This page is devoted to listing bands and musicians that play at contra dances. URLs and e-mail addresses are listed when available. New entries, additional information, and changes in information are always welcome. Links to other pages in the www.contradancelinks.com web site are listed at the bottom of the page.

New links are simply new to me, not necessarily new to the World Wide Web. Change in URL means that a link has changed its WWW address or URL.

• There is contact information on bands performing for LCD in Yardley.
• Jared Gottlieb provides information about the callers and bands performing at the various sites in Colorado. Change of URL (July 16, 2016)
• Harold, as part of the California Dance Cooperative, provides a wide range of contact information for a number of bands in the Central California area.
• William R. Ellis provides information about a number of bands and callers in Florida.
• Richard Hart maintains a web page with information about callers and musicians in New Hampshire.
• The CONNtra CONNection lists contra dance bands in Connecticut. Change of URL (November 29, 2019)
• The Chattahoochee Country Dancers in the Atlanta area have information about area bands and callers and those that visit.
• The Portland Country Dance Community includes information about bands and callers in the Pacific Northwest.
• The California Dance Co-op in Los Angeles has listings of bands in the area.
• The Spokane Folklore Society provides a list of bands including contra dance groups.
• The Folk Federation of Tasmania has information about dance bands in Tasmania.
• Martin Kiff maintains lists of:
  • English Ceilidh Bands
  • English Folk Dance Bands
  • Scottish Ceilidh Band
    for the webfeet site.
• Set and Turn Single has listings of bands in England, but you'll have to research which ones play for contra dances.
• Down Home Dancing has a list of bands from the Sacramento and San Francisco areas.
• Jeff Spero, on his site, has a list of regional (southern CA) bands.
• The Corvallis Folklore Society has listings for bands in the Pacific Northwest.
• D. E. Pauley keeps track of bands from Florida along with bands that have visited.

0-9

• 3 O'Clock Shadow is a Ex-Post-Neo Contradance Experience! from the San Francisco Bay area.

A

• Chuck Abell is a contra dance musician with bands such as Tempest and Mo'Contra along with being a singer-songwriter, caller, and musician in swing/blues bands. He is based in New York State. New entry (June 30, 2016)
• Acoustic Mayhem, based in Iowa City, Iowa plays rollicking tunes, dancing tunes, sing along songs, and a repertoire that ranges from country to Cajun to classical this band entertains everyone from 3 to 103. Change of URL (February 7, 2015)
• The Acrasians play Scottish and American folk music and regularly play for the Boise (Idaho) Contra Dance Society dances. We are available for dances, weddings, and parties. New entry (May 16, 2016)
• The Adobe Brothers play at contra dances in the Albuquerque, New Mexico area. Change e-mail to URL (February 16, 2015)
• Afro Shillelagh is a mix of old-time fiddle tunes, beat in West African percussion and stir with a Celtic stick with a pinches of music from Brittany, Sweden and Quebec. It is based in Vancouver.
• Shana Aisenberg plays in the band String Equinox and instruments including fiddle, mandolin, bouzouki, lap steel guitar, 5 string banjo, ukulele, fretted dulcimer, frame drums.
• The Albuquerque Megaband is an open band that plays at the 3rd Saturday dance in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Change in URL (February 16, 2015)
• All the Right Notes is the resident band for Leeds (England) Contra Dance. The line-up of fiddles, flute, piano, guitar, and squeeze-boxes depending who comes. Change in band name and URL (November 17, 2015)
• Allemande North playa a variety of traditional and contemporary music from the New England, Southern, Old Time, Cape Breton, French Canadian, and Celtic traditions and perform throughout New England at contra and square dances, festivals, concerts, and other public and private events. The band includes Dave Coleman, Jon Weinberg and Lyn Weinberg and is based in Massachusetts.
• The Amidons play music, tells stories and call dances and are from Brattleboro, VT.
• Sam Amidon, fiddler with Assembly and other groups of musicians now has his own web site. He is based in Vermont and New York.
• Anadama is a Boston, Massachusetts-based trio of musicians, Amelia Mason, Emily Troll and Bethany Waickman, who play mostly for contra dances. Bandcamp page; Facebook page. Change of URL (June 22, 2018)
• Greg Anderson is a contradance musician living and working in the great state of Maine since 1983, has played the hammered dulcimer since 1977, and plays the band with Scrod Pudding, BAJA and The Foot in the Door String Band.
• Kevin J. Anderson plays piano with a number of people on the West Coast.
• Another Clay Pigeon is a contra dance band from Lexington, KY, including Cary Ravitz on fiddle, Paul Vincelli on guitar, and guests (often Michael French on percussion). New entry (April 10, 2018)
• The Appalachian Celtic Consort plays traditional Irish and Scottish music mostly, but also a little old-time and some original compositions with a mix of the local flavor and is based in Charleston, West Virginia.
• Arabesque plays Arabic and Irish acoustic music on flute and various string instruments for dances and other events in Oklahoma and elsewhere. Change of URL (February 7, 2015)
• Askin' for Trouble plays for dances, parties and weddings in the mid Michigan area. Music style is mostly old time with a bit of Irish thrown in. This 7 piece band brings as many as four fiddles, guitar, bass, and either banjo, flute, or mandolin depending on the tune. Music samples from a recent dance are at http://www.glasmacher.us/aft/. Contact Jsuppnick@hotmail.com via e-mail.
• Bob and Melissa Atchison have played at contra dances and square dances since the early 1980s and live in Kansas.
• The Atlanta Open Band welcomes all musicians interested in playing music for contra dance and other traditional dance forms. We typically practice twice each month and all skill levels and instruments are welcome. Facebook page.
• From Vermont, Atlantic Crossing plays music carried to northern New England and eastern Canada during the European immigration of the last three centuries. Facebook page.
• The California version of Atlantic Crossing was started in 1987 to share traditional music from both sides of the Atlantic and points beyond. Over the years, they have played traditional American music from the Appalachians and Louisiana, the Balkans and Middle East, and now, are playing primarily Celtic music. Slight change in URL (June 20, 2015)
• The Atlas Stringband plays old-time southern music in Seattle, Washington.
• Aunt Lu & the Oakland County Allstars come from White Lake, Michigan and includes Judi Morningstar amongst the members.
• The Avant Gardeners include Laura Light, Dave Wiesler, Dan Sebring, and George Paul and are based in Charlottesville, VA.
• Michael Ayles is a Montreal-based musician specializing in the traditional music of Ireland and Quebec and plays with the groups La Part du Queteux and Garton's Crimson Avengers.

