Acoustic Getaway Spring 2024 Performers

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Rob Flax’s Boom Chick Trio

The Boom Chick Trio is a western swing “supergroup” -- three string-wielding virtuosos rooted in equal parts hot chops, clever songwriting, and lyrical storytelling. Superb three-part harmonies, and an hysterical sense of stagecraft and humor. This hyper-energetic trio, featuring violin, guitar, and bass, comes with a guarantee you can’t sit still in your seat or wipe the smile from your face.

Rob Flax, fiddle and mando, has performed nationally and internationally with groups of many different styles, including opening for B.B. King and Tower of Power, playing with the Trans Siberian Orchestra and Jacob Collier. Slava Tolstoy, guitarist, led International String Trio, a gypsy-jazz-world-music fusion band, and he performs regularly with Grammy winners and nominees such as Fedor Chistyakov. Max Ridley on bass has performed at the Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Monterey Jazz Festival, and the Umbria Jazz Festival, and with such luminaries as Jeff Coffin, Kenny Werner, Tia Fuller, Ralph Peterson, and Bruce Molsky.

The Pairs

Powered by soaring sister harmonies, The Pair’s unbottled chemistry quickly connects them to concert and festival audiences throughout Canada and the U.S.. Renée Coughlin, Noelle Frances Coughlin, and Hillary Watson offer a unique blend of voice and guitar with stories about life's hope, hilarity, and hardship. These classically trained singers present gorgeous harmonies, great lyrics, captivating melodies, and irresistible charm. This award-winning trio tours internationally, throughout Canada, the USA, and Europe, and emanates energy, excitement, and genuine humanity wherever they perform.

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Toby Walker

Toby Walker is an award-winning guitarist, a passionate blues singer, and a phenomenal entertainer, whose slick licks, powerful vocals, smooth banter, and exciting stagecraft was sourced in studies with traditional blues and folk musicians such as Eugene Powell, James "Son" Thomas, and Etta Baker, and projects into the limits of what one person can do in the spotlight with one instrument. Toby tours the US, United Kingdom, and Europe, earned first place at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis,  and has been inducted into the NY Blues Hall Of Fame. He’s taught at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch, and The Swanannoa Gathering, and, according to Jorma (of The Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna), "Flat out... you have to hear this great musician... I'm blown away.

Joe Crookston

Joe Crookston is a force of nature on stage, embracing his audience and welcoming them into his aura and magic. Whether he’s weaving through lap slide songs or fiddling an American Southern tune, he’ll draw you in every time.  Joe is literate and poignant one moment, and then funny as hell the next, with an unwavering knack for connecting everyone to his joy and vision.

From touring with Gordon Lightfoot, headlining major US festivals, receiving Folk Alliance International Album of the Year, releasing NINE BECOMES ONE (2023) to being named Folk Alliance International Artist-in- Resident, Joe is on fire.  He’s played with Suzanne Vega, Dar Williams, David Francey, John McCutcheon, John Gorka, Judy Collins and 100’s more. Joe epitomizes folk music at it’s meaningful and human best

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Flamy Grant

Award-winning and Billboard-charting artist Flamy Grant is a shame-slaying, hip-swaying, singing-songwriting drag queen from western North Carolina. Her 2022 debut record, Bible Belt Baby, reached the number one spot on the iTunes Christian Charts and was nominated for Best Pop Album at the San Diego Music Awards. She is a winner of the 2023 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition and a 2023 QueerX Award nominee for Best Drag Artist.

A powerhouse vocalist, intrepid songwriter, and irreverent comedy queen, Flamy drags you into a therapeutic, theatrical mix of storytelling and song. Armed with a bold lip and a blistering voice, Flamy is brilliant, resilient proof that nothing is sacred, but everything is holy, and shame belongs in the closet.

Lili Añel

Lili Añel’s unique vocal style is amazingly stylish and defies categorization. It is a hybrid of jazz, folk, soul, and pop that recalls her many influences, such as Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Janis Ian, and Joan Armatrading, but synthesize into her own own unique sound and message. She connects deeply with her audiences with songs of struggle and celebrations with complete honesty and total feeling.

Lili is a supreme soloist who has supported on stage with musical luminaries --  Alejandro Escovedo, Madeleine Peyroux, The Holmes Brothers, Boz Scaggs, B.B. King, Raul Midon, and Robert Cray. She’s a past nominee for the prestigious PEW Center for Arts and Heritage Fellowship, and made the All About Jazz 2009 Year End Writers Choice for the 10 Best New Jazz Releases list, along with winning 3 NY Music Awards 2010, Best Singer-Songwriter, Best Jazz Album and Best Female Jazz Vocalist.

