Sandy Creek Bluegrass Band

In 1975, the Sandy Creek Pickers bluegrass band was formed and immediately realized incredible success. Performing at packed Omaha, Lincoln, and Midwest venues, the band was a rock solid five-man bluegrass ensemble, offering great harmony and solid picking. Fast forward 35 years- Call it evolution. The Sandy Creek Pickers have evolved into a cohesive, six-man bluegrass unit for the 21st Century....Featuring flawless twin fiddles, contest winning guitar picking, foot stomping banjo, Dobro, mandolin, and the same high lonesome harmonies. They smoothly deliver all the new and old bluegrass favorites in such a relaxed fashion you'll feel like they are jamming in your living room. All of the band members have been bluegrass musicians throughout their careers and never depart from that core sensibility. But like the earliest icons, they also push the bluegrass envelope.

The Toasted Ponies

Featuring four of the region's most popular and accomplished musicians, The Toasted Ponies lay down a unique blend of bluegrass, acoustic music and original songs. Steve Hanson, banjo, mandolin and guitar, has won banjo championships at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Walnut Valley Festival. Steve has toured with C.W. McCall and been the subject of the documentary film Homegrown Bluegrass. Erin McGovern, guitar and mandolin, has performed as a solo artist and in bands including The Hags, with Mary Chapin-Carpenter. Terry Keefe, fiddle and mandolin, plays all the classic breakdowns, as well as Irish and ragtime tunes, and is a past winner of the Midwest Fiddle Championship and the Iowa State Mandolin Championship. Jim Pipher, bass and emcee, has won awards as a singer and songwriter, toured the United States and Canada with the swing band Sour Mash, and made a concert film and several recordings with the legendary jazz violinist Claude Williams.

The Little Family Band

The Little Family Band has been sharing their love of music with family, friends, and the community for the past three years. This fun loving, energetic, three generational band was formed out of the desire to jam together and grow musically under the teachings of Jenni Wallace. Grandma Susan, along with her son Jeremy, daughter Lisha, and grandsons Nathan and Adam showcase their vocal and instrumental talents, which features banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, hammered dulcimer, bass box and more. Bluegrass, old time, gospel and folk make up the majority of the band’s music, however, contemporary songs are also in the mix. The Little Family Band has performed for a variety of events in the community and is excited to be participating in the 2nd annual AppleGrass Festival.

The Flatwater Drifters

"We are the "Flatwater Drifters", an all-woman string band with four members from Council Bluffs and Omaha that play acoustic string instruments, including fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, hammered dulcimer, and string bass. We specialize in traditional old-time and Irish music, as well as more modern tunes in the old-time genre. We play a wide-range of tunes including hoe-downs, schottisches, hambos, waltzes, gospel, jigs, hornpipes and slow airs. Instrumental and vocal harmonies are frequently highlighted. A great deal of the music we play is intended for dancing, so some tunes include clogging and Irish step-dance routines." - Marti Nerenstone, Sheryl Cuba, Becky Latka, Lisa Cuba

Mr. Baber's Neighbors: the Solar String Band

From the flatlands of the Midwest comes a band of urban hillbillies who joined the bluegrass revolution and set out to bring the mountain sounds to those seeking a respite from the daily grind. Mr. Baber's Neighbors: The Solar String Band was established in the living room of Mr. Baber's Neighbor with the intentions of nothing more than a good time. With the release of their self-titled album, Mr. Baber's Neighbors offers their own interpretation of the bluegrass experience. Coming from Des Moines armed with Banjo, Guitar, Fiddle, Mandolin, Dobro and a Bass Fiddle, Paul Perkins, Jeff Blanchard, Billy Kearney, Charlie Formaro and Jerry Hoehle add organic, heartfelt harmonies to complete their wholesome sound.

Rivertown String Band

Plunge into a fast flowing, diverse musical experience with The Rivertown String Band as this four member band consisting of Jim and Kathy Wood, Jenni Wallace and Mindy Hunke, play old time barn dance tunes, European folk melodies, Celtic and old Irish harp music, historical songs from America's past, and a splash of more contemporary folk music. Formed in 1984, the Rivertown String Band has been a cornerstone of the Old Time music scene in the Greater Omaha Area bringing music that features a wide variety of instruments including but not limited to mandolin, fiddle, upright bass, guitar, hammered dulcimer, autoharp, penny whistle, mountain dulcimer and a variety of unique rhythm instruments.

KOPSA

The KOPSAs, in folk tradition, have grown up singing plenty of home-spun songs and old-fashioned hymns. They all enjoy playing the piano. However, it's the guitar, mandolin and fiddles that have allowed them to take their music anywhere they go...and to play together. It has been about three years since they began. They now have a fun, kid-sized repertoire of bluegrass, old-time, folk and gospel tunes, including some original material. The KOPSAs have enjoyed playing at a variety of local venues. But the very best "concerts" are at home where even the littlest ones (band members in training) join in with ukuleles, spoons, hand-clapping and dancing.

Banner Creek

Guitar player Gary Bell, a mainstay of the northeast Kansas bluegrass community, has been working with some very talented young musicians who happen to be his neighbors. They're twins, 18 years old. Sam Kuglin on mandolin and Ben Kuglin on the banjo have both shown amazing aptitude for playing bluegrass music. Adding to the instrumental pyrotechnics is Tyler Ahlgren on guitar. Actually, he plays several instruments, and plays them all well. Sherry Durst plays bass for this group and adds some very nice harmonies. They are a fun-loving, light-hearted intergenerational group that you are sure to enjoy.

Bluegrass Playground

Bluegrass Playground has been around the Omaha area since the 1980’s. Though it was inert for awhile, the band has re-gathered steam with the addition of some new personnel in the last few years. With original band leader Dan McElroy on banjo, Virginia transplant Earl Witt adding vocals and supurb guitar, local favorites Max Cooley on dobro and Matt Allen on mandolin and Mindy Hively holding things down with her doghouse bass, this group offers a controlled, yet sensual instrumentality, along with the meaty, Nebraska flavored vocals. Bluegrass Playground hopes that you’ll stop by and take a musical bite of their bluegrass smorgasbord.

Dirty River Ramblers

Formed on a shared passion for string music, bluegrass, and old country, the Dirty River Ramblers combine tasteful instrumentation with original songwriting. Tapping into the traditions and diverse array of songs by the likes of Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers, and Hank Williams, Sr., The Ramblers are sure to satisfy your longings for the hills, valleys, hollers, and mountains, and conjure up a blend that is one part opry, one part barn dance. Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, this group of pickers and songwriters delivers a unique, yet familiar sound that is sure to get your toes tapping.