THE MUSICIANS & THE BANDS

The Rhondas (12 pm)

The Rhondas are an all woman trio of multi-instrumentalists and vocalists based in Akron, OH. Their honey-laden voices and sassy smiles combine into a performance of roots-based originals and covers laced with richly woven harmonies and edgy instrumental arrangements. The Rhondas are Jen Maurer, Laurie Howard, and Sarah Rolan. Jen (guitar, vocals) was raised in the Northeast Ohio music scene and has fronted the Mo' Mojo Mama Band (formerly Zydeco Jones) for the last 12 years. Over the years, Jen has also performed with Hillbilly IDOL and many other excellent local acts. Laurie (vocals, banjo, drums) grew up on the shores of Lake Huron and was inspired by recordings of Bela Fleck and Michelle Shocked. She has performed as half of the duo Dubious Affair for almost 10 years, and with the band Work In Progress for 6 years. Growing up cradled in the verse of her musical Texas family, Sarah (vocals, bass) learned to love music and play music from and early age. Family gatherings and reunions were always filled with bluegrass, gospel or good old rock n’ roll. She was discovered by Jen on a stage in Kent just a couple of years ago and was quickly put to use as the band's bottom end babe. Last year, The Rhondas were asked to lead a three-part-harmony-singing workshop at the Kent State Folk Festival. To hear The Rhondas and to find out more about the band visit www.myspace.com/therhondas.

Clear Fork Bluegrass Quartet (1 pm)

Formed in 1984, the Clear Fork Bluegrass Quartet is one of the region's premier bluegrass bands. Paul Kovac, a Geauga County native who has performed on banjo with Bill Monroe, sings lead, plays guitar and mandolin, and has fun as the band’s MC. The banjo duties are superbly handled by Jim Metz, whose playing is clean and hard driving, and his bona-fide tenor voice that blends well with Kovac’s lead vocals. Bill Watson handles the stand up bass for the group. He is a rock-solid acoustic bass player, and he is adept at playing all American roots music styles. Ray Sponaugle, the recipient of the 2006 Ohio Heritage Fellowship for the Traditional Arts, plays the fiddle for the band. The list of special live, radio, and TV performances and famous artists that the Clear Fork Bluegrass Quartet has appeared with is long and impressive. They’ve played extensively throughout the NE Ohio region, and at the best bluegrass festivals all over the eastern United States. They have appeared with artists like Bill Monroe, the Tony Rice Unit, Peter Rowan, Alison Krauss, Ralph Stanley, John McCutcheon, the Horseflies, and Garrison Keillor, to name a few. In 1987, the band won the State of Ohio Bluegrass Band Championship. 

Andy Cohen (2 pm)

Andy Cohen’s performance varies depending on the setting, but a typical show might include both rural and urban blues, gospel, country ragtime, and old-time songs. He considers the music that he plays all of one piece, in that it comes from a restricted time period, from about 1900 to 1940, and a restricted place, the southeast quadrant of the United States. Andy has been playing music professionally since 1964. Though he now lives in Memphis, Tennessee, Andy lived in Kent, OH for twenty years and performed throughout the Northeast Ohio region with his band, The Barbarians, and with various combinations of other local musicians. Andy is fondly remembered for playing the steam calliope over at Hale Farm. In addition to having played with many of the great Northeast Ohio musicians, Andy has split bills with John Koerner, Bryan Bowers, Utah Phillips, The Holmes Brothers, Howard Armstrong and Ted Bogan, John Hammond, Honeyboy Edwards, Reverand Gary Davis, and more. Andy is returning to the Raccoon County Music Festival, armed with his old Gibson and some new old blues and rags. He looks forward to reuniting with his friends from the area and reconnecting with the Northeast Ohio music scene.

To hear Andy’s recordings and to find out more about him visit http://www.riverlark.com/.

Acadian Driftwood (3 pm)

Acadian Driftwood will take the stage to heat up the afternoon with some traditional Cajun music. The band will feature local Cleveland musician Brad Smedley playing accordion. Brad formed the band Stand Bayou, and he has made major festival appearances sharing the stage and developing friendships with many of his mentors, including Marc Savoy and Michael Doucet of the legendary Cajun group Beausoleil. Brad is joined by his friends of over 20 years, Bill Lestock on fiddle and Jim Richards on guitar, who have both been active in teaching and performing traditional roots music at local events and venues throughout Northeast Ohio. 

Pitch the Peat (4 pm)

Pitch the Peat is a traditional Irish band based in the Cleveland area. Band members from Dublin City, County Clare, and Cleveland entertain audiences throughout Ohio with traditional and modern Irish songs. Flute, fiddle, guitar, and bodhran combine to delight audiences with lively jigs and reels. Pitch the Peat has opened for top-class traditional Irish acts such as Grada, Paddy Keenan and Frankie Gavin and festival favorites such as Gaelic Storm. Pitch the Peat is a powerful four-piece Irish group sure to captivate any fan of Celtic music. Pitch the Peat includes Ruairi Hurley (guitar, vocals) from Dublin, Ireland, Patrick Custy (flute, vocals) from County Clare, Ireland, Nikki Custy (fiddle) from Cuyahoga Falls, OH, and Brendan Carr (bodhran, djembe) from Cleveland, OH.

Pitch the Peat is a mainstay in the Cleveland Irish music scene. They perform regularly at The Harp, Flannerys, and Brendan O’Neills.

To hear Pitch the Peat and to find out more about the band visit www.pitchthepeat.com.

The Hogwashers (5 pm)

Based in Ithaca, NY, The Hogwashers draw from a local music scene rich in southern style Appalachian fiddle tunes and songs. Influences include legendary local Ithaca acts such as Highwoods Stringband, Bubba George and The Horseflies, combined with a love for the Round Peak (North Carolina) style old-time music of Tommy Jarrell, Fred Cockerham and The Red Hots, just to name a few. This mix creates an energetic blend of syncopation and straight-ahead railing that dares you not to dance! The Hogwashers are Joe Damiano on banjo, a Cleveland native now living in Ithaca, Steve Selin on fiddle, Lydia Garrison on fiddle, Jason Zorn on guitar and mandolin, and Mike Levy plays the upright bass.

To hear The Hogwashers and to find out more about the band visit www.myspace.com/thehogwashers.

Square Dance with The Maple Hill Rounders and dance caller Lynn Frederick (6:30 pm)

The Maple Hill Rounders will be the square dance band for the evening, and Lynn Frederick will call the dance.

The Maple Hill Rounders are a local old-time and bluegrass string band originally from Maple Hill on Butternut Road in Munson Township, Geauga County, Ohio. The group consists of four of the Haas family siblings and other rotating members. The Maple Hill Rounders are a true example of a family where traditional American music is passed on from generation to generation through the oral tradition. The band was highly involved in past Raccoon County Music Festivals, and it is a special treat to have them back again to play for the festival square dance.

Lynn Frederick hails from Brady Lake, OH near Kent and has called dances from here to who knows where, including the National Folk Festival, but you may remember him as the caller for the Kent Community Square Dance, which served as a regional square dance oasis from 1981 until the close of the millennium. 

The Artist

Geauga County resident Zach Smolko designed this year's festival t-shirt. Zach draws, paints, and plays every instrament imaginable. He has many bands including an old-time string band called One Dollar Hat and two indie rock bands called The Abductees and The Helper T-Cells. His original artwork/music is brilliant, unpretentious, spontaneous, and entertaining. Buy a festival t-shirt designed by Zach and check out his bands when they play around the Cleveland area.