Acoustic

Option 22 is an Worldbeat ensemble with a revolutionary vibe. Dubbed by one listener a “new age jam band,” their broad style spans from newgrass to space-folk to roots-rock world funk and points in between. They are channels for the music, allowing it to flow through them and deliver it to whomever is present along with messages of hope, love and healing.  On the fly collaborative dynamics, rhythmic muscle and thematic inventions shower you with sound that is sure to lift your vibration and unlock the doors of your heart, allowing you to groove freely and transcend. This is more than just a good time band.

Based in Princeton, West Virginia, Lori McKinney (vocals, drums, djembe, spoken word) and Robert Blankenship (guitar, banjo, shamisen, hand-drums, didgeridoo) have been writing and playing music together since early 2004, forging songs from the creative blast furnace of the divine flow. Now infusing the mix are the intense, driving bass lines of Brandon Dunn (bass) and the intuitive, free form guitar stylings of Jordan Furrow (lead guitar, percussion).

Their work as healing artists and arts organizers (they founded and run Culturefest World Music & Arts Festival and The RiffRaff Arts Collective) is fueled by a strong desire to build and contribute to community. Their music reflects that passion. With backgrounds in theatre, performance, yoga/meditation, and visual arts, the group comes together with an artistic mind-set and a vision for a better world.

Grant Farm is a band on a mission. Tyler, Chris, Adrian and Sean are experienced players of renown in their own right, but as a unit they form a greater whole, and are working hard to grow into the best band that they can be. Former members of Leftover Salmon, The Drew Emmitt Band, Emmitt-Nershi Band, Snake Oil Medicine Show, Bill Nershi’s Blue Planet and Hot Soup, these fine young players have been featured on stage with the likes of The String Cheese Incident, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Motet, Head For The Hills, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Tim O’Brien, Dumpstaphunk, Tony Rice, Larry Keel, Keller Williams, Jon Oates, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Disco Biscuits, Abigail Washburn and Peter Rowan.

The seeds of Grant Farm were planted in 2009 by Tyler Grant and Andy Thorn. Tyler was fresh off the boat from Nashville, TN and Andy from Chapel Hill, NC. The duo found themselves in Boulder, CO as members of The Emmitt-Nershi Band, and were eager to showcase some of their original music. When Tyler gave his notice to ENB at the end of 2010 he was driven to make a bigger statement with his music so he dusted off his Telecaster, started a conversation with the experienced and equally driven drummer Chris Misner, plugged in, turned up, and watched the sprouts of the Grant Farm concept grow.

With the help of Thorn and stellar bassist Keith Moseley of The String Cheese Incident, the electric Grant Farm started rehearsing in early 2011. Their concerts in Denver, Boulder and the mountains beyond caused a ripple in the local music scene that led to some fine festival plays the following Summer, including Yarmonygrass, Four Corners Folk Festival, Fort Collins Bark n’ Bluegrass, Riverfront, and Harvestival. With a country-disco (Cris-Co), roots-rock, booty-shakin’ jam-tastic concept fully formed, Adrian Engfer and Sean Foley were brought on board to bring the band into 2012. Now, after a couple solid seasons of touring Coast-to-Coast behind their eponymous debut CD, Grant Farm, released on Grant Central Records in March 2012, audiences everywhere are a-buzz with the Roots, Rock and Cris-Co statement that Grant Farm brings to every performance.

For over ten years, Ohio's #1 bluegrass band, the Rumpke Mountain Boys, have been amassing devoted fans with their signature blend of jamgrass, aptly named "Trashgrass." Phenomenal songwriting framed by fiery-fast mandolin, banjo, acoustic guitar and upright bass, creates a sound that has been described as foot-stompin' whiskey-spillin' old-timey psychedelic folk music!

Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, the Rumpke Mountain Boys have made a name for themselves with their high-energy improvisational shows that showcase some of the fastest picking in the game. Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon sums it up well, stating, "The Rumpke Mountain Boys - Hot licks, cool tunes. A party waiting to happen." 2012 was a banner year for this talented quartet, highlighted by the release of their album “Trashgrass,” and an epic performance at the All Good Music Festival in a 10:30am time slot. Normally, this would be prime sleeping time for most festival go-ers, but the Rumpke boys brought the throngs out early. 2012 also marked the return of their own Festival, Snugglefest. They appeared at Appalachian Uprising, Dark Star Jubilee and Terrapin Hill Music Festival, just to name a few. Named Cincinnati's best bluegrass band for seven years running, they have shared the stage with iconic artists such as Leftover Salmon, Tim O’Brien, Ralph Stanley, Keller Williams, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Del McCoury.

