Among the new and headlining acts at the River Falls Roots and Bluegrass Festival this weekend, are some that play jamgrass and folkgrass and skirt raisin’ music and even use a washboard. (For complete times and locations see this web site’s Picks of the Week department).
— Friday night, Tin Can Gin is fast-paced and upbeat and from Duluth where they recorded at the noted Sacred Heart studio, then Kind Country is an eight-member “jamgrass” and folk group, and then Dead Horses is a group of young acoustic and “folkgrass” players.
— Saturday afternoon, Singleton Street plays gospel that includes oldtime and also Celtic and Americana, then it’s the Middle Spunk Creek Boys that have been around for 40-plus years and got their start in the same venue as Leo Kottke, then its King Wilkies Dream that was named after a fiddle tune and also incorporates swing and tin pan alley and old time and a bit of pop.
— Saturday night, its Black River Revue which is also from Duluth and Superior and throws in a washboard with their bluegrass, then its Art Stevenson and High Water that’s the best-known on the bluegrass Midwest circuit since 1993, and then Them Coulee Boys with their skirt raisin’ rock and punk and jam music.
— Sunday morning, Hand Picked Bluegrass that’s a high-energy acoustic trio from Tomahawk.