(True North, from left: Dan Wetzel, Kristen Grainger, Josh Adkins and Martin Stevens)
(Down Range, Loren Irving and Jay Bowerman | Photos Courtesy of the Family Kitchen)
A benefit concert for the Family Kitchen food program will feature True North, a Northwest bluegrass-folk quartet, on Sunday, January 5, 2020 at 3pm in St. Helens Hall, 231 NW Idaho Ave, Bend (Trinity Episcopal church). Down Range will open the show. The cost is a $10 per person donation to the Family Kitchen. (To donate to the Family Kitchen, click https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/FamilyKitchen.)
About Kristen Grainger & True North
Bluegrass-folk quartet Kristen Grainger & True North is a powerhouse of elegant, memorable songs and lush instrumental and vocal performances with the crazy-good picking and harmonies of a band deeply rooted in traditional folk and bluegrass genres. Fronted by award-winning singer-songwriters Kristen Grainger and Dan Wetzel, the band is rounded out with two PNW bluegrass stars, Martin Stevens and Josh Adkins, from the Bluegrass Regulators.
Grainger is making a name for herself in song craft, winning the 2019 NW Roots Songwriting Contest in Portland and the 2018 Wildflower Performing Songwriter competition in Dallas, Texas, and collecting accolades and awards at Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Merlefest and Kerrville Folk Festival songwriting competitions. Her song Be Here Now was the 2015 IMEA Folk Song of the Year. She also won the NW Roots Music songwriting contest in February 2019.
On stage, Kristen Grainger & True North audiences of all ages love Kristen’s storied songwriting and the band’s mad instrumental skills and three- and four-part vocal harmonies.
The band’s new project, Open Road, Broken Heart, debuted at #1 on the folk DJ charts in January 2018 and stayed in the top 25 all year. Listen here: dropbox.com/sh/kbao4uc02izpywu/AADGM2CI8vLE6h5t6VWyidmJa?dl=0
Their 2014 release, Elsebound, spent 25 weeks on the Roots Music Report’s top ten (national folk charts) and was the number seven folk album of the year. Listen here:
dropbox.com/sh/8nu38dajr8engwe/AABGV2d2cwfdnjbOFeB6Nc0ya?dl=0
Video: Twist in the Wind (Oregon TV appearance): youtu.be/5ozVA8pJUnk
Video: Shiny Black Shoes (supporting We Banjo 3 @ The Aladdin Theater, Portland, youtube.com/watch?v=v7CkWNA1dAY&list=PLQKEfrcAYUPLGAoWo6g7Olz0O6VZALOoa&index=2&t=0s
Video: Be Here Now (2015 IMEA Song of the Year) NW Songwriter Sessions, Grand Theater, Salem, youtube.com/watch?v=3BpVHSzppf8&index=12&list=PLQKEfrcAYUPLGAoWo6g7Olz0O6VZALOoa&t=1s