Lemon Bucket Orkestra’s Michael Louis Johnson

Lemon Bucket Orkestra are Toronto’s original guerrilla-folk party-punk massive. The multi-award-winning ensemble has been heralded as a groundbreaking, genre-bending phenomenon by media and fans alike, and over the past 8 years have performed all over the world from WOMAD in New Zealand and Pohoda in Slovakia, to Festival D’Été in Québec City, and Luminato in Toronto. Equal parts exhilarating precision and reckless abandon, LBO’s live shows are a truly immersive experience – ranging from the ecstatic to the cathartic and all points in between – and they have expertly captured that unique blend of energy and emotion on their new album “If I Had The Strength”. Released in Canada through Outside Music in late 2018, it’s set for worldwide release via a new deal with Six Degrees Records this September, and includes guest appearances from famed soprano Measha Brueggergosman, rising Latino rapper Boogát, sing-a-long phenoms Choir!Choir!Choir! and more. The band will be busy touring the Canadian festival circuit this summer, and are heading out on a 12 date US tour in support of the Six Degrees release this fall. Along with the worldwide release of the new album, LBO will also be premiering a new live video for the song “Freedom”. Filmed with multiple cameras at Toronto’s legendary Opera House earlier this year, it captures the band doing what they do best – taking the audience on a joyful, impassioned ride through the Balkans and beyond. Don’t miss your chance to see this dozen strong juggernaut if you can.

I had the chance to catch up with Michael Louis Johnson, trumpet player of Lemon Bucket Orkestra to discuss what people at the Madison World Music Festival can expect when they show up and bring the party. We get into the creation of the new album from seed to blooming flower, and the vision and fuel behind the making of the video for “Freedom”. I found that we painted a great picture of what a show will be like and how the album and video were made, but hearing who Michael, on behalf of himself and the band, might choose to put on a festival bill with them if he could choose from any artist ever really opened my mind to the who behind the what.

Lemon Bucket Orkestra

Exactly What Was Ordered

The extra set was just what hunGry listeners had ordered up:

Night Train 57- Dan Zanes Ft. Claudia Eliaza
**Pre-recorded conversation with Claudia Eliaza and Dan Zanes**
On Our Way- Dan Zanes Ft. Claudia Eliaza
Bloom Baby Bloom- Dan Zanes Ft. Claudia Eliaza

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Maledve O- RAM
Waterfall- Samite
Mayengo- Samite

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Spell- Leni Stern w/Mamadou Ba & Alioune Faye
Isis- Mohamed Abozekry & Karkadé

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Chant of the Islands- Fiji
Tequila Sunrise- Fiji
We Don’t Roll- Fiji

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Jungle- David Starfire
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Heroes- Lemon Bucket Orkestra

Foot Free Feet

The second portion of the proGram had the shoes left right off:

Rule 1- Yak Attack
Rule 2- Yak Attack
Pump And Dump- Yak Attack

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greenarrowradio promo- Jeremiah Johnson
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Despirationism- Light Blue Movers
Truths- Light Blue Movers
Don’t Analyze- Big Heart Machine

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Thanks For the Memory- Errol Garner
Where Or When- Errol Garner
Easy To Love- Errol Garner

O Morro Não Tem Vez- Wes Montgomery & Wynton Kelly Trio (live)
Oleo- Wes Montgomery & Wynton Kelly Trio (live)
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Broadway Blues- Rich Halley 3
Vision- Stephen Martin
Three By Two- Stephen Martin
Coming Home- Justin Kauflin

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Body N Soul- The Deli
Yes Y’All Interlude- The Deli
Fractals- The Deli Ft. Lungfulls
California Love- Sly5thAve Ft. Corey Henry
Shiznit- Sly5thAve Ft. Jesse Fischer

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The End Of The End- The Orb Ft. Emma Gillespie
Turn It Up- David Starfire

Where People Can Be

The first portion of the proGram was to be a haven to be….yeah…just…..BE:

Rescue The Past- Geoff Achison
Ace of Spades- Johnny & The Headhunters
Hug You Squeeze You- David Gerald (live)
Pour Me- Damon Fowler

