2005 Twilight Concert Series

The break-up of Camper Van Beethoven in the late eighties set the stage for the creation of the rock band, Cracker. David Lowry, the lead singer and guitarist of CVB, along with guitarist Johnny Hickman and bassist David Faragher began recording material, eventually signing with Virgin Records. Their second studio album, Kerosene Hat, produced their infamous hits “Low” and “Get Off This” in the early 90’s. By the late nineties, the band solidified their lineup, and by the turn of the century, they united with some of Camper Van Beethoven’s members. Today, Cracker continues to demonstrate their passion for music by producing albums and touring. (website)

Hailing from New Orleans, The Iguanas music can be described as roots-rock, fused with a fresh jolt of R&B and Latin and Caribbean rhythms. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist/accordionist Rod Hodges and Joe Cabral, who alternates between saxophone and a traditional Mexican stringed instrument known as the bajo sexto. The two also share lead vocal duties and are joined by bassist Rene Coman, drummer Doug Garrison and saxophonist Derek Huston. They will be joined for the Twilight Concert by Eric Lucero on trumpet. (website)

The daughter of folk music icon Arlo Guthrie, Sarah Lee Guthrie was two years old when she made her singing debut as part of a children’s chorus on Arlo’s 1981 album, Power of Love. Johnny Irion comes from the vibrant Carolina indie-rock scene of the early ’90s, first as a member of Queen Sarah Saturday and later with Dillon Fence. Irion and Guthrie connected with a recording in 2003, Exploration, on New West Records and they have been busy recording and performing ever since. (website)

At the age of 27, Jake Shimabukuro is already considered a master of the ukulele and is leading a resurgence by boldly going where no ukulele player has gone before. While Jake has great respect and love for traditional Hawaiian ukulele music, his mission is to show everyone that the ukulele is capable of so much more. His ever-expanding repertoire includes jazz, blues, funk, classical, bluegrass, folk and rock. Jake has been featured in such diverse publications as USA Today, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, National Geographic and The Los Angeles Times. (website)

Constantly weaving modern and retrospective styles into its own trademark jazz-funk-rock fusion, Galactic has created a far-reaching canon informed by influences from a wide range of genres, including hip-hop, blues, pop and electronica. With the departure of longtime vocalist Theryl “Houseman” DeClouet in late 2004, Galactic’s remaining five members forged a bold return to their roots as an instrumental act. Anchored by the seamless rhythm team of bassist Robert Mercurio and drummer Stanton Moore, Galactic’s line-up has always represented a diverse set of influences that unite in one, multi-dimensional sound, with Jeff Raines on guitar, Rich Vogel on Hammond B3 organ and keyboards, and Ben Ellman on saxophone. (website)

Two themes run consistently through Crimes of Passion, the eighth album from Big Head Todd and The Monsters – a love of rock and roll and the need to tell compelling human stories. The juxtaposition of riff-driven rockers against melodic ballads, and a diversity of styles from folk to funk reflect the band’s career-long embrace of all types of music, while deeply rooted in rock and roll. Todd Mohr’s wide-ranging songwriting has always been seamless because the other two members of the creative BHTM triad – bassist Rob Squires and drummer Brian Nevin – have an intuitive understanding of the music playing in Mohr’s head. For their Twilight appearance, they will be joined by keyboardist Jeremy Loughton. (website)

Anne McCue is the virtual definition of a "triple threat." A potent singer, thoughtful songwriter and tough guitarist, McCue’s career has covered the range from punk to Lilith Fair to awards from the Australian music industry to a tour of Vietnam. Her latest outing is the new recording, Roll, on Messenger Records. (website)

Led by singer/guitarist Tommy Malone and accordionist John Magnie, the subdudes draw inspiration from the sounds of their native New Orleans, blending blues, gospel, funk and R&B with their own vocal harmonies. The band came together after backing artists such as Joni Mitchell and Rosanne Cash, recording its debut album in 1990. After an eight-year sabbatical, the subdudes joined Bob Dylan guitarist Freddy Koella to produce Miracle Mule in the spring of 2004. The current band line-up is comprised of three of the four original subdudes: Tommy Malone, Steve Amedée and John Magnie, who are joined by Tim Cook and Jimmy Messa. (website)

Violinist, fiddler, composer, producer and educator, Darol Anger is at home in a number of musical genres, some of which he helped to invent. Working with many of the world's great improvising string musicians, among them Stephane Grappelli, Mark O'Connor, David Grisman, Tony Rice, Bela Fleck and Vassar Clements, has contributed to the development of Anger's signature voice, both as a player and a composer. Darol’s latest project, Republic Of Strings, features cellist Rushad Eggleston, guitar legend Scott Nygaard, and fiddle prodigy Brittany Haas. (website)

For more than 40 years, mandolinist and composer David Grisman has been busy creating "dawg" music, a blend of many influences including swing, bluegrass, latin, jazz and gypsy. This Grisman blend is so unique, he dubbed it with a new name, “dawg.” In doing so, David has inspired a whole new genre of acoustic string instrumental music with style and virtuosity while creating a unique niche for himself in the world of contemporary music. The current David Grisman Quintet includes David on mandolin, Jim Kerwin on bass, George Marsh on percussion, Enrique Coria on guitar, and Matt Eakle on flute. (website)

Old School Freight Train (OSFT) has been creating new sounds in acoustic music since September of 2000. OSFT explores bluegrass, jazz, Celtic, classical, Afro-Cuban, and rhythm & blues, arriving at a unique and compelling sound. The five-piece band plays a combination of instrumental and vocal tunes. Old School Freight Train is the band to watch as they continue to gain exposure and win new audiences with their original sound and dynamic live performances. (website)

Always the picture of independence, Shelby Lynne forged her career on the strength of her songwriting, never looking for support from the publicity and marketing departments. This approach garnered her a Grammy in 2000 for the album I Am Shelby Lynne. Lynne's trademark is her huge voice, but there is much more to her voice than volume. She is a unique vocal stylist with range and versatility. Her phrasing is immaculate, especially on the jazzier and more rhythmic tunes. She can also shift stylistic gears, delivering soulful ballads, foot-stomping honky-tonk, and rave-up Western swing numbers. In another era, she would be equally at home performing with Patsy Cline and Bob Wills. (website)

Within the Austin, Texas music scene – one of the most vibrant in the country – Bob Schneider stands head and shoulders above the crowd. He swept the South by Southwest music awards last year, taking home nine top honors. Long a visible front-man for such bands as Joe Rockhead, the Ugly Americans and the outrageous Scabs, Schneider has been beyond merely prolific, having released over 300 songs with various projects. He performs at the Twilight Concert Series with his most current quartet of musicians. (website)

The life of Keller Williams has been one long musical journey, each adventure contributing to his reputation as one of today’s most distinctive and impressive guitarists/singer-songwriters. He is a one- man band for the digital age. Using innovative looping technology and innate musical genius, Keller’s live solo performances pack more music on one stage than a full-fledged rock ensemble. His inspired live shows sell out theatres coast-to-coast, filling them with fans eager to witness his outrageous inventiveness, garnering him the nickname of "mad scientist." (website)

Zilla’s music a discourse of patterns, melodies, pumping bass and get-up-and shout-beats. The band is comprised of Michael Travis (The String Cheese Incident) on drums, hand percussion, sampler, and 7 string bass, Jamie Janover plays hammered dulcimer (2003 national champion), mini-kit, percussion, sampler, electric kalimba, didgeridoo, electric sitar and water, Aaron Holstein (FJP) plays bass, guitar, sampler, foot controller and sings, and Steve Vidaic (Citizen Cope) plays keyboards and melodica.