Live bands, traditional music
Singles/couples of all ages welcome
No experience needed
Alcohol, smoke & fragrance free
$10 to $25 sliding scale
Rich Goss, from Portland, calls for River Scheuerell and Dante Faulk, a dynamic duo from Olympia. They play high-energy dance tunes from both sides of the Atlantic on fiddle, cello, guitar and bodhran.
Dante Faulk and River Scheuerell.
Joyride (from Portland) is famous for superb tunes, great arrangements, and ringing, rocking, gorgeous melodies that make you want to move. George Penk’s lively fiddle, Erik Weberg’s nimble flute, harmonica and bombarde, Sue Songer’s pulsing piano, and Jeff Kerssen-Griep’s percussive guitar breathe big life into contra dancing.
George Penk, Jeff Kerssen-Griep, Erik Weberg and Sue Songer.
The Raccoon Carnival is a band of 15 members—on fiddles, guitars, mandolins, bass, and other instruments—led by Sarah Comer. The arrangements are wonderful, and the tunes are lively and really well fitted to the dances. Joe Micheals is a superb caller. If you are a newcomer, be there at 3:00 for his workshop.
Sarah Comer and Raccoon Carnival.
Powerhouse duo Ryan McKasson on fiddle and Colin Cotter on guitar are Old Growth Graveyard, oldgrowthgraveyard.com. Check it out—on the link they play and sing a song by Bruce Springsteen! Ryan McKasson, from Lakewood, is a superb fiddler in the Scottish tradition. Colin Cotter, from San Francisco, is a guitar wonder who sings well. Be there for this dance! Your caller is Jesse Partridge.
Ryan McKasson and Colin Cotter.
Northwest Stomp, from Portland, brings dynamic Celtic music to the contra dance world. Katie Jane Lubiens is an awesome fiddler who can play and really smile at the same time. Eddie Butler joins on fiddle and mandolin. Thom Dudley is on guitar, Nila Garner play bodhran, and Rob Ridley plays flute, piccolo, and whistle. A whole lot of music! Your caller is Rich Goss.
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Katie Jane Lubiens and Nila Garner. The band: Eddie Butler, Katie Jane Lubiens, Nila Garner, Rob Ripley and Thom Dudley.
The Euphemists are different. Besides fiddle, piano, and whistle (Alan Snyder, Dave Goldman, and Greg Martin), they have three HORNS. That’s Greg Martin and Stephanie Shea on saxophones and Kaye Blesener on trombone. They play Celtic, Québécois, and old-time tunes, plus lively jazz standards, ragtime tunes, klezmer, and even a Sousa march. It all adds up to a unique sound and great contra dance experience.
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The Euphemists are Stephanie Shea and Greg Martin on sax and whistle, Dave Goldman on piano, Alan Snyder on fiddle, and Kaye Blesener on trombone.
January 21
February 18
March 17
April 21
May 19
June 16
July 21
August 18
September 22
October 20
November 10
December 15
The volunteers who organize and run the dance receive no pay. The admission fee is used to pay for the hall rent, sound person, band, and caller. To make a donation, please contact Matt Temmel at (253) 278-1237 or e-mail: info@tacomacontradance.org.
Thank you!