Despite all these accolades, the Rumpke Mountain Boys are known as one of the most fan-friendly groups in the music world today. This is due to their "campfire tours," where they migrate from campsite to campsite, many times picking until dawn with a hoard of faithful followers in tow. Their drive, dedication, and desire to play good music together shines through in their performances. Many music fans who dismiss bluegrass as "country" or "old people" music have walked away from their set with a newfound respect for this style. The Rumpke Mountain Boys are not your Grandfather's bluegrass band. With influences ranging from Jimmy Cliff, The Grateful Dead and Tom Waits to the more traditional Osborne Brothers and Stanley Brothers, the Rumpke Mountain Boys take old time music to a new level with an original approach, leaving no genre of music untouched.

Each member is a talented songwriter - Ben Gourley on mandolin, Adam Copeland on acoustic guitar, and Jason "Wolfie" Wolf on banjo are joined by Memphis-bred upright bass player J.D. Westmoreland to form a team that has taken the region by storm. The boys can be found honing their chops at a weekly Tuesday residency at Stanley’s Pub in Cincinnati. Their marathon live shows are now legendary, making them one of the most sought after festival acts in the east. 2013 is destined to be a pivotal year for the Rumpke Mountain Boys, kicking off the year with a New Year’s show in Cleveland, OH and a trip to the legendary Royal Studios in Memphis to begin working on the next album.

The Colorado-bred quintet combines the elements of mandolin, fiddle, acoustic guitar, upright bass, drums and vocals to explore the musical boundaries of multiple genres and to fuel their own mixture of original music and innovative cover song interpretations.  Whether playing an intimate encore, acoustic and unplugged in the crowd, or surfing on top of the upright bass, Whitewater Ramble delivers a powerful and memorable live performance.

Their debut studio album All Night Drive was released in the summer of 2010 to rave reviews and critical acclaim.  It was produced by Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth and features 12 original genre-bending tracks and special guests from a range of superstar bands including Tea Leaf Green, Railroad Earth, Particle, The David Grisman Quintet and Hot Buttered Rum.  

WWR has had the privilege of supporting, touring with and sharing stages with Railroad Earth, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Greensky Bluegrass, Cornmeal, The Infamous Stringdusters, Dark Star Orchestra, Little Feat, Papa Mali, The New Mastersounds, The Gourds, The David Grisman Quintet, Jerry Douglas, Lotus, Splitlip Rayfiled, Members of the String Cheese Incident, Particle, Hot Buttered Rum, Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon, DJ Logic, Donna The Buffalo, The Contribution, The Motet, Tea Leaf Green, Henry Butler, Vince Herman and Great American Taxi, Peter Rowan, Tony Furtado and many more.

Based in Fort Collins, CO, WWR has performed and headlined on every major stage across the Rocky Mountain Region. With over 700+ performances under their belt, the group has truly established themselves as one of the hardest working groups in the jam scene today.

A diverse festival resume has helped bring WWR to stages at events like the Northwest String Summit, Wakarusa, Yonder Mountain’s Harvest Festival, Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival, 80/35 Festival, Nedfest, Bohemian Nights NewWestFest, The Wildflower Pavilion at RockyGrass, Copper Mountain Sunsation, Desert Rocks Music Festival, Love Your Mother Earth Music Festival, Keystone Bluegrass and Brews, The Denver People's Fair, South Park Music Festival, Westword's Music Showcase, numerous Brew Festivals, and their own annual two day music and camping festival, Ramble on the River.

WhiteWater Ramble is:

• Patrick Sites – Mandolin/Vocals
• Patrick Latella – Acoustic Guitar/Vocals
• Howard Montgomery – Upright Bass/Vocals
• Ben Blechman – Fiddle/Vocals
• Paul Kemp – Drums