Weekend Line Up

 Hailing from Northern MN, Figuring It Out is a family band featuring 7 siblings and their dad. The Band does exactly what their name entails: figuring out the styles of music they love best! Their eclectic style includes Bluegrass, Traditional Folk, Contemporary, Celtic, Swing, etc. They love to perform at a variety of different venues, taking each performance as an adventure.

Founded by original “Jeff Scroggins and Colorado” fiddler, Annie Savage; the Savage Hearts is a fiery bluegrass meets honky tonk band, with traditional bluegrass instrumentation and creative arrangements informed by a range of influences.  The band also specializes in stage banter that could bring a tear to a glass eye.  

The Savage Hearts look forward to bringing their spicy blend of bluegrass to the Backbone Bluegrass Festival.  They are:  Annie Savage (fiddle and vocals)   Emigdio Ramirez (guitar and vocals)   Blake Shaw (bass)  Alex Flesher (banjo and vocals)  James Horak (mandolin and vocals).

  The McPunk Brothers have been entertaining folks for years with a mix of bluegrass, gospel, and original songs. They have been on the bluegrass music scene since about 1989 but have been playing together for many years before that.  Members of this long time group of friends include Paul Roberts playing banjo and bluegrass music since 1978. Kirk Stimson is a mandolin player from Kalona, Iowa. He also sings tenor for the group. Guitar player and singer for this talented group is Mark Wilson from rural Iowa City, Iowa. Daryl Yoder plays bass and sings bass for the band.  Keith Yoder is a professional musician who teaches around the country and sometimes abroad. He teaches jamming, guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, dobro, and duffle via Skype, at home in east Tennessee and at music camps.  The McPunk Brothers, though still not brothers and still punks, are great friends and we are thrilled to have them back on the Bluegrass stage.

The Family Sowell is an all-sibling, contemporary bluegrass band from Knoxville, Tennessee, featuring driving instrumentation, tight family harmony, and original songs written straight from the heart. Their music melds passion and love together with a good dose of laughter, creating an authentic performance that inspires audiences everywhere.

 “The Family Sowell is one of the most talented families you will ever meet.  It has been my pleasure to learn this family individually and collectively and watch them grow.  I love the passion that they all show in their vocals and in their music.  I look forward to seeing where this family will go in the next few years.  I love this family.” — Ben Isaacs, Producer, Bassist, & Vocalist, The Isaacs 

Flash in a Pan a folk and grass string band from Iowa City, IA. Founded in 2012 the band has enjoyed unusual success'. They released their first studio album Off the Rails in April of 2017 and their sophomore album Folklore in June of 2018. Both albums are filled with original cuts that the group is known for. Flash in a Pan brings a fun mix of folk music of many shades. Noted for their shining harmonies, provocative compositions, and heart-felt performances, Flash in a Pan dishes out a sound that is all at once familiar and refreshingly different.

 Seth Mulder & Midnight Run started as a group of friends and musicians creating a band tied to bluegrass music's rich traditions. Each member drawing from various influences, including bluegrass, country, and rock, it wasn't long before Seth Mulder & Midnight Run's sound was born.  With over 225 dates a year, their high energy style of bluegrass can be found from the Gateway of the Great Smoky Mountains to Alaska and down to Arizona then back east to Tennessee. They have toured across the Atlantic in Ireland, England and Scotland.
 

“This is a group that really cares about the music and about one another, They are infinitely entertaining when they perform. The vocals and musicianship are top notch, of course, but it’s that visible camaraderie that absolutely makes fans fall in love with Seth Mulder & Midnight Run. ”

— Jerry Salley: Billy Blue Records Creative and A&R Director

 A gifted fiddler and Kentucky Colonel, Kirk Brandenberger has received many awards including Iowa and Kentucky State Championships.  He has recorded with many nationally-known and regional musicians during his 50-year musical career, including two of his own compact discs. Kirk has toured nationally with Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers and Karl Shiflett’s Big Country Show. He was the host of two long-running bluegrass radio shows; WBKR-FM in Owensboro, Kentucky and KOKX-FM in Keokuk, was a member of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Board of Directors for a six-year term and was president of Prime Cuts of Bluegrass during the 17 years of its operation.  In 2004, Kirk and his wife Becky received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association.  Kirk is in his 21st year as the Executive Director of Tourism in Keokuk and plays music every chance he gets.