The NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway Festival starts tonight. The “BOB” is an exciting new FREE event in downtown Redwood City this weekend that features live bluegrass music, a film festival, the Northern California Bluegrass Awards, an evening of bluegrass dining, a children’s show, a jam workshop, and a bluegrass author symposium. Patrons can enjoy a full weekend of bluegrass music or pick an event or two that fits their schedule.

This evening, February 26, bluegrass authors Roger Siminoff “The Lore of Loar” and Lisa Aschmann “1000 Creative Ideas For Songwriters” will speak  and answer questions from the audience with Brenda Hough as host. The authors will also sign copies of their latest works for their fans. Following the event at the Redwood City Public Library, we will all adjourn to the nearby Angelica’s Bistro for live bluegrass music by the Stoney Mountain Ramblers.

On Friday, February 27, an all-star bluegrass band will entertain with an outdoor noontime concert at Library Plaza. Brown bagging is recommended. After school on Friday afternoon, the Tuttle Family with special guest A.J. Lee will perform for children (and adult ice cream lovers) at Young’s Ice Cream Emporium. A special evening of bluegrass dining on Friday will offer shows with Mountain Drive at Bob’s Courthouse Cafe, The Mighty Crows at Angelica’s Bistro, and Hotwire (Tina Louise Barr and Uncle John Gwinner) at Little India.

Page Brownton and Sidetrack will open the Saturday, February 28 day-long concert with a morning coffee show in the lounge of the Peninsula Christian Center.

The main stage program will begin at 10:00am with shows by The And Friends Band with Jayme Kelly Curtis, Mountain Drive, Belle Monroe & Her Brewglass Boys, Nell Robinson & Red Level, and Kitchen Help. Sid Lewis and His Jamming 101 Crew will present a jamming workshop, and the Northern California Bluegrass Awards will be presented. The Saturday BOB program will end at 7:00pm.

On Sunday, March 1, the NCBS International Bluegrass Music Museum Film Festival will feature 4 new bluegrass documentary films including Dan Crary’s “Primal Twang: The Legacy of the Guitar” filmed live in San Diego, Craig Havighurst’s “Four Days of Infamy” documenting the Nashville-based Infamous Stringdusters’ triumphant 2007 return to Colorado, and the IBMM’s recent oral history project’s documentary films on Pete Seeger and Jimmy Martin. Carl Pagter will host and Rosalind Kutler, host of the regular Redwood City Public Library film series will project the films. Filmmaker Dan Crary will be there in person to talk about his film.

More information and the complete festival schedule is linked in the left column on this website.

Principal financial support for the Northern California Bluegrass Society’s Bluegrass On Broadway Festival comes from the Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission, the Redwood City Public Library, the Redwood City Friends of the Library, Provident Credit Union, and the Peninsula Christian Center.

Bluegrass music is an American acoustic music genre performed in small ensembles on guitars, banjos, mandolins, fiddles, resonator guitars and bass fiddles. It was derived from the string band music of the southeastern US uplands in the 1930s, but has deep roots in early American culture. About 50 years ago, bluegrass moved beyond its roots to college campuses throughout the world. Over the past 20 years, bluegrass has been the fastest-growing popular music in the United States. Earlier this month, bluegrass fiddle player and singer Alison Krauss crowned her long bluegrass career by winning (with Robert Plant) the Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Album of the Year.

Bluegrass has a strong following in Northern California. There are over 100 active local bands and numerous festivals, concerts, workshops and informal jams throughout the region. The Northern California Bluegrass Society serves the San Francisco Bay Area, the Monterey Bay Area, and all of Northern California.

Posted Feb 26th, 2009 by Michael Hall in Bluegrass on Broadway |