-Lonesome Sound,” playing original music as well as classic bluegrass standards and bluegrass rarities. With soaring tenor harmonies, driving instrumentation and the classic bluegrass groove, the group recalls the voices of Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers, Vern Williams, Red Allen and more.

Bluegrass originated in the 1940s and 1950s but as country and rock began to be fused with it, says Shewmake, it took on a different style.

“It’s common for bluegrass to consist of a lot of sub-genres. Nine out of 10 times it’s not necessarily bluegrass. Sometimes it’s called Jam Grass,” he says. “Ours is of the time of traditional bluegrass. It’s some of the most raw bluegrass we can play.”

The band is recording its first album using Sawhorse Studio in St. Louis. As yet unnamed, it will be a full-length studio album with a mix of original and traditional bluegrass songs. It’s due out later this summer.

And like their traditional bluegrass music, the band is recording the album “naturally.”

“Often, there are lots of overdubbing. But all five of us are in the studio with mics hanging down, doing it live,” says Shewmake.

The band recently played in Chicago and is booked through January 2018 at venues around St. Louis and the Riverbend. But they’re always willing to come back to Jacoby.

“It’s always a pleasure to play there. Sometimes you play in a bar and people may not really be paying attention. At Jacoby, people are coming there to listen to our type of music.”

Shewmake added that he admires Jacoby’s efforts to bring the arts, music and culture to Alton.

For a sampling of their music visit http://www.riverbendbluegrass.net/media-adversary.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or follow the link at http://www.jacobyartscenter.org/tickets. Café seating is limited and is on a first-come, first-seated basis. Doors open 30 minutes in advance. A cash bar is available.

The public is invited to view the exhibit, “Carol Carter: Chapters,” which opens June 14 and runs through Sept. 23. The exhibit surveys the artist’s exploration of a broad range of subjects using intuitive techniques employing both large and small scale. Carter is a St Louis based painter and international teacher who most recently has been painting a series of small portraits of endangered species.

Gallery Talks on Saturdays at 2pm are free and open to the public to engage in hosted discussions on topics ranging from painting technique, intuitive methods, and making a living as an artist. A reception for the artist will be on Friday, September 8, 6:00-8:00 p.m. For more information, visit jacobyartscenter.org.

About the Jacoby Arts Center

The mission of the Jacoby Arts Center is to nurture and promote the practice and appreciation of the arts through education, exhibits, cultural programs and community outreach initiatives. Jacoby Arts Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The Jacoby Arts Center is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broadway, Alton, IL 62002 / 618-462-5222 / jacobyartscenter@gmail.com

 

 

For more information:
Jacoby Arts Center
(618) 462-5222