GuitarTown CT Celebrates its 15th Anniversary with Rock Hearts

To celebrate our 15th anniversary we are bringing in some great bluegrass by the Rock Hearts

Friday, May 5, 2023
Doors 7:00, Concert 7:30
Café Amici, 1640 Whitney Avenue, Hamden.Tickets $30

“We are excited and proud to mark 15 years, and 120 shows, with top New England band Rock Hearts. Thanks for all your support!”

Thanks to Karen Ponzio for your fine story about GuitartownCT. You can read it here: New Haven Independent Article
Come enjoy a delicious meal before the music starts.
Call Cafe Amici at 203-848-1682, to make a dinner reservation. Hope to see you there.

GuitarTown “HAS BROUGHT THE LIKES OF DR. RALPH STANLEY, HOT RIZE, SIERRA HULL, DOYLE LAWSON, MICHAEL CLEVELAND, THE TRAVELIN’ MCCOURYS, DAILEY & VINCENT, DELLA MAE, DALE ANN BRADLEY, TIM O’BRIEN, BLUE HIGHWAY, DEL MCCOURY, PETER ROWAN, BRYAN SUTTON, THE GRASCALS, THE GIBSON BROTHERS, RHONDA VINCENT, THE PUNCH BROTHERS, AND BILLY STRINGS” over the past 15 years!

Tickets Here For All Shows

TONY TRISCHKA comes to The Kate in Old Saybrook, CT with: A TRIBUTE TO EARL SCRUGGS.

Friday, May 26, 2023 – 8pm

Tony will be honoring the music of Earl Scruggs, pioneer of the three-finger banjo style and one of the most important musicians in bluegrass.

His band for the evening will include Michael Daves on vocals and guitar, mandolinist Jacob Jolliff and bassist Jared Engel— they will trace the story of Scruggs from his childhood to his final years. This show debuted at Joe’s Pub in New York City which drew lots of interest including an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.

Westchester Bluegrass Club brings NYC’s “Grass Messengers May 20

Get your tickets here

Bearsville Bluegrass Festival May 28

Visit Historic Woodstock NY for this Memorial Day weekend Bluegrass festival featuring CT’s own “On the Trail”- a band just selected to represent CT at Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival as an emerging artist!

BEARSVILLE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL at Bearsville Park

Austin Scelzo and On The Trail fresh from recording in Nashville Tennessee, plus special guests to be announced soon.

Sunday, May 28, 1pm – 6pm

Door/Park Opens: 1pm

Adult Ticket: $10. Children under 16 yrs: $5. Family Ticket (2 Adults/2 Child) $25. Purchase tickets here

Featuring: Austin Scelzo and On TheTrail.

Bruno Bruzzese & The Catskill Mountain String Band

DELICIOUS FOOD, HANDCRAFTED DRINKS & COCKTAILS!

Learn To Jam with Austin! – Bluegrass Jam Class – 10am – 1pm at Bearsville Park.

REGISTER HERE FOR AUSTIN’S CLASS!

All bluegrass instruments welcome.
No jamming experience necessary.
You will be jamming in the first class!
Friendly, encouraging, knowledgeable teaching.
Hands-on learning in large and small groups
Gentle tempos! Mistakes expected!
Music/tab reading not needed or used.
Singing not required, but encouraged and taught.
Soloing not required! “Faking” solos taught.
Do you qualify? It’s easier than you may think!
If you play guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, bass, or dobro… you can be part of a bluegrass jam. Only requirements – be able to:
Tune your instrument and
Change smoothly between G, C, D, and A (or the notes that work on bass and fiddle)

Ashokan Music Camps

We can’t recommend the Old Time Rollick and Bluegrass Camp more highly! If you love this music, this is the place to be!

Family Night at the Killingly Grange!

Last month, the Family Night at The Killingly Grange, in Dayville, CT was a success and may just become an annual event or even come to a Grange Hall near you!

Cathy Day and Jim Plecan held a 2 hour Kids Workship earlier in the evening, before the Hosmer Mountain Boys show. 8 kids from CT, MA, and RI, got a crash course in about a dozen songs, playing and singing by ear, watching the guitar chord shapes for chord changes, and following a flipchart for lyrics.

Small groups took to the stage at 7pm and rotated in with additional supporting adults including Anne Rouillard, fiddle, of the Splinters (MA) and Kate Giordano, guitar/vocals, of String Theory (CT).

Other evening highlights included Master of Ceremonies, Clyde Proch, a 30 second skit by two kids, 72 bottles of free Hosmer Mountain Soda donated by Bill Potvin, and a Ukelele raffle donated by Jim Plecan, instructor at Gibson’s Music store in Jewitt City.

Contact Cathy Day (860) 928-3736 if you know some kids who would like to participate in a future event like this and holding event like this near you!

Bluegrass Jams

Wethersfield

Pitkin Community Center in Wethersfield. 30 Greenfield Street. Room S-3

First and third Tuesday of each month in Wethersfield. There is a $3.00 suggested donation to cover the cost of the room. All levels are welcome. Acoustic instruments only. Wernick jamming etiquette is followed (announce your song with key, etc).

New Haven

Thursday, May 25 (Fourth Thursday)

Hamden

Sunday, May 7 from 2:00-5:00 pm, at Best Video, Hamden. Please join us, come to pick, or come to listen.

Burlington/Bloomfield, CT

Yankee Bluegrass Jammers, every Wednesday from 7 to 10 p.m. Location is either Elton Tavern, 781 George Washington Turnpike, Burlington, CT 06013 or Auer Farm, 158 Auer Farm Rd, Bloomfield, CT 06002. To learn where the jam will be held, contact either Carl Salsedo (carl.salsedo@uconn.edu) or Andy Szpekman (andy@ahscommunications.com).

East Hampton,

Monthly on the third Sunday Dexter’s Tune, Tales, & Ales, Sunday, ⋅1:00 – 4:00pm

Easton

Second Thursday 7:30 – 10:00pm 59 Church Road Easton

East Haven

Tuesday May 2 6-9PM -East Haven (First Tuesday of the month) Shore Line Trolley Museum 17 River St, East Haven, CT 06512 Led by Libby Kingsbury

Kids / Youth Camps and Activities

Kids interested in learning banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, bass, dobro, or other folk instruments don’t often have the opportunity to do so in public schools.