Rock Hall’s annual FallFest begins with the rousing guitar, fiddle, banjo, bass and solid vocals of Kent County’s own Chester River Runoff in concert at the Mainstay in Rock Hall, MD on Friday October 10 at 8:00 p.m. Admission is $20.
Chester River Runoff is an edgy, contemporary bluegrass band from Maryland’s rural Eastern Shore. Their honest, unaffected sound features big harmonies, insightful songwriting, and tight instrumental work, all the mark of a great bluegrass band but they preserve in their live shows, the warm spirit and humor of friends who first started playing together just to learn their instruments.
The band’s topical songs like “Where the Speed Limit Changes” and “Plastic Houses”, which decry sprawl development on the Eastern Shore have drawn media attention and their spirited shows draw fans up and down the East Coast.
The members of Chester River Runoff are Ben Armiger on guitar and lead vocals, a prolific songwriter known for his direct and sincere lyrics set to catchy melodies; Sam Guthridge on banjo and lead vocals who also contributes original songs and instrumentals to the band’s repertoire; Marc Dykeman on bass and harmony vocals, described as the musical bedrock and voice of reason in Chester River Runoff and Nate Grower on fiddle and harmony vocals. Grower is also the fiddle player in the David Bromberg Quintet, has recorded with the Stonemans, has a solo album out on Patuxent records, has subbed with high profile acts such as Audie Blaylock & Redline and Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass and was the 2011 Delaware State Fiddle champion.
Armiger and Guthridge started jamming together and playing open mics in 2003 and formed the band in the fall of 2004. The first lineup played around the area and traveled as far as Maine, until the fall of 2006 when their original bassist and their mandolin player decided to leave the group. What could have been the end was instead the beginning of Chester River Runoff as a serious presence on the bluegrass and roots music scene. Marc Dykeman joined the band on bass and brought with him his wealth of musical knowledge, impeccable timing, and producer’s ear. Nate Grower joined on fiddle. At the time he was 20, had already gigged with most of the area’s bluegrass acts and brought a dose of serious professionalism and depth of knowledge about the bluegrass scene.
Since their debut in 2004 they have played country dives, barn dances, many well-known clubs and theaters including the Avalon, Purple Fiddle, Brooklyn’s Jalopy, and Ram’s Head Live, and have played the main stage at festivals such as Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, the DC Bluegrass Festival, and Falcon Ridge Folk Fest.
They’ve shared bills with groups ranging from the Seldom Scene to the Fleshtones, Afroman to the Avett Brothers, and even backed up an internationally known opera singer. Through this variety of settings, they have forged connections with diverse audiences without losing touch with their origins in the bluegrass tradition. By looking forward with their own vision and growing with open ears from their roots in bluegrass and country, the Runoff follow in the footsteps of the music’s pioneers, who experimented freely and strived to develop their own distinctive styles.
Rock Hall FallFest, a celebration of family, community, music and the oyster is an annual all-day street fair with craftspeople, children’s activities, food vendors and music on multiple stages on Saturday October 11 from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Saturday daytime events are free. The Festival also features 3 concerts at the Mainstay: Chester River Runoff on Friday October 10 at 8:00 p.m., The Eastport Oyster Boys on Saturday October 11 at 8:00 p.m. and Celebrating the Banjo with Diane Jones, Sam Guthridge and Bill Quern on Sunday October 12 at 2:00 p.m.
The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall’s old time Main Street. It is a 501(c)(3), non profit dedicated to the arts, serving Rock Hall, MD and the surrounding region. For information and reservations call the Mainstay at 410-639-9133. More information is also available at the Mainstay’s website https://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
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