B

• The Back Porch Rockers are a family band from Lilburn, Georgia playing Irish fiddle tunes, Southern Banjo tunes, traditional Appalachian music, and old-time Gospel.
• When they were in existence, Back Up and Push played old-time fiddle tunes, honky-tonk, blues, early country, and even some originals and was based in Pennsylvania. Bob Taylor hosts the page.
• One of the hottest bunch of musicians in the Pacific Northwest: Bag o' Tricks, a contra dance band, and their (almost) mirror image, the English country dance band, Tricky Brits, include Dave Bartley, Anita Anderson, and Sande Gillette (Bag o' Tricks), and sweet tunes, new and traditional, when Betsy Cooper joins the band and they morph into Tricky Brits. Slight change in URL (June 20, 2015)
• Ed Baggot is a fiddler in Huntsville, Alabama.
• Baile Daire, from Raleigh, North Carolina, plays at Inis Cairde ceili dances and numerous private functions including weddings and parties and plays occasionally at a contra dance, too.
• Balance and Swing is based in Colorado and includes Susan Reading playing fiddle, Tina Gugeler on hammered dulcimer, and John Reading on piano/keyboard. They perform a variety of music blending jigs, reels, hambos, waltzes, and other traditional styles from New England, Europe, and Scandinavia. Change of URL (January 2, 2016)
• Tim Ball plays fiddle with Contrapasso, Tunescape, the O'Shanigans, and other fine musicians for contra and English Country dances around upstate New York and beyond.
• La Banane Enchantée is based in Massachusetts and plays Quebec-influenced musical mayhem including high energy fun music for contra dances and french-canadian dances.
• The Band O'Goshen plays dances in Goshen and Fort Wayne. (e-mail only)
• Eric J. Anderson and Lee Anne Welch are Bandemonium, a fiddle and piano duo from California and no relation to the East Coast based Big Bandemonium.
• The Boston-based Bare Necessities play music for English Country and contra dances and feature Earl Gaddis and Mary Lea (violin and viola), Peter Barnes (flute and whistles), and Jacqueline Schwab (piano).
• Since its inception in 1991, The Barn Owl Band, its mainstay gig has ben playing for dances in Ames, Iowa, but it has brought its new sound of the traditional American string band to other locales and included new compositions that add to the tradition.
• The Barn Owls from Washington State, is a vintage country and old-timey band which includes Brittany Newell, Hanna Traynham, Kate Lichtenstein and Katy Harris. Facebook page. New entry (January 2, 2016)
• Peter Barnes is a musician, especially known for his work on piano and flute and author of books on English Country Dance Tunes and piano accompaniment and is based in New England.
• Barnstorm,featuring Sharon Hartmann, Chris Campbell, Billy Jickell and Lee Simpson, play at dances across Florida.
• The Barnstormers play at contra dances in the Eugene, Oregon area. (e-mail only)
• Barrowburn, from Raleigh, North Carolina, plays at Inis Cairde ceili dances and numerous private functions including weddings and parties and plays occasionally at a contra dance, too. Facebook page.
• The Doctor of Stuntology, Sam Bartlett who plays with a number of contra musicians and other types, has a site featuring his works. He is based in Indiana.
• Based in New Mexico and playing at a variety of dances including contra dances, the Bayou Seco sound energetically captures the spirit of the Southwest USA today.
• Washington State based Randal Bays plays Irish fiddle and fingerstyle guitar with a number of musicians and appears at contra dances from time to time.
• Fiddler Andrea Beaton occasionally plays at dances in Canada and the United States. She is based in Cape Breton.
• Ian Bell plays fiddle for concerts, square dances and contra dances and also tells stories at venues in Southern Ontario and elsewhere.
• Mandolin player Michael Mayerfeld Bell is a former member of bands such as The Fiddleheads and the Barn Owl Band has composed tunes recorded by the latter, Fool's Gold and Wild Asparagus. He is based in Wisconsin.
• Rachel Bell is an accordion player, tunesmith, and music teacher from the wilds of Pennsylvania. She is in demand throughout the United States and beyond for concerts, contra dances, English country dances, French dances, and workshops. New entry (May 28, 2016)
• Charley Beller is based in Baltimore and a member of the band, Contranella.
• Megan Beller is a violinist and traditional American and Klezmer fiddler in Baltimore, Maryland. She plays American, Irish, and French Canadian fiddle tunes with her contra dance band Contranella.
• David Combs, David Sealander and Daryl Lopez comprise Bellows Fellows a group from Idaho Falls, Idaho.
• Bellows, Scratchitt, and Pluckitt play at ceilidhs & barn dances in the Nottingham, England area.
• The Berea Castoffs, composed of Alice White, Al White, Atossa Kramer, David Witherspoon and occasionally Elise Melrood play at various venues in Kentucky including the Berea dance.
• The Berlin Country Orchestra plays on a regular basis in Berlin, Massachusetts and other locations. Facebook group. Added Facebook group (June 22, 2018)
• Ray Bierl plays everything from cowboy ballads, Appalachian fiddle tunes, vintage rock and roll hits, Tin Pan Alley songs to country classics. He is based in Oakland, California.
• Big Bandemonium featuring Lise Brown, Van Kaynor, Keith Murphy, Dave Langford, Corey DiMario, Brian Bender, Adam Scott, Peter Barnes, and Becky Tracy is based in Massachusetts.
• The The repertoire of the Big Bluestem String Band is an eclectic mix of fiddle tunes, old-time string band music, bluegrass and historic tunes, with an occasional sprinkling of swing and the blues. The band is based in Illinois.
• Based in New Jersey, Big Chaos plays for contra dances and features Aleks Taranov, Em McKeever, Luna Skye and Angelo Campus.
• The Big Phat American K-Lee Band was conceived during a trip to England where we fell in love with English Ceilidh music and dancing. We wanted to capture the fun rowdy English ceilidh feel with our own American twist. It is based in Pennsylvania, but also plays in other mid-Atlantic states.
• Big Medicine plays string band music of the rural South: old-time melodies and mountain harmonies, ancient ballads and archaic fiddle tunes, heart songs, hollers, hymns, and a touch of early bluegrass.
• Big Moose, composed of David Quimby, Jim Vekasi, Emma Watson, David Towle, Charlie Richardson, Ruth Grierson, Chuck Donnelly and Keith Davis play at the Bar Harbor dance in Maine.
• New Hampshire-based Birl, started by and made up of multi-instrumentalists and Nelson regulars Garrett Cameron, Tad Dreis, and Samuel Foucher, brings a braw, Scottish bent to the world of contra. Their high-energy, rhythmically-driving sets are sure to get those skirts twirling! ​New entry (December 18, 2017)
• On stage, Mari Black creates shows that draw on elements from many different styles including jazz, tango, folk, Western classical, as well as Celtic, American, and Canadian fiddling and has played at contra dances on an occasional basis. She lives in Massachusetts. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• Black River Ironworks plays at dances in Ohio and neighboring areas. Change from e-mail to URL (January 23, 2015)
• Montpelier, Vermont's Sarah Blair is plays fiddle as a member of The Sevens and plays with other musicians and at dances from time to time.
• Rex Blazer plays music with a variety of musicians and bands and is based in Alaska.
• Brendan Carey Block plays traditional and non-traditional fiddle incorporating jazz, rock and Cape Breton music in his work. He is based in New Hampshire. Facebook page. Added Facebook page (June 22, 2018)
• Blue Eyed Girl of Asheville, North Carolina is the coalescence of three young women whose roots sink deep into traditional music and dance.
• Blue Jersey is a contra-dance string band with an eclectic mix of swing, gypsy jazz, and bluegrass to their performances.from Princeton, NJ and includes Frank Ruck, Ellen Ruck, and Mike Sutton. Change of URL (May 29, 2016)
• The Boston based Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers brews up a tasty mix of traditional music infused with startling rhythms and innovative arrangements taking from the rooted traditions of many cultures. Change of URL (June 22, 2018)
• The Blue Ridge Rounders are a hard driving, fun loving old time stringband whose music rides the cusp of the old mountain way to the traditional bluegrass sound based in Stecoah Valley, North Carolina.
• While specializing in cowboy/western music, bluegrass, and the folk songs of the west, Blue Sage Trio plays, on occasion, at contra dances, especially in Idaho and Utah. Change of URL (February 16, 2015)
• While Michigan's Blue Water Ramblers mostly sing extraordinary folk music, they occasionally do play at a contra dance.
• Bluegrass Stomp for dances and other events as a duet, trio or a full bluegrass band. They are based in California.
• Bonnie Insull and Richard Scher play together as Bonfire, by themselves or with other musicians from time to time. The band is based in California. (e-mail only)
• BonneTerre plays a variety of traditional music, from old time, cajun, Irish, northern Europlean to more modern musical traditions and is based in South Carolina. New entry (May 29, 2016)
• Boogertown Gap plays Old-Time Appalachian String Music and Celtic Music throughout East Tennessee and the local "Great Smokies" area at a variety of events and functions. Facebook.
• The Booger Holler String Band is an award-winning, old-time music group located in North Florida (and beyond). They play for concerts, dances, parties, festivals, contests, and just for fun.
• Born Old is Doug Van Gundy and Paul Gartner. They have been playing together since 1997, and have learned or stolen from the best traditional musicians in the state of West Virginia. They play traditional old-time music from West Virginia with occasional forays into early country music from the 78 rpm era. Change in URL (January 23, 2015)
• Rebecca Bosworth-Clemens plays clarinet with the band Firefly and also plays with other musicians at venues throughout New England. She lives near Boston, Massachusetts.
• The Boulder Bogtrotters are an eclectic dance band playing a sometimes mystifying variety of instruments. They indulge in a mix of southern Appalachian, New England, Celtic, Ragtime and other tunes with energy and abandon and are based in Boulder, Colorado. (e-mail only)
• Bob Bovee and Gail Heil play everything from square dance tunes to authentic cowboy songs to yodels & tin pan alley favorites and are based in Minnesota.
• Bowhunter is the Michigan-based square dance band formed from the driving rhythmic and melodic forces of Michael Beauchamp, Sam Cooper, Sam Herman, and Laurel Premo. New entry (May 29, 2016)
• The Bowdoinham String Band plays at venues from dances to farmers' markets and tunes from Irish and Scottish to American roots from the South and West. The band is based in Maine. Change of URL (June 22, 2018)
• Box and String Music is the duo of Bill Quern and Sarah Gowan. They play instrumental traditional roots music from the American Appalachians, England, Canada, Scandinavia, and France as well as their won original music composed in traditional styles. They are based in Pennsylvania. New entry (March 29, 2017)
• Adam Boyce is a caller and musician from West Windsor, Vermont who primarily does singing squares, along with the Virginia Reel, Portland Fancy, and other formations. He can do old fashioned contra dances with experienced groups. Call him at (802) 484-7719.
• The Boys of the Hock' play intstrumental interpretations of Irish traditional music weaving together lively jigs and reels, stately hornpipes, and haunting airs to bring the sounds of Ireland to the hills of Appalachia and to their home base in Ohio.
• Bo Bradham is a fiddler in Virginia. Change of URL (August 11, 2018)
• Mary Cay Brass has been playing for traditional New England contra dances all over the country since the early 1980's on both piano and accordion. She is based in southern Vermont.
• The BriarPickers come from Madison, Wisconsin and feature Brian Ray and Paul Kienitz. They meld traditional Appalachian style folk melodies with a classical string ensemble approach.
• Brittany Bay is an acoustic quartet from Cincinnati, Ohio which draws upon music from New England, the British Isles, and French Canada and takes a new approach to the traditional folk dance music. Change of URL (January 23, 2015)
• The Broken String Band plays on a frequent basis in Bozeman, Montana. (e-mail only)
• Lise Brown is a saxophonist, flutist, arranger, composer and is well-known for work in the bands Big Bandemonium and Dark Carnival. She is based in Western Massachusetts. (e-mail only)
• Matt Brown plays old-time traditional music on fiddle with a variety of musicians and performers and is based in Pennsylvania.
• The Brook Farm String Farm Band plays on a regular basis at the dances in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Change in URL for Kalamazoo (January 23, 2019); Change in URL for the band (February 3, 2019
• Dave Brown played with Wild Thyme for a number of years and now plays with ConTradition and Skylark. He is based in England.
• Matt Brown plays sprightly square dance tunes, haunting banjo pieces, and sings a variety of songs from the blues to ballads. He is based in Chicago, Illinois.
• The Bru play Scottish and American folk music and regularly play for the Boise (Idaho) Contra Dance Society dances. We are available for dances, weddings, and parties. New entry (May 15, 2016)
• Eric Buddington is a caller and fiddle player living in western Massachusetts.
• Noah VanNorstrand and Julie Vallimont, as Buddy System, play acoustic and electronic music for contra dances, techno contras, concerts, and festivals. The band is based in Somerville, Massachusetts. Facebook page. Added Facebook page (June 22, 2018)
• While classically trained, fiddle player Audrey Budington true loves are Classically trained, her true loves are Traditional, New England Dance, Celtic and Fusion, and she is also known for her creative compositions. She is based in Boston and grew up in New Hampshire. Facebook page. New entry (June 22, 2018)
• Christa Burch gives voice and plays bodhran for the band, the California band, The Syncopaths.
• Susan Burke lives in Duvall Washington and performs actively around the Puget Sound area and at contra dances at much of the Pacific Northwest.
• The Burning Desire String Band, was started over 25 years to work with caller Frederick Park, with music from Southern Appalachian big sets and squares to smooth New England contras and quadrilles, yes, and even to the blues! The band is based in Swannanoa, North Carolina.
• The Bursledon Village Band is based near Southampton on the South Coast of the U.K.
• Buzzstep is a Kentucky-based contra dance band including Cary Ravitz on fiddle, Richard King on piano, and Steve Bennett on drums.
• While Buzzard's Bayou plays mostly zydeco and cajun music, the Cape Cod based band also plays at an occasional contra dance.

