Snakehead Run Performs on Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza, Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 7 pm

Please join us for another exciting Thursday Plaza Evening on Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza. On Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 7 pm, we welcome the popular band, Snakehead Run, to our stage. The performance is free!

Snakehead Run plays an infectious, driving variety of old-time acoustic blues that often has audiences tapping their toes and dancing. Specializing in authentic blues that you might have heard on a street corner or juke joint in New Orleans, Memphis, or Louisville early in the last century, they try to introduce listeners to where some of today’s music comes from but in today’s terms. They not only play great music, they entertain!

Snakehead Run is:

Guitarist and lead vocalist “Papa” Denny Buck. A 30-plus-year veteran of bars, coffeehouses and festivals in his native Ohio, New York City, and in DC since the mid-80s, He sings and plays on his s teel Dobro with all the intensity and enthusiasm of his idols Bukka White, Blind Boy Fuller, Robert Wilkins, and Robert and Tommy Johnson.

Multi-instrumentalist “Bro” Mark Casale settles here on mandolin in the style of blues virtuosos Yank Rachell and Charlie McCoy, and adds some funky fiddling. He also contributes the back-up vocals and the composition of a couple fiddle tunes for the group. His talents have led the band to explore the string and jug band side of the blues spectrum.

Jim "Son" Bunch (Gutbucketeer) provides the foundation on washtub bass and jug. Jim has accumulated a lot of experience on the 'tub in his many years, also playing with The All New Genetically Altered Jug Band. He's originally from Texas and first learned to play washtub on the streets of Ann Arbor, MI,

View some videos at www.youtube.com/gutbucketeer. For their current schedule please visit http://www.myspace.com/dennyandmarkblues

This program is a production of the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. Read their blog at www.silverspringtowncenter.blogspot.com or follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/sstowncenter

Silver Spring Blues Festival Brings National Acts, National Attention - Silver Spring Voice

Read about the Silver Spring Blues Festival in the Silver Spring & Takoma Voice - May 2011. See the article at http://digital.turn-page.com/issue/31699

Exciting plans are underway for the third annual Silver Spring Blues Festival at Downtown Silver Spring. The popular festival will be held on Saturday, June 18, 2011 in two locations in downtown Silver Spring. For the first time, the festival venue will expand to include Silver Spring's Fenton Street Market which operates on Veterans Plaza at the new Civic Building.

This year's Festival will feature a wide range of blues stylings from the acoustic harmonies of Gina DeSimone and the Moaners to the gritty guitars of The Kinsey Report, the Silver Spring festival's first national act. Also performing on the Fountain Stage on Ellsworth Drive will be the School of Rock, Ida Campbell and the Blues Nation, Jonny Grave and the Tombstones, the DC Blues Society Band, and the Big Boy Little Band.

The Festival sponsors include Downtown Silver Spring, Comcast, Lee Development Group, Monument Bank, Home Properties, the DC Blues Society, Fenton Street Market, Atomic Music, Dale Music, the Silver Spring Voice and the Silver Spring Regional Center.

One of the exciting new developments for the Silver Spring Blues Festival is its cooperation with the popular Fenton Street Market, which recently moved from its parking lot location at Fenton Street and Silver Spring Avenue to the Veterans Plaza. Incorporating the blues festival theme, the Fenton Street Market will host several acoustic music performances during its hours of operations, as well as a harmonica workshop and a musical instrument petting zoo.

"We're looking forward to this year's Blues Festival and very excited by our collaboration with the Fenton Street Market," said Alan Bowser, President of the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. "The SSTCi Board of Directors and the organizers of the Fenton Street Market share a vision of creating a sense of place and community at the new Civic Building and Veterans Plaza. We couldn't be more pleased to work with the Market to highlight some great acoustic blues performers and to hold our music workshop and musical petting zoo in that space."

The Silver Spring Blues Festival is a project of the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. (SSTCi), a community-based 501(c)(3) not for profit corporation that was established to bring exciting arts and entertainment programming to the Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza. The festival was founded in 2009 by Alan Bowser of the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. and Jazs of the DC Blues Society. The DC Blues Society is SSTCi's principal partner in the Blues Festival. It is an internationally recognized non-profit organization that has been producing blues performances and educational events for over 20 years. Its signature event, the DC Blues Festival, is held annually at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre in northwest Washington DC and attracts thousands of patrons and nationally known musical performers.

