Come and hear PEI artists whose work has been recognized at this year’s PEIMA and ECMA award ceremonies. This season’s performance will bring the house down with foot-stomping music by the Grass Mountain Hobos and The Saddle River String Band. Also on the bill is emerging artist Meaghan Blanchard, who is quickly making a name for herself as a talented singer/songwriter at the young age of 20.
The Grass Mountain Hobos are a gathering of backwoods friends who can be described wholly as a gang of hard working, light hearted foot stompers, who have an almost religious enthusiasm for good old fashioned hand made home-grown music. The Hobos have taken their own beliefs of a simpler life grown in the living rooms and fields of western Prince Edward Island and brought them to life on stages across the Maritimes. Their absolute veneration of the music they play translates their live show into a spectacle of stomp, dance and yelps which has left thousands smiling all the way back to their cars.
www.grassmountainhobos.com
The members of The Saddle River String Band are PEI's only practitioners of string band music, including old-time, ragtime, blues, country, folk, hokum & bluegrass. The boys play their acoustic instruments into a single condenser microphone performing both original & traditional/popular material. In 2007 they released their self-titled debut with songs like 'Bye Bye PEI', 'Swagger & Sway', 'Nashville Junky' sittin' alongside public domain gems by the Carter Family & Charlie Patton.
www.saddleriverstringband.com
www.saddleriverstringband.com/video.php
20 year old emerging artist Meaghan Blanchard recently took home four PEIMA awards including female vocalist of the year and songwriter of the year. Her debut CD titled Changing Things also won folk recording of the year and new artist recording of the year. This singer/songwriter from Hunter River, PEI is also nominated for two ECMA awards and it is clear that one thing is for certain: Meaghan Blanchard is a singer/songwriter with a bright future. Her stage presence, her voice and the songs she writes tell anyone who listens that they will be hearing much more from her sooner rather than later.
www.sandbarmusic.com