C

• Cabernet Sauvignon includes the talents of Karen Ashbrook, David Wiesler, Andrea Hoag and Paul Oorts, each nationally and internationally known in diverse genres, and is based in Maryland.
• Cabin Fever!, a band from Columbia, South Carolina, plays traditional music, mostly for contra dances.
• The Cacklin' Hens & Roosters Too play Old Time Music for dancing, dancing, and dancing in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
• Cactus Canyon is San Antonio's local long-standing contra band, formed in 1985. They've played mostly for contra dances, but have also played for the annual Victorian Gala (and other Fiesta events), the San Antonio Folklife Festival, and for various other public events as well as for the occasional wedding.
• When it existed, Calenda Maia played traditional folk music with a modern and sometimes untraditional sensibility. The band was based in Guilford, CT and its repertoire included tunes and songs ranging from Irish to bluegrass to medieval dance music.
• Calliope Creek (Janet Ashford on violin and Chet Boddy on guitar and banjo) plays sweet and lively Celtic and American folk music for weddings, parties, dances, receptions and fund-raising events in Mendocino. Slight change in URL (June 20, 2015)
• Along with his regular schedule of concerts and other events, Duncan Cameron occasionally plays at a contra dance in Canada.
• Jon Cannon has information about the bands he is in including Cardinal Direction. He is based in Boston. Revised entry (September 19, 2015)
• The Canote Brothers, are from Seattle, Washington. Greg on fiddle, and Jere on guitar, and both on banjo ukes, perform zany concerts, play for dances, lead songs and promote a good time!
• The Cantrells feature Al and Emily Cantrell and play bluegrass, western, western swing, Irish fiddle tunes, original contradance tunes, jazz standards, and even an occasional Broadway "hit." They are based in Tennessee.
• Wayne Cantwell of Del City, Oklahoma, occasionally plays at contra dances.
• The Caravan Band plays at various dances in New Hampshire.
• Julianne Carney has performed with Jay Z at Radio City Music Hall but also plays fiddle at barn dances in New York City.
• Bonnie Carol plays the hammered and fretted dulcimers as well as bodhran, folk drums and hand percussion as a soloist and as part of some contra dance bands in Colorado.
• The Carolina Chocolate Drops are based in Durham, North Carolina and are a group of young African-American stringband musicians that have come to together to play the rich tradition of fiddle and banjo music in Carolinas' piedmont. Facebook page.
• Carolina Gator Gumbo is your Carolina Connection Cajun Band. John Bishop maintains the site.
• Washington State-based Carolina Rowdies love to play just about anywhere: bars, festivals, community dances, parties, or on your front porch. To boot, we are like a square dance in a box, and come complete with our own caller. New entry (July 9, 2016)
• The Carr Family Band plays contemporary/traditional music with drive. Kevin Carr and Josie Mendelsohn and their offspring Daniel and Molly Carr have a trunkful of tunes and songs collected over the years in dance halls, festivals and along the byways of America, Europe and Quebec. They are based in Oregon. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• Deb Carstensen has, since 1991 performed with various bands including Highstrung, Celtic Fair, All in Good Time, Conundrum, Unstrung Heroes and Deb and the Pariahs with what some call a "Denver" style of Celtic music because there are influences creeping in from old timey music and other traditional Colorado music styles.
• Cascade Crossing plays contra dance music that touches on many styles of music, from baroque to klezmer to hard driving reels to smooth mysterious jigs and is based in Oregon and Washington State.
• While it is rare now for Hanneke Cassel to play at a contra dance, this Boston based fiddler has played them in the past.
• The Cat Wranglers are based in Chicago, Illinois. New entry (August 28, 2015)
• The Cat's Whiskers Barn Dance Band plays ceilidhs, barn dances and hoe-downs right across England, from Northumberland to Southampton and from Essex to Wessex. Change of URL (March 15, 2015)
• Cattywampas with Tim Cape (fiddle), Scott Russell (guitar), Pete Senkowski (bass), plays in the Atlanta, Georgia area. (e-mail only)
• The Celebration Barn Dance Band is from Nottingham, England. New entry (July 9, 2016)
• The Celery City Sodbusters are based in Kalamazoo, Michigan and play at dances in the area. (e-mail only)
• Celtic Myst, featuring Steve Hedges, Mark Moschell and Will Watt played at the Indianapolis, Indiana dance on August 23, 2013.
• Celtic Spring is six siblings who play the fiddle and step-dance, backed by their mom on the keyboard and their dad on percussion. Their music hails from Ireland, Scotland and Cape Breton and the band is based in California.
• Colorado's Ceol Ceili includes Steve Hart, Kari Wilson, Heidi McClure, and Ron Sommers and play Celtic music and then some. Change in URL (February 16, 2015)
• Les Chauffeurs á pieds travel as their name suggests: by the stomp and tap of their feet. Since they have been taping out their jigs and reels in Quebec and abroad.
• Changeling is the Celtic music duo of guitarist/singer Karl Clark Colón and fiddler Deborah Clark Colón.
• The Cheap Shots is a energetic six-person acoustic band plating contra dances, performances, weddings, private parties and more and is based in New Mexico. New entry (May 13, 2016)
• Chicory is a dance band based in Illinois. Not fancy. A couple of fiddles, a guitar, a bass, but it puts energy into the dancers' feet and makes them never want to stop.
• Although based in Boston, Childsplay has members from at least seven states and two countries who play instruments made by Bob Childs.
• Chilli Jam plays on a regular basis at the dance in Wellington, New Zealand.
• Chimney Swift is a dance band based in Boston, MA featuring Cecile Leroy on cello, Daniel Raine on cittern, Yaron Shragai on whistles and percussion, and Zo&emul; Madonna on accordion. Their tunes and arrangements draw inspiration from Anglo-American dance tunes, various international styles, and whatever off the wall idea someone mentioned as a joke in practice last week. Facebook page.Added Facebook page (June 22, 2018)
• Chopped Liver is a Santa Barbara / Los Angeles based band featuring Michael Mendelson on fiddle, Jeff Spero on piano, Suzanne Duffy on flute and Bill Flores on mandolin, banjo, dobro and tenor sax. They play music from many traditions (including quite a few original compositions) with a driving groove and shameless improvisation.
• The Cicadas are a contra dance band based in Woodstock, Connecticut. Change in URL (June 22, 2018)
• The Cincinnati Open Band is a volunteer group who plays for the Monday night contra dances in Wyoming, OH, about once every two months. Change of URL (January 23, 2015)
• Ciunas is a San Diego area band of four young musicians sharing the tradition and innovation of Celtic music.
• The Clayfoot Strutters play contra dance music from the New England, Appalachian, Irish, Quebecois and other traditions, laid over a hot bed of Texas swing, Cajun, Zydeco, and Afropop. They are primarily based in Vermont but play coast to coast.
• The Clearfork Valley String Band is an Ohio based band with members spanning three generations. The band performs traditional fiddle-based music with a purity that transcends trends and gimmicks.
• While a New age pianist/orchestral and film score composer, Clayton Clemetson also plays piano at contra dances. He is based in Maine. New entry (June 22, 2018)
• Clusterfolk is based in Arizona and primarily plays for contradances with a variety of New England, Celtic, Southern, Old-timey and original tunes. (e-mail only)
• The California band, The Cobb Stompers play music for hoedowns, shindigs, and hootenannies. New entry (June 30, 2016)
• The Coffee Zombies play for contra dances in Indianapolis and nearby areas and states fusing old-time, Celtic, French-Canadian, and original tunes with a hard-driving rhythmic base. Facebook page. Change of URL (January 23, 2015)
• Flynn Cohen has played with musicians and groups including Adrienne Young & Little Sadie, Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble, Joe Derrane & Frank Ferrell, and Lissa Schneckenburger. He is based in Massachusetts.
• CoinciDance is a contra dance band from Western Massachusetts. We came together as a band at the Pinewoods Labor Day Weekend in 2007. The band includes Tony Pisano, Josh Pisano, Susan Janssen, Eric Buddington and Eric Martin.
