Save the Penokee Springfest Line Up
10:00 a.m. The Back Alley Blossoms (Old-Time/Bluegrass)
11:00 a.m. Sloppy Joe (Old-Time/Bluegrass)
12:20 p.m. Green Tea (Celtic/Indie Rock)
1:45 p.m. Natty Nation (Reggae)
3:00 p.m. Art Stevenson & High Water (Traditional Bluegrass)
4:15 p.m. Horseshoes & Hand Grenades (Progressive Bluegrass/Old-Time)
5:40 p.m. The Mustache (Funk Rock)
7:00 p.m. The Smokin’ Bandits (Blues Rock Jam)
8:40 p.m. The Giving Tree Band (Folk Rock)
Penokee Late-night featuring...
10:00 p.m. The Organ Grinders (Blues) at Guu's on Main
1140 Main Street, Stevens Point, WI
Speaker Line Up
12:00 p.m. Frank Koehn
2:45 p.m. Al Gedicks
4:00 p.m. Frank Koehn
6:40 p.m. Al Gedicks
8:15 p.m. Evan Meulemans (Singer-Songwriter)
Please Note: George Meyer, who was originally scheduled to speak at this festival, has cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Band Bios
The Back Alley Blossoms (Old-Time/Bluegrass)
The Back Alley Blossoms are an all-female bluegrass band based in Stevens Point. The band plays folk bluegrass music inspired by old-time music. Their music includes harmonious vocals, guitar, fiddle, upright bass, viola and musical jug. Back Alley Blossoms generally play at bars and festivals throughout Wisconsin. www.facebook.com/backalleyblossoms
Sloppy Joe (Old-Time/Bluegrass)
Based out of the Stevens Point area, Sloppy Joe plays their original “slopgrass” style of music: a combination of bluegrass and jug-band instrumentation. Their music includes harmonious vocals, banjo, guitar, mandolin, upright bass, fiddle, jug, musical saw, jawharp and washtub. Sloppy Joe has played across the Midwest since 1998 and has shared the stage with John Hartford, Piper Road Spring Band and Vassar Clements. www.slopgrass.com
Green Tea (Celtic Indie Rock Fusion)
Green Tea plays rock music of the Celtic and independent persuasion. Green Tea originated at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2001 and has revamped their roster over the years. Green Tea’s music includes harmonious vocals, keyboards, melodica, flutes, whistles, bass, guitar, bodhran and drums. In 2010, Green Tea received an honorable mention on the 17th Billboard World Song Contest. www.greenteaworldmusic.com
Natty Nation (Reggae)
Based out of Madison, WI, Natty Nation fuses together genres to create what they call “hard roots rock reggae and dub.” The band has played together for 15 years, opening for and backing up reggae legends such as Lee “Scratch” Perry, Ziggy, Damian and Stephen Marley and more. They have played various popular music festivals across the nation including Summerfest (Milwaukee) and SXSW (Austin). www.nattynation.com
Art Stevenson and High Water (Traditional Bluegrass)
Art Stevenson and High Water are based in Stevens Point and plays traditional bluegrass music. Their music includes harmonious vocals, guitar, upright bass, banjo and dobro. High Water’s music has been played on bluegrass radio programs across the country. Their music has also received critical acclaim from national magazines Bluegrass Unlimited and Bluegrass Now. www.highwatermusic.com
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades (Progressive Old-Time/Bluegrass)
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades plays progressive and high-energy music deeply rooted in old-time and bluegrass genres. The band originated at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in early Fall 2010 and includes harmonious vocals, guitar, banjo, fiddle, upright bass, harmonica, accordion, mandolin and dobro. The band recently played a sold out show at The Majestic in Madison, WI. www.horseshoesandhandgrenades.webs.com
The Mustache (Funk Rock)
The Mustache is a funk band that aims to present and preserve the funk sounds of the 70’s and 80’s with their original compositions and a few select covers. Their music includes vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, saxophone and horns. Based out of the Central Wisconsin area, The Mustache regularly plays clubs and bars across the Midwest. www.themustachefunk.com
The Smokin’ Bandits (Blues/Rock/Jam)
Based out of La Crosse, WI, The Smokin’ Bandits originally formed as a string band in 2003. By the next year, their music had evolved into “grass n’ roll”: a fusion of bluegrass, rock and jam music. Their music includes vocals, guitar, drums and bass. The Smokin’ Bandits generally play at bars and clubs across the Midwest. www.facebook.com - The Smokin’ Bandits
The Giving Tree Band (Folk Rock)
The Giving Tree Band hails from Yorkville, IL and play indie folk rock music inspired by old-time music. Their music includes harmonious vocals, guitar, banjo, violin, mandolin, slide guitar, bass and drums. The Giving Tree Band has played at major music festivals including Wakarusa and Philly Folk Fest and major venues including House of Blues and the Kennedy Center. They have also shared stages with The Avett Brothers, Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. www.thegivingtreeband.com
The Organ Grinders (Blues) at Guu's on Main
Based out of Southern Wisconsin, The Organ Grinders have been playing together for about 20 years. The band plays music deeply rooted in traditional electric blues music. The Organ Grinders create soulful blends of music with vocals, guitar, harmonica, bass and drums. The band generally plays bars and clubs across Wisconsin.
Speaker Bios
Al Gedicks is a professor in the Department of Sociology and Archaeology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Gedicks is Director for the Center for Alternative Mining Development Policy in La Crosse and Executive Secretary for the Wisconsin Resources Protection Council. Gedicks has also written three books based on natural resources and mining.
Frank Koehn is a prominent activist and politician in Northern Wisconsin. He is considered the founder of the Wisconsin Green Party. Koehn has worked to oppose mining in the Crandon and White Pine mines in Wisconsin. He also is a leader in preserving Lake Superior. Until recently, Koehn was a teacher in the South Shore School District in Port Wing, WI.