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Summertime- Joanne Shaw Taylor
Let It Slide- Michele D’amour and the Love Dealers
Gun Toting Preacher- Frank Bey
Freight Train- Bruce Katz Band

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Without You- The Creation Factoy
Everything’s Gonna Be Alright- Handsome Jack
Just Another Song- Fuchsia

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Wag The Dog- Strange Majik
Frozen Bread- Chris Lightcap
Let There Be Light- Darshan

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Crumble- Maya Jupiter
Never Said Yes- Maya Jupiter

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Lemonade- Rubblebucket
Inner Cry- Rubblebucket
Pigs, Sheep and Wolves- Paul Simon
Sunshine- The Jack Moves

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Try Love- Ben Pirani
Soul Albo- Henley Douglas RnB

Sensory Speaking with Claudia Eliaza and Dan Zanes

Grammy Award winning children’s artist Dan Zanes and Haitian-American vocalist and music therapist Claudia Eliaza present the freewheeling musical world of the Night Train 57, an engine powered by fifteen original singalongable songs. In this Sensory Friendly comic folk opera, the husband-wife duo are joined by Mexican percussionist Yuriana Sobrino on a collection of festive tunes played with an amazing array of diverse instruments, and of course their voices. This recording is intended to be enjoyed as a stand alone listening experience for families and early childhood educators as well as fans of the comic folk opera. Night Train 57 was significant in the Theater for Young Audiences genre in that it was the first entirely Sensory Friendly work to be commissioned by The Kennedy Center which for several years has been the leader in the movement towards greater accessibility. The show premiered in the Fall of 2017 and will be touring North America for the next several years. Claudia and Dan are at the forefront of the emerging Sensory Friendly movement which aims to help performing arts venues provide conditions that are welcoming to a variety of families, including those who have children with special needs. Night Train 57 is the 22nd release from Dan’s Festival Five Records, a label specializing in all-ages music for kids and kid sympathizers. The label’s first release was Rocket Ship Beach in 2000. For the past 2 years, in addition to Night Train 57 performances, Claudia and Dan have been performing as a duo – and sometimes a trio with Haitian jazz vocalist Pauline Jean – in venues large and small across America and Canada. In concert, their soulful take on family folk music includes selections from Lead Belly, Baby!, an award winning 2017 Smithsonian / Folkways release, as well as hits from Dan’s deep back catalog and, more recently, some traditional tunes from Claudia’s Haitian heritage.

I had the honor of speaking with Claudia and Dan about this project and how we all share the “inclusion is a cool thing” thinking. We get into how the songs were developed and nurtured by a new found toGetherness, and how the first experience of a sensory friendly event has left not only Claudia and Dan with a real satisfied feeling, but what it has shown to mean for the variety of people in attendance. Variety. Diversity. Everyone.

Performing Arts centers are catching on and I am sure the one closest to you does not want to feel left out, so share this concept, share this interview and share these people with them and hop on the Night Train 57 engine that can, for all.

Photo Credit: Anna Zanes

Of The Fresh Kind

The second portion of the proGram was just picked from the garden:

Loser Island- Amit Peled
Laz Bar (alt take)- Aram Bajaklan’s Kef
Selector- Chris Lightcap
She Walked In- Chris Lightcap

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AURATALK- Rubblebucket
What Life Is- Rubblebucket

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Think- Aretha Franklin with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Son Of A Preacherman- Aretha Franklin with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Warning- Cookin’ On 3 Burners Ft. Kaiit
Aman (Gaudi Remix)- The Turbans

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Gate 54- The Midnight Hour
Reneph in B Minor- The Midnight Hour
Dans un Moment D’errance- The Midnight Hour Ft. Laetitia/Questlove/Keyon Harold
The Jam- Sly5thAve- Ft. Matthias “Pedals” Loescher
No Diggity- Sly5thAve Ft. Sydney Driver
Curtis- Sly5thAve Ft. Patrick Bailey
Pheromones- Smoota

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Big Discount- Karrin Allyson
Shake It Up- Karrin Allyson