• From the Pennsylvania/New Jersey area, Col. Mike's Dance Band is composed of John Krumm, Bob Pasquarello, and Bob Stein. (e-mail only)
• Matt Combs plays fiddle and mandolin with the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, groups such as Sub-ID and has taught at the Blair School of Music and Mark O'Connor's Fiddle Camp. He is based in Nashville, Tennessee.
• Sarah Comer plays fiddle for contra dances along at other venues and teaches private lessons and a beginning American fiddle class in the Puyallup, Washington area. Slight change in URL (June 20, 2015)
• Comes When Called played in Gainesville, Florida on October 6, 2019 and features Kathie Aagard (fiddle), Rich Crew (recorder), Susan Marynowski (piano and percussion), and John McEwen (banjo).
• The Common Taters have a bunch of fun playing and singing traditional old-time stringband music for dances, festivals, weddings, and other events in the Chicago area.
• Confluence from Olean NY, consists of Nadine Dyskant-Miller on flute and foot percussion and Barbara Dyskant on keyboards and features music of Quebec, Ireland, New England, Europe, and elsewhere, plus contemporary sounds and rhythms and original material.
• Contra Alt Delete are a young, energetic, slightly nerdy, dynamic band based in London and Coventry. New entry (November 28, 2015)
• The Contra Banditos play traditional New England Contra Dance music with just a twist of Lemon! i.e. We might throw in the Texas Tango (David Lindley) or Bob Dylans I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (in waltz time of course) just for the fun of it here or there (there being Groton, Massachusetts).
• The Contra Mantra is Barb Schmid and Ryck Kaiser on fiddles and Jill Smith on piano. The band plays Appalachian tunes and is based in south central Pennsylvania. (e-mail only)
• The Contra Rebels is an old-time southern-style band led by York County fiddler Todd Clewell, with Henry Koretzky on guitar and mandolin. The group specializes in playing contradances and square dances in a circuit ranging from New York to Georgia, and is often augmented by banjo and bass.
• Contra Sutra is composed of Dave Bartley, Ryan McKasson, Marni Rachmiel and Russell S. and is based in Northern California.
• Contraband (U.K.) is based in Kent. The band's repertoire includes traditional folk music, our own compositions, Irish, traditional American andeven some Scottish tunes with many "new" tunes and arrangements being introduced. Change of URL (November 28, 2015)
• The Ohio edition of the band Contraband includes Mark Barsamian (fiddle), Mark Delozier (piano) and Michael Sisson (bass). The band is available to play at contra dances in the area. (e-mail only)
• The Contradictions is Laurie Hart on fiddle, Rick Manning on fiddle and mandolin, Tom Hodgson on guitar, and Dave Davies on bass and vocals. They offer an eclectic mix of fiddle tunes and songs from American and European traditions. They are headquartered in New York State.
• ConTradition features Dave Brown on fiddle, Julia Day on keyboards and Shane Day on accordion and plays everything from Playford to contra in the UK.
• ContraForce is reported to play tribal psychedelic folk metal for contra dances branching out from Charleston SC. Largely original tunes, they rock out on Effected fiddle/ guitar /sax /foot -hand percussion. Feel free to check them out on facebook tunes tab for a taste. Contact for booking: ContraForceband@gmail.com - Facebook page. Change of URL (December 1, 2019)
• Contranella is composed of father and daughter John and Meg Wobus Beller with Charley Beller and is based in Syracuse, New York area.
• Hailing from West Virginia, the Contrarians are comfortable in a variety of styles and traditions: Celtic, New England, swing, and of course, old-time (Appalachian). They also write original material. With rhythmic variety, occasional glimpses of ethnic music, and unique improvisations, dancers let loose and never lose interest in the music. Change of URL (January 23, 2015)
• Contratopia, featuring John Goodin on the mandolin, Eric Sessions on the fiddle, Patrice Pakiz on keyboard, oboe, and percussion, and Pat O'Loughlin on concertina and banjo, is based in Minnesota.
• Contraversial features the talents of David Brown (baritone guitar and banjo) and Cailen Campbell (fiddle) and is based in Asheville, North Carolina.
• Contrazz combines the improvisational style and solos of a jazz band with a repertoire of traditional Celtic, Quebecois and American old-time music for dances in North Carolina.
• Shane Cook is a London, Ontario based fiddler who plays across North America with Brian Pickell, Troy MacGillivray and Jake Charron as well as with Bowfire. As a Canadian and US National Fiddle Champion he plays in a variety of traditional styles including Ottawa Valley, Irish and Scottish.
• Corkscrew are an entertaining established band providing music and fun for all ages. The band is based in Poole in Dorset, England.
• Coracree melds a transatlantic mix of traditional Celtic, Old-time, European, and original music with a playful, improvisational style. The band is based in Pennsylvania. New entry (August 28, 2015)
• The Corn Potato String Band is a story of struggle, hard knocks and triumph. Essentially unable to cope with modern life, the members of this band are outcasts of society who survive by playing the lost music of the flatlands where they were raised. The band is based in Michigan. New entry (June 16, 2016)
• Cornbread includes Patrick Mason, Janie Weise, and Jorge Cardena and plays an eclectic mix of Old Time, Bluegrass, Irish, French Canadien, contemporary, novelty tunes, swing and original tunes in South Florida. New entry (December 4, 2016)
• The Corndrinkers include Tom Duffee (banjo), Barbara Kuhns (fiddle), Linda Scutt (fiddle), Doug Smith (guitar), and Al Turnbull (bass), are based in the Springfield-Troy area of southwestern Ohio and have played for more than 25 years.
• Back in the first few years of the century, fiddler Laura Cortese played at contra dances, but these days she is better known for touring nationally with indie rock/folk drummer Neil Cleary. She is based in Massachusetts.
• The Cosmic Otters are the Chicago based duo of Jonathan Whitall on fiddle and Meg Dedolph on guitar playing Celtic music for contra dancing. Change of URL (January 23, 2015)
• While John Coté started playing the guitar following the chops of Eddie Van Halen, he has added traditional dance music, mandolin and fiddle while living in Maine.
• Countercurrent is a contra dance and folk music band from western Washington, featuring driving guitar, foot percussion, lyrical fiddle, and harmony vocals. New entry (June 30, 2016)
• Country Capers plays lively New England, Cape Breton, and Irish reels and jigs, beautiful and intricate Scandinavian melodies, pulsating Cajun tunes, and stompin' Appalachian hoedowns in Washington State.
• The Crabapples are a lively contra dance band known up and down the central coast of California and play a variety of traditional tunes with a highly danceable spirit.
• Jubal Creech is a drummer and percussionist who plays with bands such as The Avant Gardeners. He is based in Raleigh, North Carolina.
• The Crested Hens were the Celtic Band of Montana's Bitterroot Valley and played at dances in the area.
• Crooked Kilt, based in Spokane, Washington, is a unique source of Celtic and other styles of music.
• The Crooked Pine Band are regulars at local music rooms, festivals and street fairs, private parties and large corporate events. The band is based in North Carolina. New entry (May 28, 2016)
• Brian Baker, Brian Donahue, Bill Porter and Mikre Robinson (and sometimes Margie McDonald) are the members of the Atlanta-based Crosstown Traffic which plays a mix of New England style tunes and some old-time. (e-mail only)
• Grounded in the family's Celtic and Nordic roots, The Crow Valley String Band performs a remarkable variety of original and traditional tunes and songs from North America and the British Isles. It is based in Washington State. New entry (January 2, 2016)
• Crowfoot, featuring Adam Broome, Jaige Trudel and Nicholas Williams plays contemporary dance music from the Celtic traditions and is based in Maine.
• Fiddle player Tom Cunningham is a member of the Coffee Zombies, The Hot Club of Derbytown and other bands and is based in Louisville, Kentucky. New entry (January 2, 2016)
• The Currawong Bush Band plays traditional Australian bush music for bush dances and other events in and around Sydney.

