Banjo player Richie Stearns and fiddler Rosie Newton grew up 150 miles and a few decades apart, but the fated combination of their unique skills, varied musical influences, and honest storytelling comes together to achieve their common goal: to create music people can connect with.

Richie earned himself a name with genre-bending Ithaca-based band the Horse Flies and through collaborations with Natalie Merchant and Donna the Buffalo. His career has spanned decades and he has toured internationally with legends like Bela Fleck, Pete Seeger, David Byrne, Billy Bragg + Wilco, and Joan Baez.

Rosie grew up steeped in roots music, touring with acclaimed folk-rock act the Mammals when she was still in high school. In addition to fronting the Ithaca’s Rose & the Bros, in which she plays accordion, Rosie has played fiddle alongside the Duhks, Preston Frank, the Pearly Snaps, Red Dog Run, and the Evil City Stringband (the last two with Stearns).

Richie and Rosie’s music finds itself at a junction of Americana, old-time, and folk, bringing a new sound to traditional music with trance-like, boundary pushing instrumental arrangements and angelic harmonies.

The evening opens with a set by The Vollmers, a husband/wife duo composed of Claire Byrne and Brian Vollmer. They are full-time musicians who make their humble home along America’s Rust Belt in Binghamton, NY. Their performance is an endearing set of older country and bluegrass songs, archaic fiddle tunes from rural Appalachia along with rootsy originals. Their interpretation of timeless American music is compelling and revealing; the show, charming.

$10 adv/$15 door
21+
Doors @ 7, Show @ 8