CD Release Show, May 11 at Dreamland Arts in Saint Paul

by ericmchristopher on April 26, 2012

When: Friday, May 11 at 7:30pm
Where: Dreamland Arts, 677 Hamline Avenue North, Saint Paul
Tickets: $15, available at http://www.dreamlandarts.com/shows/detail.php?eventId=199
Info: Click here for directions and contact info

Come on down to Dreamland Arts in Saint Paul to celebrate the release of In the Quiet Night: Fiddle Tunes from the Upper Midwest.

After many years spent listening hard to the likes of Bill Monroe, Kenny Baker and Benny Martin, I decided to focus on the fiddling that’s here in the Upper Midwest, right under my nose. This album, which was funded by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, is a collection of tunes that I gathered from Upper Midwestern fiddlers like Chirps Smith, Sara Pajunen, Les Raber, Selmer Ramsey, Leizime Brusoe and others, plus a few of my own tunes and a vocal number written by a fellow named Bob Dylan (yes, he counts, too, though we might have known him as Zimmerman).

In addition to playing tunes gathered from some of my favorite northern fiddlers, I got to record with some of my favorite Minnesota musicians, including Anthony Ihrig (banjo), Dean Magraw (guitar), Marty Marrone (guitar) and Dana Thompson, all of whom will be joining me at the CD release show.

Hope to see you there! Dreamland Arts is a very small theater, so advance tickets are recommended. You can order them on the Dreamland Arts website by clicking here.

 

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Grass Seeds Academy Bluegrass Workshop for kids — March 2-4

by ericmchristopher on February 28, 2012

I’ll  be teaching a bluegrass band workshop for kids along with The High 48s at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s Winter Weekend Festival.  The High 48s will be joined by Catie Jo Pidel, Chuck Millar and Ryan Kimm, and Peter Ostroushko will be giving a fiddle workshop for intermediate-advanced students.

I’ve taught at Grass Seeds for quite a few years now, and I have to say this is one of the best workshops I’ve ever been part of — MBOTMA should be proud!

More info at http://minnesotabluegrass.org/index.php?contentID=643

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The Minor Planets on Minnesota Public Radio

February 6, 2012

MPR just aired a great (and long!) piece by Chris Roberts about The Minor Planets and our new album Shadow in the Water (download the first track of the album and hear it here). The piece is also available to stream here, on the Minnesota Public Radio website.  

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MinnPost’s Jim Walsh Likes It!

February 6, 2012

We’re always grateful when someone, anyone, really listens to and connects with our music, especially when that someone hears what you were trying to get at when you were locked away all those long hours in the studio. And when that somebody happens to be a music journalist who can really write — I mean, [...]

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The reviews are coming in on the new Minor Planets album…

February 6, 2012

Our new CD dropped just about two weeks ago and now the reviews are starting to come in… Like a lot of our fellow musicians, Dana and I can be a little sensitive to criticism (there, we said it), so reading reviews tends to give us that standing-on-the-high-dive feeling. But this time, we’re pleased  to announce, [...]

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The Minor Planets on MPR’s Radio Heartland

January 19, 2012

Dana and I went into MPR’s studio this week to play a few numbers as a duo and talk with Mike Pengra and Chris Roberts about our new CD (download a free track here), our upcoming release show and dozens of things! Tune into Radio Heartland Friday at noon or follow the link below to listen to [...]

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Free Christmas Single from The Minor Planets

December 8, 2011

The Minor Planets is one of the many irons I have in the fire right now. It’s my countrypolitan collaboration with the amazing singer/songwriter Dana Thompson. We have a new CD coming out in January (and a CD release show scheduled — see the calendar page for the particulars), but in the meantime, we thought [...]

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The Minor Planets at the Dakota — November 19

November 16, 2011

The Minor Planets will be playing this Saturday night at the Dakota in Minneapolis, our first (public) full-band, Minor Planets gig since we went into the studio to record our new album Shadow in the Water. We’re SO ready for it. We’ve got a fantastic line-up for this show, with Jimmy Johnson on pedal steel, Richard [...]

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A Banner Weekend at Bluegrass in the Pines

August 30, 2011

Just got back from the Bluegrass in the Pines Festival in Rosholt, WI (near Stevens Point), and I’m physically exhausted but spiritually recharged. Outstanding picking (both onstage and off), good people and an almost magical vibe. Really. I love, love, love this festival. If you’re thinking about going to a bluegrass festival next summer, put [...]

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Busy, Busy, Busy: Upcoming CD Releases!

August 10, 2011

While the 48s have been taking a little break from the road, things have been hopping around here on the recording front. The amazing Dana Thompson and I have just finished our first new Minor Planets record in a decade. The album is called Shadow in the Water and it’s a departure from the traditional [...]

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