BRATTLEBORO-Peter Siegel, founding member of The Gaslight Tinkers, and fiddler-singer Mary Lauren Fraser host a night of fiddle tunes and songs Thursday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m.at the West River Cafe, 485 West River Rd. (Route 30).
Fraser and Siegel, performing together as The Easily Distracted, have been playing tunes and singing songs since (and before) pandemic times via livestream, drawing in online fans for impromptu porch parties, raucous fiddle tunes, and singalongs.
“Rags, Irish, Old Time, they just pull it out of wherever and do their thing. Chances are, they’ll have more fun than you do, but they want you to feel a little of what we do when we punt whatever comes to mind,” organizers wrote in a news release.
Fraser has been fiddling in the region her whole life in dance halls, cafes, festivals. She’s a mainstay and organizer of the Harry Smith old time weekend in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and founder of the River Jam Romp (romp.org) with Siegel.
Siegel says he cut his teeth working with folks like Pete Seeger; Jay Unger and Molly Mason; Judy Collins; Dar Williams; Utah Phillips; and Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary; and was a bandmate of bluegrass powerhouse Michael Daves in the “new old time” band Underbelly. He contributed and recorded on the Grammy-award winning Pete Seeger album, Tomorrow’s Children.
Beverages and other treats from the Cafe will be available, and the concert will be outside if the weather is right. The event is free, though donations will be welcome. For more information on the venue and series, visit westrivercafe.com.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.