The Northern California Bluegrass Society’s 13th Annual San Francisco Bluegrass & Old Time Festival will hold a Band Contest on Saturday February 18, 2012, 3:00-6:00pm, at the Swedish American Hall, 2174 Market Street in San Francisco. This new event will open the festival to exciting emerging bluegrass talent.

Non-touring bands should apply as soon as possible for a chance to be included in this contest.

Six Bluegrass Bands and six Old-Time Bands will be selected to play in the contest.  A cash prize will go to the best band in each genre, along with an official invitation to play at the 2014 SFBOT!

Submit your band by e-mail to Contest Director (Jon Steel) jonlee0483 (at) aol (dot) com with band name, bluegrass or old-time, very brief promo blurb, & recent gigs.

The contest is part of the 10-day SFBOT, which runs February 10-19 at venues throughout San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, & Marin Counties.

Complete Festival Schedule

February brings us the NCBS San Francisco Bluegrass & Old Time Festival — and plenty more great bluegrass.

The details on these and other fine shows are on the NCBS Web Calendar. See you at live music events all this month!

FEBRUARY

2 — Bourbon & Bull Nightlife with Jeanie & Chuck’s Country Round-Up, California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

2-5 — Society For The Preservation Of Bluegrass Music In America Music Awards & Convention, Sheraton Music City Hotel, Nashville, TN.

3 — The T-Sisters, The Lost Church, San Francisco.

4 — Santa Cruz Busker’s Showcase with Abbott Family, Still Searchin’, Tumbleweed Ramblers, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz.

4 — Kleptograss, Fiddlin’ Cricket Concert, Mission City Coffee Roasting Company, Santa Clara.

4 — The Cowlicks, Gourmet Haus Staudt, Redwood City.

5 — Santa Clara Valley Fiddler’s Association Jam, Hoover Middle School, San Jose.

6 – Belle Monroe & Her Brewglass Boys, Amnesia, San Francisco.

8 — Water Tower Bucket Boys, The Crepe Place, Santa Cruz.

9-13 — Seabright Stringfest, various venues, Santa Cruz. (Brand new old-time event with concerts, workshops & more, with details to be announced soon.)

10 — Dix Bruce & Jim Nunally, The Fifth String, Sacramento.

10-19 — NCBS San Francisco Bluegrass & Old Time Festival, various venues in San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa & Marin Counties. Complete 10-Day Festival Schedule

11 - Cactus Bob & Beer Hunter, St. Charles Saloon, Columbia.

12 — Foghorn String Band, Eric & Suzy Thompson, Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, Felton.

15 — Sidesaddle & Co., Sam’s BBQ, San Jose.

15 — Homefire, Phil’s Fish Market, Moss Landing.

17 — Dulcimer Girls, Third Friday Concert, Museum Of Art & History, Santa Cruz.

17-19 — Mid-Winter Bluegrass Festival, Northglenn Ramada Plaza, Denver, CO.

17-20 — CBA Winter Music Camp, Walker Creek Ranch, Petaluma.

18 — Red Wine, Redwood Bluegrass Associates, Mountain View (NCBS- sponsored).

18 — Lil’ Rev & Evo Bluestein, Fiddlin’ Cricket Concert, Mission City Coffee Roasting Company, Santa Clara.

18 — Dry Branch Fire Squad, Keystone Crossing, Benefit Concert For The San Francisco Free Clinic in Memory of Warren Hellman, Sausalito Presbyterian Church, Sausalito.

19 — Warren Hellman Memorial & Tribute Concert, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

21 — Red Wine, Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum, Freight & Salvage.

22 — Roland White & The Bluegrass All-Stars, Freight & Salvage, Berkeley.

23 —  Russell Moore & Third Tyme Out, Black Oak Casino, Tuolumne.

23-26 — Wintergrass, Hyatt Regency, Bellevue, WA.

24 — Russell Moore & Third Tyme Out, Asbury United Methodist Church, Livermore.

25 – Russell Moore & Third Tyme Out, Morgan Hill Grange, Morgan Hill.

26 — Russell Moore & Third Tyme Out, Wilits High School, Willits.

27 — The Earl Brothers, Amnesia, San Francisco.

27 – Russell Moore & Third Tyme Out, Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Folsom.

28 — Windy Hill, Sam’s BBQ, San Jose.

28 — Billy Pitrone & Sarah Eblen and Friends, Phil’s Fish Market.

29 – Russell Moore & Third Tyme Out, Freight & Salvage, Berkeley.

The Spring NCBS Boulder Creek Bluegrass and Old Timey Festival will be held at Scopazzi’s Restaurant in Boulder Creek, March 9-10, 2012.

The small, fun gathering in the Santa Cruz Mountains will be brought to you by the Northern California Bluegrass Society, Pass Studio, and Eric Burman’s Brookdalebluegrass.com.

The Northern California Bluegrass Society’s San Francisco Bluegrass & Old Time Festival returns to venues throughout San Francisco, Alameda, Marin & Contra Costa Counties, February 10-19, 2012, including shows at SF’s Cafe du Nord. Full details are on the Official Festival Website.

Sunday at the BOB: Our bluegrass documentary filmmakers had a great year, with excellent films from Northern California and around the country screened to an appreciative audience on Sunday afternoon. Our newest festival venue, the Woodside Road United Methodist Church, produced another sparkling bluegrass “plus” show to close out the weekend, with a excellent program of Bluegrass Gospel & African-American Spirituals by the church youth ensemble, the dixieland band MJ’s Brass Boppers, and the bluegrass band Healing Stream. Meet you in Redwood City next year!

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The Northern California Bluegrass Society’s Bluegrass On Broadway Festival enjoyed a successful Fifth Anniversary this past weekend in Redwood City. Attendance for all events were the highest ever and the music was excellent.

Thanks to the hardworking BOB volunteer staffers who made it all happen: Elicia Burton, Laura Emerson, Allan French, Brenda Hough, Lois Kellerman, Carl Pagter, Pan Logan, and Debbie Weiner. Michael Hall served as festival director. Thanks to Patrick Weldon, our festival co-founder and co-director emeritus!

Bluegrass On Broadway receives principal financial support for the festival from the City of Redwood City’s Civic Cultural Commission, the Redwood City Public Library, One World Montessori School, Wickersham & Murphy, and the Tapestry Church. Additional thanks to the International Bluegrass Music Museum, Little India, Sweet Basil, and the Woodside Road United Methodist Church.