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Rob Flax’s Boom Chick Trio

The Boom Chick Trio is a western swing “supergroup” -- three string-wielding virtuosos rooted in equal parts hot chops, clever songwriting, and lyrical storytelling. Superb three-part harmonies, and an hysterical sense of stagecraft and humor. This hyper-energetic trio, featuring violin, guitar, and bass, comes with a guarantee you can’t sit still in your seat or wipe the smile from your face.

Rob Flax, fiddle and mando, has performed nationally and internationally with groups of many different styles, including opening for B.B. King and Tower of Power, playing with the Trans Siberian Orchestra and Jacob Collier. Slava Tolstoy, guitarist, led International String Trio, a gypsy-jazz-world-music fusion band, and he performs regularly with Grammy winners and nominees such as Fedor Chistyakov. Max Ridley on bass has performed at the Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Monterey Jazz Festival, and the Umbria Jazz Festival, and with such luminaries as Jeff Coffin, Kenny Werner, Tia Fuller, Ralph Peterson, and Bruce Molsky.

Image

The Pairs

Powered by soaring sister harmonies, The Pair’s unbottled chemistry quickly connects them to concert and festival audiences throughout Canada and the U.S.. Renée Coughlin, Noelle Frances Coughlin, and Hillary Watson offer a unique blend of voice and guitar with stories about life's hope, hilarity, and hardship. These classically trained singers present gorgeous harmonies, great lyrics, captivating melodies, and irresistible charm. This award-winning trio tours internationally, throughout Canada, the USA, and Europe, and emanates energy, excitement, and genuine humanity wherever they perform.

Image

Toby Walker

Toby Walker is an award-winning guitarist, a passionate blues singer, and a phenomenal entertainer, whose slick licks, powerful vocals, smooth banter, and exciting stagecraft was sourced in studies with traditional blues and folk musicians such as Eugene Powell, James "Son" Thomas, and Etta Baker, and projects into the limits of what one person can do in the spotlight with one instrument. Toby tours the US, United Kingdom, and Europe, earned first place at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis,  and has been inducted into the NY Blues Hall Of Fame. He’s taught at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch, and The Swanannoa Gathering, and, according to Jorma (of The Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna), "Flat out... you have to hear this great musician... I'm blown away.

Image

Joe Crookston

Joe Crookston is a force of nature on stage, embracing his audience and welcoming them into his aura and magic. Whether he’s weaving through lap slide songs or fiddling an American Southern tune, he’ll draw you in every time.  Joe is literate and poignant one moment, and then funny as hell the next, with an unwavering knack for connecting everyone to his joy and vision.

From touring with Gordon Lightfoot, headlining major US festivals, receiving Folk Alliance International Album of the Year, releasing NINE BECOMES ONE (2023) to being named Folk Alliance International Artist-in- Resident, Joe is on fire.  He’s played with Suzanne Vega, Dar Williams, David Francey, John McCutcheon, John Gorka, Judy Collins and 100’s more. Joe epitomizes folk music at it’s meaningful and human best

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Flamy Grant

Award-winning and Billboard-charting artist Flamy Grant is a shame-slaying, hip-swaying, singing-songwriting drag queen from western North Carolina. Her 2022 debut record, Bible Belt Baby, reached the number one spot on the iTunes Christian Charts and was nominated for Best Pop Album at the San Diego Music Awards. She is a winner of the 2023 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition and a 2023 QueerX Award nominee for Best Drag Artist.

A powerhouse vocalist, intrepid songwriter, and irreverent comedy queen, Flamy drags you into a therapeutic, theatrical mix of storytelling and song. Armed with a bold lip and a blistering voice, Flamy is brilliant, resilient proof that nothing is sacred, but everything is holy, and shame belongs in the closet.

Image

Lili Añel

Lili Añel’s unique vocal style is amazingly stylish and defies categorization. It is a hybrid of jazz, folk, soul, and pop that recalls her many influences, such as Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Janis Ian, and Joan Armatrading, but synthesize into her own own unique sound and message. She connects deeply with her audiences with songs of struggle and celebrations with complete honesty and total feeling.

Lili is a supreme soloist who has supported on stage with musical luminaries --  Alejandro Escovedo, Madeleine Peyroux, The Holmes Brothers, Boz Scaggs, B.B. King, Raul Midon, and Robert Cray. She’s a past nominee for the prestigious PEW Center for Arts and Heritage Fellowship, and made the All About Jazz 2009 Year End Writers Choice for the 10 Best New Jazz Releases list, along with winning 3 NY Music Awards 2010, Best Singer-Songwriter, Best Jazz Album and Best Female Jazz Vocalist.