Come to a free concert at the Deception Pass State Park amphitheater (Discover Pass required)! Our American Roots Concert Series is hosted in partnership with the Washington State Parks and Recreation’s Folk & Traditional Arts Program. These concerts are held every Saturday, July 8 – August 26 at the Amphitheater!
Special thanks to the sponsors of our August concert dates for allowing us to continue this concert series through the month of August:
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Dates: Saturdays, July 8 – August 26
Time: 7 – 8 PM
Location: The Amphitheater (near West Beach)
2023 Lineup
July 8: Drómeno
Drómeno is a traditional ensemble presenting regional folk music from the Greek mainland and beyond, overlapping into the surrounding regions and finding the musical legacy that connects the traditions of the Balkans. Featuring clarinet and voices, the instrumentation includes accordion, saxophone, violin, oud, bouzouki, zourna, guitar, laouto, kanun and percussion, and enables the group to span the sounds of Greek music, from western Macedonia and Ipiros, through Thessaly, Thrace and Asia minor.
Listen now on Youtube!
July 15: Los Flacos (with dancer)
With deep roots in traditions spanning Latin America, Los Flacos seamlessly weave harp, violin, a spectrum of Andean flutes, many forms of percussion and regional stringed instruments to create an ever-changing sound. In performances, Los Flacos present their favorite Latin American regional folk styles from southern Mexico and the Caribbean to South America with careful attention to the intricacies of each tradition. Still, Los Flacos are not strict traditionalists. While remaining faithful to their roots, they always pour their own voices and expression into the music.
Listen now on YouTube!
July 22: Quickdraw String Band
Emerging from the American string band tradition, Quickdraw String Band plays a repertoire of Old-Time, Early Bluegrass, Country Blues, and Ragtime, including some of their own originals. Experienced and hard-working, they have been performing around the Pacific Northwest off and on for the past twenty years. Their style defies categorization into any singular genre but is solidly grounded in acoustic tradition. Their sound consists of various configurations of mandolin, fiddle, guitar, dobro, bass, banjo, and vocals.
Listen now on YouTube!
July 29: Jenner Fox
Jenner Fox tells the stories of people and places with unparalleled compassion and respect. Jenner comes from a family of river guides. He followed the family river trade and recorded his debut album to make some extra money selling CDs on the boat ramp after rafting trips. Five albums later, a decade of cutting his teeth on the river and road, Jenner is a storyteller, a cargo bike advocate, a Pacific Northwesterner, and a rare kind of songwriter.
Listen now on YouTube!
August 5: Foleada
Foleada is a Seattle-based Forró band with a focus on Pé de Serra style. Forró is the heartbeat of Northeast Brazil and it draws on many musical styles, from Afro-Brazilian music like samba and baião to European polkas. On the other hand, Forró dance borrows from Cuban salsa and Samba de Gafieira, a Brazilian ballroom dance. In other words, it’s a partner dance and it’s a lot of fun! The band features Brazilian vocalist Adriana Giordano, accordionists Jamie Maschler and Gabe Hall-Rodrigues, Michael Catts on bass, Jeff Busch and Sam Esecson on percussion.
Listen now on YouTube!
August 12: The Rhapsody Project
The Rhapsody Songsters are a collective of Seattle-based youth ages 12-22 who learn about their personal and cultural histories through music and mentorship with experienced performing musicians. Historically, “songsters” were musicians whose repertoire allowed them to play whichever styles of music fit a given gig. Students learn songs in styles ranging from blues to minouche jazz, spirituals to waltzes.
Listen now on YouTube!
August 19: Duende Libre
Duende Libre is a dynamic and uplifting quintet that blends elements of Afro-Cuban jazz with Brazilian samba, American funk, and traditional West African music into a unique sound of their own. Duende Libre features longtime collaborators Alex Chadsey (piano, keyboards & compositions), Farko Dosumov (electric bass), and Jeff “Bongo” Busch (drums & percussion), Frank Anderson, a dynamic and engaging vocalist, drummer, and dancer, and Chava Mirel, electrifying singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.
Listen now on YouTube!
August 26: PLU Steel Band
PLU Steel Band is a steel pan drum ensemble featuring students, alumni, and faculty of Pacific Lutheran University’s Department of Music.
Listen now on Facebook!
Thanks again to the sponsors of our August concert dates for allowing us to continue this concert series through August:
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For a full schedule of all 2023 events, check out our calendar.