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St. James Infirmary Blues- Lipbone Redding
*Excerpt of pre-recorded conversation with Lipbone Redding*
VooDoo Cadillac- Lipbone Redding & The Lipbone Orchestra
James Brown- Lipbone Redding & The Lipbone Orchestra
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Pillow Fight @Shag Mountain (Roger Roger Mix)- The Orb

Up And Down Lever

The first portion of the proGram was lucky there were no keys to be found:

Long Way Home- Anthony Geraci
Hand You Your Walking Shoes- Anthony Geraci
Sweet Lovin’ Man- Michele D’amour and the Love Dealers
Honey On- Michele D’amour and the Love Dealers
Ready To Roll- Joanne Shaw Taylor
Wanna Be My Lover- Joanne Shaw Taylor

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St. James Infirmary- Chad Elliott & The Redemptions
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Quarter Life Crisis- Chicago Farmer (live)
***Excerpt of pre-recorded conversation with Chicago Farmer***
Weatherman- Chicago Farmer (live)
Postcards- Chicago Farmer (live)

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Better Look Out- Frank Bey
Everything A Good Man Needs- Scott Sharrard Ft. Taj Mahal
Willie The Wimp- David Gerald (live)

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My Prison- No Trombones Ft. LiL
You Be The Judge- The Creation Factory
Hallucination Generation- The Creation Factory
Holding Out- Handsome Jack

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I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home)- Grand Funk Railroad (Live – Shea Stadium 1971)
**Excerpt of pre-recorded conversation with Mr. Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad**
Paranoid- Grand Funk Railroad

Lipbone Plays House Concert At East Side Bungalow

In his early twenties, Lipbone Redding migrated from North Carolina to New York City with his guitar. After a brief stint as an actor, carpenter, bartender and producer for the Museum of Sound Recording, he promptly became a subway musician. From the swampy farmlands and beach towns of coastal North Carolina. Lipbone was steeped in the musical tradition of Soul, Boogie and Blues. Early on in his career, Lipbone honed his guitar and people skills among the underground caverns of New York City, In 2002 his craft allowed him to travel and make a living wherever life took him: India, Europe, South America, New Orleans, San Francisco. Along the road, he forged lifelong collaborative relationships with producers, DeeJays, artists and masters around the globe. Since 2012, in order to maintain a lifestyle of 200 engagements per year, Lipbone has returned to his roots and has sprouted new shoots. An uncanny vocal range, a nylon string guitar, a wooden spoon duct-taped to his foot and a lifetime of stories are all he needs to get the party started. While he mostly tours as a solo act, he is known to collaborates regularly with other musicians and his trio, The Lipbone Orchestra. He has shared the stage with many great artists including Marcia Ball, John Mayall, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, Jimmy Hall, Jonathan Edwards, Rita Wilson, Shemekia Copeland, Tommy Castro and others. Lipbone has taken his singular vocal instrumental style to a new level by playing guitar and producing all of the instrument sounds while simultaneously singing and storytelling without the use of electronic effects nor a loop pedal. This might just be the kind of thing you want to check out?!

I had the chance to catch back up with my pal, Lipbone before he heads to Madison on August 31st to play a special House Concert at an East-Side bungalow. Sounds like the right place for him. We get into what people who have not heard him can expect from this nomadic music warrior, as well as a quick backstory of how he got from there to here. He gets to go to so many amazing places in his ‘Beautiful Flying Machine”, so we get to find out a stop or two that recently blew him away and where he likes to retreat off to in order to just refresh and retool himself for the next portion of his organic journey. What would Lipbone play to the listeners if given the opportunity to take over the show, find out by clicking into our conversation and then check out where he is playing next that is close to you.

Photot By: Margaret

Chicago Farmer Live and In Madison

Some live albums are so good they become the recordings those artists are known for. Frampton Comes Alive and Cheap Trick at Budokan were monster hits and catapulted the groups to rock superstar status. Cody Diekhoff, too, has big hopes for his first live Chicago Farmer first live album, Quarter Past Tonight, a two-disc set that was independently released on August 3. A touring musician for twenty years with a quarter century of writing songs under his belt, he has seen the type size for his moniker grow steadily larger on festival posters over the years. He called his 21-song 2005 debut album About Time, and the same title would have fit for the new live album, recorded December 1-2, two sold-out nights at the Apollo Theater in Peoria, IL in 2017. This is a solo record with Cody being the only performer, singing and playing guitar as well as harmonica as Chicago Farmer. Fans have requested a live album for years with a love for his stories and banter as much as his songs.