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• The Dam Beavers are Ben Schreiber on fiddle and Scotty Leach on piano. The band is based in California. New entry (November 7, 2017)
• Danance, featuring Pete Gregory, Frank Javorsek, Doug Moon, Wayne Slater-Lunsford, Marsha Trochim plays at the Lancaster, California dance on a regular basis. Slight change in URL (June 20, 2015)
• The Dancehall Desperados are a band of musical troubadours, bandits, and raconteurs ready to ride out from Amesville, Ohio to your dancing event. Square and Round, Line Dancing, Contra, Country Swing and Hippy Hoedowns. New entry (July 9, 2016)
• The Dancing Bears are a contra dance band from Asheville, North Carolina and feature Lew Gelfond on fiddle, Mark Langner on guitar, John Culp on mandolin and banjo and Skip Metheny on bass.
• Santa Barbara's Dannsair plays Irish music with jazz, classical and traditional Irish sensibilities.
• Dark of the Moon, a women's band based in Madison, Wisconsin, plays traditional music from the the British Isles, America, Scandinavia, and other countries for dancing and listening. They specialize in music for contradancing, such as jigs and reels, and also play waltzes, polkas, schottisches, folk songs, and other traditional music. Mary Mullen and Bonnie Gruber provide the information.
• Zoe Darrow and the Fiddleheads play traditional Scottish, Irish, and Cape Breton Fiddle Tunes, sometimes for contra dances. The band is based in western Massachusetts.
• Andy Davis has been dancing since 1976 and playing accordion and calls dances as well as playing banjo and piano since that time. He is based in southern Vermont. Change of URL (June 22, 2018)
• Based in New Hampshire, the Davis Hill Duo has enjoyed playing for art festivals, wedding receptions, company parties, open mics, and contradances across the White Mountain region of New Hampshire.
• Indiana's Dianna Davis plays with Troika, the Emily Ann Thompson Band, il Troubadore, Coffee Zombies, and leads a gypsy jazz combo. New entry (July 1, 2016)
• Susie Deane plays Jazz, Swing, Irish, Contradance and is based in Poughkeepsie, New York.
• Deb and the Pariahs play an accordion, bagpipe and banjo (along with a fiddle) all at one time on one stage and are based in Colorado. Change in URL (February 16, 2015)
• The group Deux Francois is based in Tampa, Florida. (e-mail only)
• Living in the Carolinas, David DiGiuseppe is a singer, accordionist, mandolinist, and Irish cittern player.
• Bassist Corey DiMario is based in Brooklyn and plays with a variety of musicians.
• The Dire Ducks include Alice Boyle (fiddle) and Robert Rosenberg (guitar, banjo, bodhran), are based in Manhattan, Kansas, and plays Irish, Quebecois, Contra Dance, and Old Time fiddle music. New entry (January 2, 2016)
• The Dixie Butterhounds are based in Massachusetts and play southern Appalachian fiddle tunes and songs, though they also branch out into rags and bluesy numbers as well.
• Bob & Lynn Dixon hail from Minneapolis, Minnesota and play as a duo and in bands such as Danebodium. Facebook page. Change of URL (January 23, 2015)
• From Connecticut, Dogtown, comprised of Becky Miller (fiddle, piano); Tom Randall (piano, banjo, guitar, mandolin); and Norb Spencer (accordion) play old time country songs, honkey-tonk swing, and hot northern and southern fiddle tunes. Change of URL (June 22, 2018)
• The Donnybrook Lads feature the talents of Alison Arnold, Jeff Engel, Colin Cannell and Buz Lloyd and is based in Cary, Raleigh and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
• Ruthie Dornfeld, fiddle player, is fluent in a wide range of styles, from Celtic and old-time to Scandinavian and Eastern European and is based in the Pacific Northwest.
• Dot-dot-dash performs live acoustic music in Celtic, Appalachian dance, Old-time and Gypsy-jazz stylings, performing around Virginia's New River Valley.
• Dragonfly plays wonderfully eclectic collection of trio arrangements of Scottish, Irish, French, Renaissance, and contemporary folk tunes in Binghamton and other parts of upstate New York.
• Driving With Fergus, is a Northern California band featuring Lewis Santer (guitar and Irish bouzouki) and Vince Wolfe (flute, whistle, pipes, drum) which plays the traditional dance music and songs of Ireland.
• Duck for the Oyster specializes in traditional music for dancing, from 18th and 19th century America as well as a variety of dances from around the world and play a regular dance series in northwestern Wisconsin featuring squares, contras, reels, quadrilles, international, circle and round dances. Change of URL (January 23, 2015)
• Bill Dudley plays guitar in several old-time and contradance bands in Florida along with engineering, recording and interviewing performers for various sound and radio programs.
• The Dunehoppers are an old-time string band from St. Augustine, Florida. Change of URL (December 1, 2019)

