On Oct. 11, FAR-West will kick off its 15th annual conference with the Venues’ Choice concert. Five venues from around the region, dedicated to presenting quality acoustic music, will each present an artist(s) of their choice. FAR-West's opening night 'kick-off' concerts are always one of the highlights of our conferences and we anticipate another great night!
Here are the venues and artists for this year's concert: far-west.org/venues-choice-2018.html
MVR Entertainment/Mannequin Vanity Records (San Diego) Presents
Contemporary Bluegrass and Americana band “MohaviSoul”
MohaviSoul is a 5-piece, award-winning, Contemporary Bluegrass and Americana band formed in 2012. Members are Mark Miller (guitar, lead vocals), Randy Hanson (mandolin, lead vocals), Jason Weiss (banjo, vocals), Orion Boucher (bass, lead vocals), and Dan Sankey (fiddle, vocals). MohaviSoul tells stories of love gone right to love gone wrong, nostalgia for vinyl records, road songs, songs about drinking, homesickness, politics and whatever else needs singing about. The word is out on their Hometown Blues CD: “The band is able to blend all types of bluegrass, that include traditional, newgrass, and original material. It’s bluegrass from the soul … in a contemporary sound. Their outstanding playing on all tracks tells that they love what they do”. Standard (Feb, 2018) mohavisoul.com
Tiny Porch Concerts (Agoura Hills) Presents
The Songwriter’s Songwriter “Abe Abraham”
Track after track, live or on vinyl, the songs of Abe Abraham take the listener on a timeless exploration of what it means to be a true songwriter. His voice channels a prior decade or two, yet is touched by a true longing for future possibilities that pulls the listener into his world. Abe Abraham’s new single, Careless Lovers puts him at the forefront of songwriters everywhere. Abe’s 2016 LP XO Love You veered away from the monotony of new folk with conviction and unwavering sincerity, catching the ear of the radio savvy band The Lumineers, who quickly drafted his sing-along lament Where The Skies Are Blue for their own new album Cleopatra (Deluxe). abeabraham.bandcamp.com
Fiddlers Crossing (Tehachapi) Presents
Pure Scottish Energy Power-Trio “The Fire”
The Fire is a pure, high octane Scottish band that features world class fiddling in combination with bagpipes, guitar, bodhran, whistle, and bouzouki. The group include, International Scottish Fiddle Champion Rebecca Lomnicky, multi-instrumentalist David Brewer of the popular Celtic band Molly’s Revenge, and Adam Hendey on guitar and bouzouki. Members of the trio have each spent copious amounts of time delving into the traditions of their respective instruments, having lived and studied in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the highlands of Scotland. Together, The Fire performs captivating Scottish music which bridges the gap between the fiddle and bagpipe music of Scotland—two worlds united, into a heartfelt and rousing musical experience. Between their entertaining and informative stage banter, vast array of instrument combinations and extensive repertoire, including everything from soaring slow airs to intricately arranged dance tunes, these charismatic performers will leave you on your feet with your hands together. The Fire is based out of Santa Cruz, California, and has released three studio albums. firescottishband.com
Pasadena Folk Music Society (Pasadena) Presents
Story-Song-Stomp with “Honey Whiskey Trio”
Los Angeles based Honey Whiskey Trio tells stories through song and stomp, highlighting the musical traditions of American Folk Music. Their passion for music education, community outreach, and singing unapologetically drives them as they create, arrange, and explore music from the front porches, music halls, and hymn books of early America, sharing it with students, adults, and life-long music lovers across the United States. honeywhiskeytrio.com
McCabe’s Guitar Shop (Santa Monica) Presents
punk-folk free-spirit “Sunny War”
It’s no secret that great art comes from the margins. From those who are either pushed to create from inner forces, or who create to show they deserve to be recognized. Los Angeles-based Folk-Punk street singer, guitarist, and roots music revolutionary Sunny War has always been an outsider, always felt the drive to define her place in the world through music and songwriting. As a young black girl growing up in Nashville, she searched for her own roots, looking first to the blues she heard from her mother’s boyfriend, and learning from a local guitarist. Moving to Los Angeles in her teens, she searched for herself in the LA punk scene, playing house shows with FIDLAR, and shoplifting DVDs from big box stores to trade at Amoeba Records for 80s punk albums. But here too she found herself on the outside, working to bridge her foundation in country blues and American roots guitar traditions with the punk scene she called home. She first made her name with this work, bringing a wickedly virtuosic touch on the fingerstyle guitar that sprang from her own self-discoveries on the instrument. But her restless spirit, a byproduct of growing up semi-nomadic with a single mother, led her to Venice Beach, California, where she’s been grinding the pavement for some years now, making a name for her prodigious guitar work and incisive songwriting, which touches on everything from police violence to alcoholism, to love found and lost. sunnywar.com
For music supporters who are unable to attend the full FAR-West 2018 Conference, a limited number of Showcase Only passes are available at far-west.org/showcase-passes.html. The deadline to register for Showcase only passes at this link is Oct. 9.
Registration and details about the 2018 conference can be found at far-west.org/far-west-2018.html
