Open jamming in the lobby at 5pm hosted by Harry & Cindy Liedstrand

This show is part of the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention - for a complete listing of BOTMC activities, please visit BerkeleyOldTimeMusic.org

Instructional workshops: Brad Leftwich (fiddle and banjo), Sam Bartlett (mandolin), Tricia Spencer (fiddle) and Howard Rains (fiddle)are all giving instructional workshops at the Freight as part of the BOTMC — click here for more info on workshops

From Bloomington, Indiana, Brad Leftwich & Hogwire Stringband focuses on Brad’s outstanding fiddling, with Linda Higginbotham (banjo and banjo uke), Sam Bartlett (guitar, banjo and mandolin), and Abby Ladin (stand-up bass). All four band members sing. Brad’s twelve feature recordings have received stellar reviews and he’s appeared on dozens of anthologies.

Brad grew up in Oklahoma in a musical family, later learning directly from such legendary masters as Tommy Jarrell, Melvin Wine, Violet Hensley, and the Hammons family. Linda (also from a musical family) began playing banjo and banjo uke after meeting Brad in the 1970s. Abby has played bass with several Clifftop-winning old time bands, and with many renowned fiddlers, including Garry Harrison. As a dancer, she’s been clogging onstage since the age of ten. Sam has crisscrossed the States playing for dances for thirty years and is the author of a best-selling book on pranks and parlor tricks, The Best of Stuntology.

Tricia Spencer & Howard Rains are best known for their twin fiddling, and sing old songs in the style of their home states while also exploring other American regional styles. Tricia was raised in Kansas, where her grandparents played old time music. From an early age she attended festivals and fiddling contests throughout the Midwest, learning from master fiddlers including Pete McMahan, Cyril Stinnett, and Lymon Enloe. Native Texan Howard Rains is an artist and fiddler who loves to uncover and revive rare old tunes. They’ll be joined by the Skeleton Keys: Charlie and Nancy Hartness of Athens, Georgia (ukulele and guitar), plus our own Brendan Doyle (banjo) and Emily Mann (bass). Charlie, Nancy and Brendan appear on Spencer & Rains’ second CD of Texas fiddle tunes.

Debby McClatchy’s old-time singing and banjo playing earned her a featured spot at the Charlie Poole Festival in North Carolina for five consecutive years. In 45 years as a working musician she did 39 solo tours and worked with the Red Clay Ramblers, Tom, Brad & Alice, and the Orpheus Supertones. As a sideline, she cooked delicious meals at music camps including Camp Harmony and Ashokan. Debby has retired from both touring and catering and lives in the Gold Rush country. 

visit the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention website

visit the Hogwire Stringband website

visit the Spencer & Rains website