BRAS presents concerts on the first Friday of each month in downtown Colorado Springs at Pikes Perk Coffee and Tea House located at 14 S. Tejon.Concerts will be held on the second floor of Pikes Perk.Shows will begin at 8:00 p.m. and tickets will be available only at the door, starting at 7:30 p.m. will be the same as our Black Forest Open Stage events: $4.00 for members and $7.00 for non-members (cash and checks only).The venue provides an intimate setting that will accommodate an audience of 50-60.
May 4
Adam Gardino
It is inspiring to watch a musician who is clearly a master of his instrument, and Adam Gardino is a master of the guitar. A Colorado Springs resident, Adam has been dazzling audiences across Colorado and Kansas since 2005 with his unique blend of music which draws from acoustic blues, jazz, classical, country and rock. Not surprisingly, he has shared the stage with such acts as Grammy winners Doug Smith, Pat Donohue and Al Petteway, and Adam's sound has been likened to that of guitar greats Leo Kottke, Tommy Emmanuel, Chet Atkins and James Taylor. They say the proof is in the "playing", and despite his relatively young age, in 2010 Adam took 3rd Place at the International Fingerstyle Competition at the Walnut Valley Festival where he competed against guitar players from all over the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan.
Adam is also an accomplished arranger, composer and songwriter. His acoustic compositions and arrangements show intense musical insight and depth. Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn Theme", Bill Haley and His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock", and Steely Dan's "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" have been put onto six strings in an elegant fashion. Listen awhile, and you will find that Adam's original songs encompass the entire emotional rainbow; some are poignant, some make you laugh, and some, like his hilarious "Dentist Chair Blues", may bring back memories and tears to your eyes for a number of reasons!
World renowned harp guitarist Stephen Bennett called Adam "a treasure", and Doug Smith, Grammy Winner and International Fingerstyle Champion said "I was blown away when Adam played my arrangement of Cole Porter's 'Anything Goes' - better than I do!" So come out to Pikes Perk on May 4th for a jaw-dropping evening with guitar virtuoso Adam Gardino!
June 1
Big Valley String Band
Colorado Springs loves their bluegrass music and offers a wide variety of talented string players. At Black Rose we love to bring in local musicians. Hailing from the foothills of Pikes Peak, the Big Valley String Band brings vitality and excitement to traditional mountain music. The group's seeds were sown when Midwestern transplants Andrew Notbohm (guitar) and Brandon Bernard (mandolin) were struck with the inspiration to make something more of their ongoing musical collaboration. Soon they had added the sounds of banjo picker Jonny Slumpff,fiddler Shug Miles, and the bass of Rick Starkey. Boasting a full lineup, the band brings their modern take on the "high lonesome sound" to ecstatic audiences all along the Front Range.
Performing tight bluegrass as well as old-time numbers with an earthy, raw sound comes easily to a group with such diverse musical backgrounds. Notbohm's vocals, honed during years of campfire sing-alongs, sail powerfully over the rich texture of Bernard's creative mandolin chops and Starkey's solid upright bass lines. Miles brings a lifetime of musical knowledge to the fiddle, while Slumpff provides the bluegrass backbone with his driving banjo. Come spend an evening with Big Valley and experience a well-crafted blend of traditional, modern, and original bluegrass music.us at Pikes Perk downtown for a night of good bluegrass with great local talent. http://www.facebook.com/BigValleyStringBand
If you're interested in performing as an opening act, contact Charlie Hall at openstage@blackroseacoustic.org. To perform as a featured act, contact Joanna Springer at joannaspringer@rocketmail.com.