I had the chance to catch up with Cody to discuss the new album as well as the Brewgrass Fest event he is playing with Charlie Parr and the No Name String Band on August 31st at The Edgewater in Madison, Wisconsin. We talk about how stories and storytelling became a big part of his life and how the people in his small town became the center of his attention as he created his delivery on presentation these tales. We also get a chance to hear just how he felt about finally getting a live album out there for himself and his followers. What was really great was learning about some of the heroes of a small town kid who is able to put himself in the shoes of others and keep it real and easy to relate to. Take a listen to our chat and I have a feeling you might go out and take a look or listen to more from Chicago Farmer yourselves.

Photo By: Scott Preston

Grand Funk Railroad’s Don Brewer

Grand Funk Railroad laid the groundwork for such bands as Foreigner, Journey and Van Halen with its signature hard driving sound, soulful vocals, muscular instrumentation and forceful pop-rock melodies. The fact that Grand Funk’s legacy still reigns over the Classic Rock landscape forty years after its 1969 birth in Flint, Michigan is a testament to the group’s influence and staying power. Internationally acclaimed Grand Funk Railroad has toured the world, selling out in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and South America. A 1971 performance at New York’s Shea Stadium even sold out faster than the Beatles. The group’s widespread appeal is also evident in its prestigious recording achievements. Over their career, Grand Funk has had 19 charted singles, 8 Top 40 hits and two Number One singles (We’re An American Band and Locomotion, both selling more than one million each). The group has now accumulated 13 gold and 10 platinum records with record sales in excess of 25 million copies sold worldwide. The most recent gold CD award was presented to the band for their greatest hits package Grand Funk Railroad The Collectors Series. This top selling and legendary American rock group of the ‘70s is “COMIN’ TO YOUR TOWN TO HELP YOU PARTY IT DOWN.” Grand Funk Railroad is extremely excited to be touring in 2018 marking a 49 year milestone. After playing to millions of fans on the band’s tours from 1996 to 2017, Grand Funk’s 2018 Tour will continue to reach both new and long-time fans.

I had the honor of talking with founding member and legendary drummer, Mr. Don Brewer about the multi-talented band that will be coming to The Dodge County Fair in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin on August 18th. Mr. Brewer shares with me what to expect at a 2018 show from the classics everyone is familiar with all the way to tunes no one has head before. We discuss some of the differences between the then and now of the business and what advise he would give to emerging artists. The story behind one of the most played songs out there, “We’re An American Band” is walked through from idea to necessity all the way to how it is at the tips of most of our musical minds. Check out out chat to find out what Mr. Brewer and his wife enjoying doing with some of their extra time and what two bands Don would play to the listeners if he had control over greenarrowradio for a bit.

Photo By: Jim McGuire

Come Over And Spin Records

The second portion of the proGram accepted the invite:

Naptown Blues- Wes Montgomery & Wynton Kelly Trio (live at The Penthouse, Seattle)
West Coast Blues- Wes Montgomery & Wynton Kelly Trio (live at The Penthouse, Seattle)
Keep On Moving- Sean Ardoin
Kick Rocks- Sean Ardoin

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Kala Mukhra- Red Baraat Ft. Ali Sethi
**Pre-recorded conversation with Sunny Jain of Red Baraat**
Vibrations- Red Baraat Ft. Suheir Hammad
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Cosmic Dream- De’Anza
Stage V REM- De’Anza
War- De’Anza
Africa- Te’amir
Habesha- Te’amir

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Make It Better Again- Atmosphere
Golden (EVM128 Remix)- Profusion
Balla Balla (Bombay Dub Orchestra’s Boys of Summer Remix)- Brazilian Girls
Easy On The Onions- The Orb

Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang- Sly5thAve Ft. Brad Allen Williams
The Edge- Sly5thAve Ft. Quantic
Still D.R.E. (Ed West Remix)- Sly5thAve

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Sugar House- We Banjo 3
**Pre-recorded conversation with David Howley of We Banjo 3**
Annabelle’s Cannon- We Banjo 3
Dawn Break- We Banjo 3

Mirrored In The Moment

The first portion of the proGram won’t throw stones:

Self Help- Tomberlin
Healing Tide- The War & Treaty
I’m Getting Better (and I’m feeling it right now)- The Record Company
Skeleton Key- Eric McFadden

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Dirty River/Catfish Blues- Chad Elliott The Redemption
Keep On Sailing- Jeremiah Johnson
Give Me Back My Soul- Vanja Sky
I’m In Chains- Joanne Shaw Taylor
He Can’t Be Wrong- Michele D’amour and the Love Dealers

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Bad To The Core- Lawrence Lebo
Stop Shouting Your Business (Remix)- Lawrence Lebo
Born Under A Bad Sign- Dennis Jones Band (live)
Body And Fender Man- Johnny & The Headhunters

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Ain’t Gonna Rock With You No More- Damon Fowler
Get Your Groove- Bruce Katz Band

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Light It Up- Moon Hooch
The Jump Off- Cookin’ On 3 Burners
Un Limón en la Cabeza (instrumental)- Gecko Turner
Candy Smack- Jake Mason Trio
Nag Champa- Rob Dixon Trio Ft. Charlie Hunter & Mike Clark
87 MPH- Rob Dixon Trio Ft. Charlie Hunter & Mike Clark

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Bump The Man- Philthy
The Thang- The Clunk Orchestra
Never A Dull Moment- The Clunk Orchestra

Inside A Plastic World

Did a pre-show warm up…kinda like the world today:

Walls- The Jamie Saft Quartet
Milagrosa- Miguel Zenon

Locomotion- Dave Liebman/Joe Lovano
Nature Boy- John Coltrane
Ghost of Sand (Slipping Through Your Fingers)- Peter Nelson

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Brilliant Corners- Rich Halley 3
Little Willie Leaps- Rich Halley 3
My Cherie Amour- James Austin Jr.
Dancer’S Serenade- Ron English
Hats Galore And More- Ron English

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Tom Tom- Keveh Rastegar Ft. Chris Dave
Long March- Keveh Rastegar Ft. Nicholas Payton

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Mai Tai (Quand tu Mets la Main sur ma Taille)- The Blue Dahlia
Folia- Eddie Daniels

Red Baraat Back In Madison for The Globetrotter Sessions

Sunny Jain is an American dhol player, drummer, and composer. He is recognized as a main voice in the burgeoning movement of South Asian-American jazz musicians. His seven albums have all received international acclaim for their “groundbreaking synthesis” (Coda Magazine), as he brings together the ancient sounds of his cultural heritage, America’s greatest original art form and a myriad of other sounds. In 2008, Sunny founded the Brooklyn Bhangra band Red Baraat. In 2011 Red Baraat performed over 100 club shows and festivals across the world, including Bonnaroo Music Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, and a performance at the White House and the Paralympics closing ceremony in London. The title track from their debut album, Chaal Baby, was used as the background music for commercials during the TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. After the group’s performance at the 2011 globalFEST, they were featured on PRI’s “The World”, NPR’s “All Songs Considered”, The New York Times, The Village Voice, and Mother Jones magazine. With a new album freshly out and more gigs lined up, Red Baraat is building a brand new musical bridge that is sure to bring people from everywhere closer together.