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• In Australia, Earthly Delights plays music and lead dances in many traditional styles, they also cross traditional boundaries, mixing medieval and modern instruments and blending Anglo-Celtic, Central European, Latin American and Middle-Eastern melodic, harmonic and rhythmic styles to produce new and exhilarating music. For those that won't be making Down Under in the near future, you can buy "A Box of Earthly Delights", their 2 CD set, which includes instructions for the dances played on the CDs. John Garden supports the site.
• Rachel Eddy plays fiddle, clawhammer banjo and mandolin with fellow old-time and Irish music musicians and is a member of the Morgantown Rounders in West Virginia. Change of URL (January 23, 2015)
• Eel House is a quartet from Fairbanks, Alaska which melds Irish fiddle with an unapologetic dose of fusion jazz, classical, and hard rock. Facebook page. New entry (January 2, 2016)
• Eric Eid-Reiner is based in Arlington, Massachusetts and plays at contra dances from time to time but his influences range from traditional fiddle tunes to jazz, from Jewish music to modern folk, from ragtime to the blues.
• einstein's little homunculus plays at an increasing number of contra dances in New England.
• Elderberry Jam played in Greenville, North Carolina on January 17, 2015.
• The Celtic/Appalachian band, The Electrodes are based in Seattle, Washington and play for contradances around the Northwest. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• The Elftones play a blend of Irish, Scottish, Canadian, old-time, and original tunes for contra dances, weddings, parties, and just about anywhere people like to twirl and swing and have a great time and are based in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Virgil Sealy provides the information.
• Elixir is a contra dance band that believes in ensuring that the big brass sound plays a role in the music. The band is based in Vermont. Facebook group. Added Facebook group (June 22, 2018)
• Kerry Elkin has been of one of New England's finest dance fiddlers for the past 30 years and has performed with Childsplay, Wild Asparagus, Fresh Fish, and The Geese in the Bog, as well as being featured in small ensembles with musicians such as Mark Roberts, Laurel Martin, Dave Surette, and Mark Simos. Kerry's music has been enjoyed throughout the United States, Ireland and Sweden in dance halls, pubs and music festivals. He passed away on August 22, 2009. Martha's Vineyard Times obituary. Change of URL (June 22, 2018)
• A member of The Free Raisins, Amy Englesberg plays across the country and teaches piano in Washington State. New entry (May 29, 2016)
• The English Contra Dance Band are based in England and feature fiddle players Jackie Allen and Linda Game and piano player Gareth Kiddier. Change of URL (November 28, 2015)
• The band, Ennis Clare, based in Indianapolis, is a high-energy trditional Irish band featuring audience rousing traditional songs and high driving, foot stomping Irish tunes.
• Hailing from the Western Highlands of Connecticut, the east coast of Scotland, the Appalachians and Los Angeles, and meeting in the middle, Ann Arbor-born Ensoleil forms a truly diverse quartet. New entry (May 13, 2016)
• Entwyned plays compelling Celtic-influenced melodies and friendly old-time tunes, accented with influences from world music and swing, and driven by a lively rhythmic flow. They specialize in playing for contradances and other community dances, and we're known for our tune arrangements that match the figures of the dance, molding the dance energy and raising the dancers' spirits. The band is based in central Indiana. New entry (May 28, 2016)
• Paul Epstein is a singer-songwriter, fiddler, and member of such bands as the Contrarians and the Gypsy Stars. He lives in West Virginia. New entry (July 4, 2016)
• In New Mexico, the Estrotones feature Barbara Herrington, Marjorie Mullany, and Nancy FryeWeaver.
• The Eugene City Barnstormers play at square dances, contra dances, weddings, parties in and around Eugene, Oregon. Change of URL (July 9, 2016)
• Oregon-based Europa Duet plays Classical Music, Jazz Standards, Celtic Gypsy Jazz, and Old Timey Feel-Good Classics along with providing music for contra dances. New entry (October 10, 2016)
• Euphoria Stringband from Two Foot Falls, Kansas, specializes in Old-Time music.
• Extended Roots is an acoustic band comprised of 13 women from the East (San Francisco) Bay Area playing predominately traditional music from the roots of America such as 'Old-Time', 'Celtic' and 'Bluegrass'.

