NEXT SHOW: Friday, October 4th at Town Hall Theatre. Save the Date!
On Friday, August 2nd, at 7 p.m., Front Porch Music Festival returned with a fresh roster of folk and bluegrass musicians in its quarterly folk music series in partnership with Town Hall Theatre Co in Lafayette. This one-night-only local music festival is an exciting collaboration that brings together local acoustic musicians and performers.
Featured in the August 2nd show, was Berkeley's bluegrass band, Charlie Torch, as they lit up the stage with five masterful bluegrass artists who weaved a rich tapestry of places, feelings, and colors through their lifelong connection to bluegrass and country music. The band includes fiddler Chad Manning, a veteran of the David Grisman Quintet and Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands, who continues to perform with Peter Rowan; his son, Jasper Manning, a virtuosic mandolinist and soulful singer with Bluebirds on a Wire; daughter Jayna Manning with her stunning vocals and solid rhythm guitar playing; Tyler Stegall, a skilled banjo player and a member of many California bands, including Solid Gold Stranger and the RockyGrass New Band of the Year, High Water Line; and Paul Knight, a distinguished bassist with a long history of playing in bands with Peter Rowan and Ramblin' Jack Elliott.
In addition to the featured band, several wonderful local performers (descriptions below) kicked off the evening. The talented Joe Peters was playing guitar and singing in the lobby with John Rafferty on harmonica before the show. Upstairs, starting at 7 p.m., things got underway with Sarah Gronquist on accordion, playing gypsy jazz and swing tunes with guitarist Mark Gill. Eric Smith artfully covered country and bluegrass songs with Kerry Hays on bass, Laura Dorman on harmony and percussion, Clayton Call on drums, and Austin Hurst on mandolin. Lafayette's own Mike Danese played a few of his favorite country covers with Jake Kallick on bass and Sarah Gronquist on harmonies and accordion.
Mike Danese began playing guitar at the age of 20 and has been inspired by a wide range of music, from ancient folk songs to modern ballads. Following his retirement, he pursued his passion, performing at jams and open mics to hone his skills. Mike believes in the power of musical storytelling to capture the essence of the human experience and strengthen our shared connections.
Sarah Gronquist grew up singing in her mother’s Methodist church choir in rural Western New York State. After moving to the Bay Area, she discovered a rich musical community. She plays guitar and accordion and plays tangos, gypsy jazz, and swing tunes. She will be joined by Mark Gill who began his musical journey with the saxophone and the Japanese koto. He is currently delving into the vibrant world of gypsy jazz.
Eric Smith started performing professionally in Detroit during his college years. Since the 1970s, he has played guitar and sung in numerous bands in the Bay Area, covering genres from rock and roll, country, and bluegrass to reggae and pop. He has performed countless covers and composed his own material. Eric was joined by Kerry Hays on bass, Laura Dorman on harmony and percussion, Clayton Call on drums, and Austin Hurst on mandolin.
With 18 CDs under his belt, Joe Peters weaves a rich tapestry of songwriting influenced by his diverse background, including academia and global travels. His music, enriched with nature, philosophy, and science, firmly establishes him in the Bay Area scene and beyond.