I had the chance once again to chat with my man Sunny fr all the right reasons. He is bringing Red Baraat back to Madison on August 16th to close of the Central Park Sessions – The Globetrotter Sessions. We get to find out about how the sounds of the band and personel have changed over time and where it stands as they prepare to make musical moments happen with us in Madison. We learn a little about the variety of places the band has gone and how open people are to a potentially very unfamiliar groove. Sunny shares the artists he would share to the listeners if given the opportunity to take over greenarrowradio, and man, you all will really like him as your host. Not only will we get to hang in person, but there’s a brand new album from the group, “Sound The People”. We dive into the how these songs were born as well as the many special guests/friends perfectly chosen to represent the bridge building that I believe is a sonic guide to a more tolerant world. Sound the PEOPLE, indeed

Photo By: Mark Jaworski

We Banjo 3 At Milwaukee Irish Fest

We Banjo 3 is a band from Galway, Ireland that plays a blend of traditional Irish, old time, and bluegrass music they call “Celtgrass”. The band is composed of two sets of brothers, Enda and Fergal Scahill and Martin and David Howley. Their debut album Roots of the Banjo Tree was released in 2012 and was named “Traditional Music Album of the Year” by The Irish Times. This was followed by the release of Gather the Good in 2014. Siobhan Long, music critic for the Irish Times, writes “We Banjo 3 are a musical Betty Ford Clinic, almost single-handedly rehabilitating the much maligned banjo in 4 short years.” In 2016 the band released their fourth album String Theory which debuted at Number One on the Billboard Charts and they also were selected to play for President Barack Obama and Taoiseach Enda Kenny at the annual “Friends of Ireland” luncheon held in Washington, DC around Saint Patrick’s Day. President Obama praised the band’s show calling it, “Great music. Incredible performance.”

I had the chance to speak with David Howley (Banjo, Vocals, Guitar) about the groups return appearance at this year’s Milwaukee Irish Fest on August 17. We discuss why Milwaukee feels like a second home to the band and what people in attendance can expect once they hit the stage. We also dive into the creation of their brand new album, “Haven” and how it came to be created and what some of the underlying sentiments are base don feedback and conversations with fans and listeners. At the end of out time toGether, you will find out what bands David would steer us to if we wanted to get a deeper sense of music that is similar to the sounds of We Banjo 3.

Photo: Amos Perrine

Wearing A Golden Crowd

The second portion of the proGram had a new shiny festival glow to it:

Ain’t Got Time For Hate- Shemekia Copeland
Percolatin’- Vanessa Collier
Ray Lavender’s Blues- Henley Douglas RnB
Open My Eyes- The Sha La Das

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Rib Eye- Jake Mason Trio
Lemon Twist- Jake Mason Trio
Hawkshaw Philly- The Lewis Express
Brother Move ON- The Lewis Express

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Mr. Hyde- Smoove & Turrell
Un Limón en la Cabeza- Gecko Turner
On The Move- Anthony Joseph

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Inception- Nabate Isles
Grab Her By The What?- Nabate Isles

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Grand Mash- Shinji
The Great Purge- Gone Beyond & Mumbles
Knight In A Leopard Skin- Gone Beyond & Mumbles
Unknown Soldier- Fela Kuti (Bopperson Edit)

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Phish HQ- Troy Roberts
Veepea Are- Troy Roberts
Heart Counts- Dustlights
Shaken- Dustlights
Lights Below The Water- Turning Jewels Into Water

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Balla Balla- Brazilian Girls (Delia Derbyshire Appreciation Society Remix)

Ear Blown

The first portion of the proGram had Steve Berlin’s Bari blowing into your ears:

Good To Be- Chicago Farmer (live)
Thick As Thieves- Peter Wolf
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Hills Of Tennessee- Chad Elliott & The Redemptions
Radiator 110- Boz Scaggs
Bonneville Shuffle- Jeremiah Johnson
Low Down And Dirty- Vanja Sky
I’m Good- Dennis Jones Band (live)

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Up The Line- Damon Fowler
Don’t The Grass Look Greener- Anthony Geraci
Shine Together (Tribe of Lights)- Bruce Katz band

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**Pre-recorded Conversation with Steve Berlin**
Spinning Out- Making Movies
Locura Colectiva- Making Movies
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While You Was Gone- Eric McFadden
Waiting Room- Bilvet
The Twist Is Lower Than You Think- Brian Marsella’s iMAGINARIUM
Sultan Suleyman- Koby Isrelite
Orthodoxy- Ceramic Dog

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Mujer Moderna- Fea
Viens- Fea