F

• Paul Fackler plays traditional and neo-traditional music on the fiddle. He is based in North Carolina.
• The Fall Creek Delta Boys continue to play on a periodic basis at the Indianapolis, Indiana dance.
• The Falmouth Fiddlers used to sponsor a contra dance on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and still play together in concert and in sessions.
• La Famille Leger is a family band playing the music of Quebec and New Brunswick and is based in Seattle, Washington. Change in URL (June 20, 2015)
• The band, Far Horizons, plays traditional southern, New England, Cape Breton, bluegrass, celtic reels and jigs and original dance tunes, along with a large variety of waltzes for contra dances and other events in North Carolina.
• The Connecticut band, The Fascinating Swivets is comprised of Stacy Phillips, Ellen Cohn and either Jocelyn Pleasant on percussion or Gary Wikfors on mandolin. Change in band name and URL (June 24, 2018)
• The Fast Pesos plays a blend of Appalachian fiddle tunes and songs from the Civil War into the 1920's, as well as music learned from the revivalist string bands 1960's to the present. Change in URL (February 16, 2015)
• Fat Weasel has been playing in Anchorage and around Alaska for a few years now and it features Steve Montooth, guitar; Jason Bent, fiddle; Brian DeMarcus, banjo-bass-caller-clogger; Aileen McInnis, bass; and Christy Williams, vocals and banjo-uke. They play hard driving Appalachian Old Time String Band Music. (e-mail only)
• Fiddle player Frank Ferrel plays at a contra dance on occasion along with his many concerts and maintains the traditions of Dudley Square in Boston.
• The Fiddle Fire aka Panning Family Band specializes in traditional, foot stomping fiddle music, as well as gospel bluegrass for events ranging from dances to corporate parties and is based in Michigan.
• Adam Sweet (fiddle) and Brian Bender (piano) comprise Fiddle Hill, a contra dance band based in Western Massachusetts.
• Fiddle Tunas based in Santa Barbara / San Luis Obispo. Members are Michael Mendelson on fiddle, Amber Roullard-Mueller on piano, and Tom Wolverton on banjo and dobro.
• New Haven's venerable contradance band, The Fiddleheads, include Jim Sirch (banjo, whistles, and bodrhan), Willow Sirch (fiddle), Gary Wikfors (mandolin and mando-ephemera) and Norman Plankey (guitar) with appearances by Colin Healy (fiddle/mandolin) and other local musicians. Norman Plankey designed and maintains the page. Facebook page.
• Fiddlehedz plays at dances and concerts in Maine along with organizing jam sessions.
• FiddleSticks is a Utah family band that performs folk songs and traditional tunes from the Celtic lands, from England, and from America and plays at an occasional contra dance.
• The repertoire of the Fifer's Delight Band includes contradance music is born in New England, détours via Quebec and ricochets off fife-and-drum just for special effect. They are based in Connecticut. New entry (June 23, 2018)
• Fifth Reel has been playing in Colorado for contra dances, events like Robert Burns Suppers, weddings, parties, and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations since 1996. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• The Figments are a mix of northern and southern styles and repetoires and include Ethan Hazzard-Watkins, Anna Patton and Owen Morrison and is based in Vermont.
• Finnegans Awake is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and plays a fine blend of acoustic music with flavors of Irish, Celtic and a pinch of folk. Facebook page. Change of URL (February 7, 2015)
• Firecloud is a techno-contra band featuring Andy Reiner, Julie Vallimont and DJ Nanocannon (Andrew Hlynsky) and is based in Massachusetts. Facebook page. New entry (January 2, 2016)
• The FireFlies play traditional fiddle music for your dancing and listening pleasure and are based in the NY Capitol District.
• Robin Fischer s a fiddler and square dance caller based in Berkeley, CA. Her fiddling is rooted in old-time, bluegrass, and country styles. She calls square dances in the traditional southern fashion - no levels, no prerecorded music, just a live band and emphasis on the party. New entry (September 25, 2016)
• The Five Dog String Band is based in New Mexico and features Steve Huestis, David Margolin and Rick Olcott.
• Five-Oh! is based in Indianapolis, Indiana and plays at dances in the area. (e-mail only)
• Flagpole Salad is a recipe, a family legend and a stringband based in New Mexico. New entry (January 2, 2016)
• The Flat Rock Stringband plays Old-Time American stringband music, includes Brooks Masten, Robin Wilcox, Linnea Spitzer, and Eric Bagdonas, and is based in Portland, Oregon. New entry (May 13, 2016)
• The Flatland String Band plays at contra dances and other events in Kansas.
• Mark and Hilarie Burhans, Al and Emily Cantrell and Nick Weiland make up the Flexible Flyers and play fiddle tune until every melodic, rhythmic, harmonic and comedic nuance of the tune had been explored, and the players had achieved a blissful trance. The band is based in Ohio.
• Spokane, Washington-based multi instrumentalists Don Thomsen and James Hunter have joined forces with guitarist Rick Rubin and fiddler Morgan Andersen in the configuration known as Floating Crowbar. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• Floorplay, a Charlottesville, Virginia contradance band plays an eclectic mix of French Canadian, Old-time, Klezmer, Swing, and original tunes since the spring of 2007.
• Robin Flower and Libby McLaren play for contra dances in northern California.
• Flying Fingers is a student run musical ensemble at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, performing traditional folk music from the Scottish-Irish tradition and its descendants in America (old-time, contradance, bluegrass, etc.), with occasional forays into other forms of traditional folk music.
• The Flying Garbanzos are a contra/Celtic band from Berkshire County, Massachusetts and play at lots of dance in western Massachusetts and eastern New York State. Change of URL (June 22, 2018)
• Flying Jenny, from Birmingham, Alabama includes Jim & Joyce Cauthen and Duncan Blair and plays old-time string band music. The site is maintained by Jim and Joyce Cauthen.
• Flying Pig Fiddle & Banjo play Old-Time Southern Appalachian String Band Music on fiddles, banjo, washtub, washboard, pitchfork, fiddlesticks, feet, and more in and around Iowa.
• The Flying Turtles String Band are Tom and Ellen Hogan who play at contra dances, hoedowns or a great nights at a local pub in Florida.
• Portland, Oregon's Foghorn String Band's line-up fiddle, banjo, mandolin, bass and guitar - is reminiscent of early bluegrass, but their powerful approach is whole-heartedly old-time, centered largely by the fiddle.
• Caroline and Dan Hollingshurst compose Folkus Pocus which along with playing at an occasional contra dance play dances and workshops at Cecil Sharp House and clubs around the UK.
• David DiGiuseppe provides information about Footloose a band whose sound draws upon Irish, southern old time, jazz and classical music influences hails from the Chapel Hill, NC area.
• FootSpring is a duo – fiddle and guitar/mandolin - Jennifer Lane and Buddy McManus – focused on the unique rhythmic needs of the contradance community in South Carolina. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• The Forget-Me-Nots bring fresh energy to the ageless tradition of Celtic music and are Willa Finck, Maura Shawn Scanlin, and Ledah Finck, with David Finck on backup guitar. The group is based in North Carolina.
• Four Mile Portage is Brandy Forsman, Tom Maloney and friends and plays at dances in Duluth, Minnesota area. Change of URL (January 23, 2015)
• Four Shillings Short is rooted in Celtic and American folk, is inspired by Indian Raga and ethnic idioms, and plays a diverse and inventive traditional music adventure. They are based in California, but play all over the country.
• George Fowler has been playing the fiddle in Maine for more than thirty years and at countless contra dances.
• The French Connection plays traditional contra dance tunes with a French accent with Deck Nieforth on Harmonica and Spoons; Dan Lanier on Fiddle and Guitar; Mike Fischman on Guitar and Mandolin. Change of URL (June 22, 2018).
• The Franklin County Fiddlers is comprised of talented high school students from Mt. Blue High School in Farmington, Maine and plays at dances and other events. Change of URL (June 22, 2018)
• Free Association plays traditional and contemporary contra dance tunes in a variety of styles, and anything else that occurs to them at the time. Our current range includes Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
• The Free Raisins are a Boston area contra dance band playing energetic New England dance music and include Audrey Knuth, Amy Englesberg and Jeff Kaufman. Facebook page.
• The Freight Hoppers are an old-time band based in Bryson City, North Carolina.
• Ari and Mia Friedman play as a duo and with other musicians for concerts, dances and other gigs. Their music explores the traditions of Southern Appalachia, Northeastern fiddle music, and the realm where their own compositions cross paths with older traditions. They are based in Massachusetts. Facebook page. Added Facebook page (June 22, 2018)
• Alan Friend has been playing banjo, guitar and concertina, and singing traditional songs from America and the British Isles for many years. He is a member of the contra dance band "The Contrapolitans."
• Frigate is a band from Maine playing traditional and Americana music with Irish, Scots, and French roots for all occasions on land and sea. Glen Loper has some information about the band.
• Frogwater is the acoustic musical pairing of John and Susan Nicholson who play Celtic to Delta Blues, Classical to Pop along with original material. Tbey are based in Wisconsin. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• Vermont's Frost and Fire are Aaron Marcus, Hollis Easter, Peter Macfarlane, and Viveka Fox. Facebook page. Added Facebook page (June 22, 2018)
• The Jacksonville, Florida based Full Circle features Veronica and Ted Lane with guest musicians playing Irish, Old Time, Scottish, and English country dance music.
• The Full Moon Country Dance Orchestra (pdf file) continues to play at dances in Indiana and Ohio. You can contact Warren Waldron (e-mail) about the band.
• The Further Adventures includes Ethan Hazzard-Watkins on fiddle, Lydia Ievins on fiddle, Bob Mills on guitar & vocals, and Erica Morse on bass, cello & vocals. It is based in Vermont.