SSTCi is the result of a long process of community involvement and engagement to support the development of downtown Silver Spring. It was created to infuse community spirit and involvement in the new Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza. SSTCi is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors which includes representatives of local businesses, non-profit organizations, and community advocates. Its current officers, elected in February 2010, are Alan Bowser, Esq., President; Dr. Sheryl Brissett-Chapman, Vice President; Mary Ann Zimmerman, Secretary; and David Fogel, Treasurer. Besides the Blues Festival, SSTCi has produced several benefit concerts in support of Montgomery County's veterans, the Gala Celebration of the opening of the Silver Spring Civic Building and a series of musical performances at the Veterans Plaza.

The Silver Spring Blues Festival attracts thousands of concertgoers from throughout the metropolitan area. The inaugural Silver Spring Blues Festival in 2009 was produced by the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., in partnership with the DC Blues Society, Montgomery College, PFA Silver Spring LLC, Three Keys Music, the Silver Spring Regional Services Center, the Silver Spring Penguin and the Silver Spring Voice.

The 2009 festival featured international bluesman "Memphis Gold" and his band, which included legendary harmonica player Charlie Sayles and popular vocalist Black Betty. Also performing were Three Chords and the Truth, a youth blues group; Silver Spring guitarist Jonny Grave; the DC Blues Society Band; and the Capital Blues Ensemble. WPFW radio personality Ida Campbell was the festival emcee. Last year's 2010 Festival featured "The Nighthawks" as the headliners, and also included performances by Mary Shaver and the Smokin Polecats, Andy Paxon, Darryl Davis, Jonny Grave, and Choo Choo Charlie.

Youth participation has been integral to the Silver Spring Blues Festival performances and festival activities, and have included youth oriented performances, crafts activities led by Pyramid Atlantic, along with musical petting zoos organized by the DC Blues Society and Dale Music.

The Silver Spring Blues Festival utilizes a broad range of media to publicize this popular annual event. The Festival uses popular social media vehicles such as Facebook, Twitter, and numerous local blogs. In addition, it uses local websites, including those of the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., Downtown Silver Spring, the DC Blues Society, the Silver Spring Regional Center, Montgomery County Gohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifvernment, and the Silver Spring Voice. There is a festival website located at www.silverspringblues.com

"In 2012, we expect to considerably expand the scope of the Silver Spring Blues Festival by increasing the number of Festival days and the number of music venues," said Bowser, SSTCi's President. "Our goal is to expand the Festival to a three-day program with a Friday night performance, the Saturday Festival day, and a Sunday blues brunch in a local Silver Spring restaurant. We will have a Festival-related performances at the Silver Spring Veterans Plaza and, hopefully, at Live Nation's new Fillmore Silver Spring facility on Colesville Road."

"Looking forward, we are interested in utilizing other venues in the Silver Spring Central Business District, including Montgomery College's new Performing Arts Center, and the Jessup Blair Park, located at the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Georgia Avenue," he said. "Currently, we are having discussions with a number of local restaurants to have "blues-themed" performances in the run-up to the Silver Spring Blues Festival. All of this is very, very exciting!

Warner Williams and Joyce Ettingoff at Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza

The Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. was very proud to host blues legend Warner Williams and Joyce Ettingoff at Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza. The performance was part of the Silver Spring Regional Center's Plaza Evening series. Warner played for more than two hours to the delight of an adoring crowd. We were pleased to also welcome SiriusXM's Bluesville program director, and a neighbor, Bill Wax to the Thursday program.

Warner Williams and Joyce Ettingoff Perform on Veterans Plaza, Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 7 pm

Join us tonight for another exciting Thursday Plaza Evening performance at the Silver Spring Civic Building. We are pleased to present one of the truly great musicians of our time—Warner Williams—on Veterans Plaza, starting around 7 pm. Joining Warner will be harp stylist Joyce Ettingoff.

Guitarist and songster Warner Williams of Takoma Park MD is one of the greatest unsung heroes of the Piedmont blues—an Eastern seaboard style that incorporates fiddle tunes, ballads, country and popular songs, ragtime, and gospel. With a jaunty rhythmic finger-picked guitar style and an eclectic repertoire that ranges from blues to honky-tonk, jazz crooning to children’s songs, Warner Williams is an old-style community entertainer of national significance. Joyce Ettingoff of Silver Spring is a wonderful harmonica player who plays throughout the metro Washington region, often with the band The Traveling BlueJayes.

Check out Warner’s music at www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=3004

Tonight’s program is a production of the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. Read our blog at www.silverspringtowncenter.blogspot.com or follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/sstowncenter

The 2nd Story Band at Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza

The Thursday Night Music Club Performs on Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza

Many thanks to the Thursday Night Music Club for an exciting performance on Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza at the Silver Spring Civic Building.

