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2009 has been an intense year. It has been quite a ride with many ups and downs and
everything that falls in between.
We would like to extend our most heartfelt love and appreciation to
those of you who have crossed our paths and supported us along the way. We feel proud of how well the shows
have gone this year, and we are proud of the growth we have experienced as a
band.....
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It is with great sadness but hope for great things to come
that we announce founding member Jay Lapp has decided to leave the band. As many of you know, Jay has been
splitting his time between Trent Wagler and the Steel Wheels and Goldmine
Pickers for many years, and he has decided to devote 100% of his energy to Trent
and the Steel Wheels in the year to come. Jay will also be doing some work with Ted Swartz’s Theater
Company. Trent and the Steel
Wheels are currently putting the finishing touches on their 5th
album. Be sure to pick up a copy
and catch them live in 2010. Jay
has expressed an interest is performing with the Goldmine Pickers in the future
as a guest artist when the special occasion should arise.....
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As many of you know, long time member, fiddler, singer,
songwriter, and joke teller Sean Hoffman has spent time at sea as a Merchant
Marine. In the past, the job has
taken him away from the Midwest for extended periods of time. Sean is currently seeking a maritime
job, and he plans to spend some time working on a boat in the year to come. Sean has expressed an interest in
playing with the band on a part-time basis in 2010 when scheduling permits.....
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As for Lukas Simpson and Brian Cook, they plan to keep the
band going, or at least continue to play together in some way. Although the band will never be quite
the same, the search is on for musicians who could fit into our Goldmine
Pickers’ world. Brian is currently
putting the finishing touches on his solo album, and he will soon be doing
shows to promote it. Luke and
Brian will be doing solo and duo shows in the year to come while they search
for musicians to reform the band.
So keep an eye out for them.....
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The
words “break”, “hiatus”, and “restructuring” have been thrown around, but only
time will tell what our collective futures will hold. In the years we’ve played together, we have formed a
friendship and musical brotherhood that will continue on through times of
difficulty and change. Bands come
and they go, and lineups go through changes. It’s all part of being a working musician. With that being said, we know we will
all play together again in one way or another, even if it’s just in our living
rooms for the pure joy of it.