NEWS FROM THE STAIRWELL

AUGUST 2008 NEWSLETTER OF THE STAIRWELL SISTERS - All-Gal Old-Time String Band

Alrighty!

Diving headlong back into festivals, we're sending this out from a very short breather here at home. Turning it around and heading out to the Midwest to swim in beautiful lakes, bet on chicken fights, and play music for many late nights in a row. We're looking forward to joining Southern Routes (Dirk Powell, Christine Balfa, Riley Baugus, Sammy Lind and Caleb Clauder) at both upcoming festivals. See below for news of where we've been, and more new reviews of Get Off Your Money!

Hope to see you -
xo, Evie, Lisa, Sue, Martha & Stephanie

UPCOMING SHOWS
Details for all shows here: www.stairwellsisters.com/sistersshows.html

SAT-SUN 8/2-3: Sioux River Folk Festival - Sioux Falls, SD
MON 8/4: Summer Concert - Sioux Falls, SD
TUES 8/5: Empire Fair - Sioux Falls, SD
WED 8/6: Evie teaches a master class to the Wild Goose Chase Cloggers, Mpls, MN
THURS-SUN 8/7-10: Minnesota Bluegrass & Old Time Festival - St. Cloud, MN

Then...
8/11-17: Evie teaches @ Cazadero Family Camp, CA
SAT 8/23: Evie's new outfit EVIL DIANE plays the Starry Plough, Berkeley, 10:30pm
Do some bookstore hopping...
SUN 8/24: Martha's Knuckle Knockers at Red Hill Books, SF, 3-5pm
SUN 8/24: Evie's Evil Diane at Bird & Beckett, SF, 4:30-6:30pm
WED 8/27: Evie w/ Suzy Thompson & Allegra Yellin at Strings, Oakland, 8pm
SAT 8/30: Evie w/ Suzy Thompson & Allegra Yellin at Slow Food Convention, SF, 2:30pm

Wrap up the summer with a rowdy family dance!
SUN 8/31: FAMILY Square Dance – Evie calling w/ Squirrelly Stringband, Ashkenaz, Berkeley, 3-4:30pm

...and heads up for the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention Sept 11-14. Benton Flippen, Paul Brown, Rayna Gellert, Sammy & Caleb, yours truly and many more... www.berkeleyoldtimemusic.org

NEWS
Stephanie was featured in Strings magazine, with a great interview:
www.allthingsstrings.com/article/?articleid=23609
And we would be remiss if we did not throw in a lovely photo of us lovelies at Stephanie & Dave's gorgeous wedding in the Berkeley hills. Do you recognize us out of our traditional red & black?



July saw us revving back up with a few fun local shows, including a freezing outdoor Berkeley show and a beautiful sunny San Francisco show (isn't that supposed to be the other way around?). Then we hit the expansive state of WY for Oystergrass, where we found ourselves on our first Billboard, and shopped in the very first JC Penny's, established in the tiny town of Kemmerer in 1902, and still going! The crowd was rowdy and dancing, not surprising as they repealed the open container laws for the weekend, but only between the hours of 9am and 2am...hmmm. We truly enjoyed having the fabulous Lloyd Maines join us for a rousing Hangman Tree – what did he do to get that sound on the dobro?! It was great to reconnect, and hear him & Terri Hendrix play. We were followed by the amazing L'Angelus – from Louisiana, these siblings were totally off the hook, dancing like deer on speed, while playing and nailing sibling harmonies. Very cool.

Drove across the state to ROCKYGRASS – our first Planet Bluegrass festival – and for sure the greenest festival we've seen – artists got their own stainless water bottles, instead of the endless plastic, and their emphasis on minimal impact was extremely well done. We rocked out during our set, jealously eyeing the fans watching from the river, having to wait until after our workshop to DIVE in! Enjoying the red rock cliffs, the fabulous hospitality and sound, and the great entertainment that followed – chilling out to Peter Rowan, digging the Chocolate Drops, who got everyone to their feet with a fiddle-led Beyonce tune. Now that's old-time!

NEW REVIEWS

A mesmerizing project chock full of energy, excitement, poignancy and musical surprises. It's a boldly original album that looks both forwards and backwards simultaneously using old-time underpinnings to create a killer new sound.
– Dave Higgs, NASHVILLE PUBLIC RADIO

Five multitalented woman with diverse skills and backgrounds who are as famous for their for devotion to icon Hazel Dickens as they are to presenting their musical offerings with an "in your face rock n roll" attitude…The Stairwell Sisters represent the personification of traditional string music con mucho gusto!
– ELMORE MAGAZINE

High on raw energy the girls throw off the shackles as they race through opener, Kentucky Winder before settling into a deep smart groove on the gritty Hangman Tree… here is string band fare at its best.
– MAVERICK MAGAZINE

The Stairwell Sisters lead off with a foot-stomping, hand-clapping instrumental, "Kentucky Winder," showcasing the band's picking and fiddling talents and infectious energy. But the real fun begins when the women add their vocal harmonies to the mix. This collection of originals and old-time folk songs demonstrate the talent of this rompin' and stompin' all-girl string band.
– COUNTRY STANDARD TIME

SAY HOWDY!
Ongoing banjo, clogging and dobro lessons in Oakland and Berkeley, CA – if you're out this way, give us a holler! info@stairwellsisters.com

More info at: www.stairwellsisters.com