Cloud Nine Performs on Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza

Silver Spring was pleased to welcome the band "Cloud 9" to the stage on Veterans Plaza at the Silver Spring Civic Building.

Silver Spring Blues Festival and Fenton Street Market

The Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. announced today that it will work with the Fenton Street Market (FSM) to expand the 2011 Silver Spring Blues Festival at Downtown Silver Spring to Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza.

The Silver Spring Blues Festival at Downtown Silver Spring will take place on Saturday, June 18, 2011 from 2 pm to 8 pm.

The SSTCi-FSM collaboration will bring music, children's activities and a music workshop to the popular outdoor market which is located on Veterans Plaza at the Silver Spring Civic Building.

In addition to its regular offerings, the Fenton Street Market will feature acoustic blues performers throughout the festival day. The Blues Festival's popular harmonica workshop and musical petting zoo will also be at that location.

See the Gazette's article on the Fenton Street Market here.

2nd Story Band on YouTube

2nd Story Band Plays Veterans Plaza, May 5, 2011, 7 pm.

Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. is pleased to announce that the 2nd Story Band will perform at Silver Spring’s Veterans Plaza, Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 7 pm. The performance is free.

Meagan Lane and Geoff de Mers, founders of Wammy nominated 2nd Story Band grew up in the '50s and '60s during one of the most musically rich periods in the evolution of American Pop Music. It was a time when Rock-a-billy, Doo Whop, R & B, Tejano, Calypso, Cowboy Music (C&W), Swing, Rock & Roll, Folk, and Folk Rock could be heard on commercial radio. In fact since 1978, as a result of their ability to incorporate these and many other styles including West African, Latin and Celtic, Meagan and Geoff have developed one of the most interesting and fresh sounds to come out of the Metro Washington, DC area.

“A Jammin' World Beat Blend of Funky Blues and Swing, Pop Rock, Caribbean and Tex-Mex Rhythms with a bit of New Orleans Funkiness thrown in! "A FIRST RATE 2nd STORY WOMAN... Meagan Lane's voice is a constant surprise - sweet, arch, rough, wanton and worldly in turn,... a treat to experience!" Eve Ziebart- The Washington Post

http://www.2ndstoryband.com/

Check them out on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaXL6sZdZYY

SSTCi Announces Line Up for 2011 Silver Spring Blues Festival

The Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. is pleased to announce the exciting line up for the Third Annual Silver Spring Blues Festival in Downtown Silver Spring.

School of Rock Plays The Blues
Gina DeSimone and the Moaners
Ida Campbell and the Blues Nation
Jonny Grave and the Tombstones
The DC Blues Society Band with Stacy Brooks
The Kinsey Report
Big Boy Little Band

The festival will be held on Saturday, June 18, 2011 at the Silver Fountain on Ellsworth Drive and at the Silver Spring Veterans Plaza (corner of Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street). Performances begin at 2 pm.

for more information, email silverspringtowncenter@gmail.com

SSTCi Seeks Performances for Thursday Night Plaza Evenings at Veterans Plaza (August to October)

Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. seeks individuals and groups to perform for the Thursday Night Plaza Evening series at Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza. Performers must be willing to donate their services, i.e, these are unpaid performances. The performances are scheduled from 7 to 9 pm. For more information, contact silverspringjams@gmail.com

The following Thursday evenings are available for performances at Silver Spring Veterans Plaza--

August 4
August 11
August 18

September 15
September 22
September 29

October 6
October 3
October 20
October 27

SSTCi Announces Thursday Night Performance Series on Veterans Plaza

The Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. is pleased to announce its Plaza Evening Arts & Entertainment Series (April to June 2011). All performances are held on Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza at the Silver Spring Civic Building (corner Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street). Performances are 7 to 9 pm.

April 7 Groove Jet
April 14 Experimental Film by Pyramid Atlantic*
April 21 Cloud 9
April 28 The Thursday Night Music Club
May 5....2nd Story Band
May 12...Dual Rhythm
May 19...A Washington Revels Production*
May 26...Snake Head Run
June 2...Greater U Street Jazz Collective
June 9...The Capital Accord Chorus AND Mary Amato and Bill Williams
June 16..A Washington Revels Production*
June 23...Midnight Sun
June 30...Jazz Stimulus Project

for more information, email silverspringjams@gmail.com

*All performances produced by Silver Spring Town Center, excluding Washington Revels and Pyramid Atlantic