G

• Gaelic Fusion is a metamorphicizing band of long time Fairbanks, Alaska Celtic musicians.
• Gallimaufry is a high-energy, 5-piece contra dance band based in Ohio. With a sound largely based in Irish, Quebecois, and Old Time tunes, arrangements often incorporate elements of rock and funk to create powerful sets that enthrall both the ears and feet of dancers. New entry (July 1, 2016)
• Jamie Gans is based in Indiana and has played with a variety of groups there, in Minnesota and Canada.
• Alan Garren has played with bands such as the Rose City Aces in the Portland, Oregon area.
• Garton's Crimson Avengers is working their way onto the contra dance circuit in Canada. Change of URL 7/5/2015
• The Gaslight Tinkers's African, Caribbean, Funk, Reggae, and Latin grooves meet traditional fiddle music. It's the genre-bending future of the music of the past. The band is based in Burlington, Vermont. Band Camp page. Added Band Camp page (June 22, 2018)
• Edith Gawler and Bennett Konesni are based in Maine and play as a duo and with a number of other musicians and bands. Change of URL (June 22, 2018)
• Based in Belfast, Maine, the Gawler Family Band is a fun-loving, folk-singing, fiddle-playing family of five (well, now six!). Facebook page. Change of URL (June 22, 2018)
• Topher Gayle plays guitar, mandolin, bass and percussion in groups such as The Rosin Doctors, along with writing funny songs. He is based in San Jose, California.
• Lew Gelfond is a member of the Asheville, North Carolina band, the Dancing Bears. Facebook page.
• Dan Gellert is based in Dayton, Ohio, sings and plays banjo, guitar, and fiddle at various events including contra dances.
• Rayna Gellert plays fiddle with a variety of musicians and as a member of Uncle Earl. She is based in Lexington, Kentucky.
• Gentricorum are a Quebecois band and an energetic and original traditional 'power trio'incorporating the dynamism of today's North American and European folk cultures in their music.
• Along with their other gigs, Georgia's Georgia Mudcats, featuring Tom Ryan, John Grimm, Lisa Deaton, and Pat Shields, occasionally play at a contra dance.
• Giant Robot Dance includes two Marcus brothers (Andrew and Aaron), two VanNorstrand brothers (Noah and Andrew) and Michael and Alex Ferguson. The band is based in Syracuse, New York.
• Rhiannon Giddens calls and plays (fiddle and other instruments) at contra dances (along with being part of the Carolina Chocolate Drops) and is based in Greensboro, North Carolina.
• The Newton, MA family band Gift of the Marcii is a high-energy contra dance band, using an unusual combination of instruments and a many original tunes to create its unique sound.
• From New York State, Gigue-a-Bit uses celtic tunes from Scotland, Ireland and Quebec for playing dance music and includes Patty Rutins on fiddle, John Guay on hammered dulcimer and Vonnie Estes on piano. New entry (May 18, 2016)
• The Gilded Bats are an Iowa City area old-time string band who have been playing together since 2003.
• Paul Gitlitz plays a variety of instruments including violin, mandolin, guitar (acoustic and electric) and tenor banjo playing with Brad Reynolds and Guy Langois in "Giblitz Fancy", a duo with Guy Langois, and another duo with Trish Clair-Peck called "Tunefully Yours", each group playing tunes newly composed tunes many by him and Brad, Trish, Rich Sobel and other modern and local composers. He lives in Nanaimo, British Columbia.
• The Gnu Tones is a Celtic-based contradance ensemble led by State College, Pennsylvania fiddler Bruce Young and anchored by Lancaster pianist Jill Smith. (e-mail only (replace the (at)))
• Based in Charlottesville, VA, Go Figure is a piano-fiddle duo of Janet Muse and Mike Dunn, that plays an eclectic mix of Celtic, French-Canadian, and Classical music. New entry (July 4, 2016)
• The Golden Griffon Stringtet is an acoustic, instrumental, square dance & contra dance band from southeast Michigan whose repertoire includes traditional music such as jigs, reels, waltzes and airs from Irish, French-Canadian, New England and Southern/Old Time sources, as well as contemporary dance tunes written in the traditional style and a few contemporary pop melodies that they have corrupted into contra dance tunes.
• The Goldmine Pickers have been brewing a fresh blend of acoustic music for audiences in the U.S. and Europe since 2003 and play, occasionally, at a contra dance. The band is based in Indiana.
• Good Parking is the resident band for Leeds (England) Contra Dance. The line-up of fiddles, flute, piano, guitar, and squeeze-boxes depending who comes.
• Gooder'n Grits, a West Michigan String band, including two banjos and two couples that have been playing for almost fifteen years plays music influenced by Southern Appalachian, Tommy Jarrell, Fuzzy Mountain. New entry (April 3, 2019)
• While best known for his extensive knowledge and work in cowboy music, Skip Gorman also plays old-time and Celtic music on a variety of instruments and at an occasional contra dance. He is based in New Hampshire.
• Government Contra Act takes a fresh new look at contra dance music from the Scottish Highlands to the NY Jazz Club to the LA Mosh Pit and perhaps the halls of Congress given that the band is from Washington, D.C.
• In addition to her solo work, Ellen Gozion plays and tours with three contra dance bands, Toad Hall, Toppish and The Hot Toddies and has played with David Knight, members of Amarillis, The Contrarians, Sylvan's Harvest and others and is well-known in contra dance scene in Pittsburgh.
• Leela and Ellie Grace play mandolin, guitar, fiddle, and banjo and have taught percussive dance styles that include Appalachian clogging, Irish Step Dancing, and Rhythm Tap. They occasionally play at a contra dance and are based in Missouri.
• The Grafton Street Trio are David Danks, David Jones, and Diane Jones. The trio is available for hire for dances, weddings, parties, and other celebrations in the Saratoga Springs - Glens Falls - Capital District Region of New York State. New entry (July 1,2016)
• Grand Picnic, a Brooklyn based band, combines the rhythmic drive of southern old-time tunes with French Canadian and New England fiddle music.
• The Great Bear Trio performs a huge realm of traditional music styles from New England, French-Canada, Ireland, Old-time Appalachia and Scandinavia with a contemporary, world-beat twist, features Andrew & Noah VanNorstrand and their mother, Kim Yerton, and is based in Fulton, New York.
• With Jane Rothfield, Hilarie Burhans, and Bernie Nau, three individuals who are fine and solid (but never stolid!) players, with their jam sensibility knobs turned up to eleven, it seemed only right and proper to start playing together as often as possible. So the Great Big Taters were born! New entry (July 2, 2016)
• Green Light Karma is a relatively new DC-area contra dance band, Green Light Karma is David Knight on fiddle, Andrew Marcus on accordion, and Dave Wiesler on piano and guitar. All three players are experienced dance musicians, as well as prolific tunesmiths, and Green Light Karma's music is at once driving and danceable, with a refreshingly different repertoire. Change of URL (August 12, 2018)
• Robert Bruce Greene is known as a living exponent of old time Kentucky fiddle music and as an old time banjo player, singer, and collector of traditional Appalachian music and culture. He also plays at contra dances and is based in North Carolina.
• Given its new recording, The Greenfield Dance Band is hardly dormant. It is generally based in Massachusetts, has a page of information about the band and its members. David Kaynor provides the data.
• Based in Minnesota, Greenwood Tree plays lively and lyrical renditions of traditional music from Ireland, Scotland, England, Canada, and Appalachia. Stu Janis maintains the information.
• Hope Grietzer has played and studied in Colorado, Pennsylvania and her present home near Owego, New York and plays with a variety of bands in the area.
• The Grtipickers play old time Southern Appalachian string band music for anyone who enjoys it, and love playing for square and contra dances, block parties, bar concerts, garage door openers, and similar venues and are based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• The Groovemongers is a band in which world beat meets contra, with Rebecca McCallum on fiddle, C.W. Abbott on mandolin and guitar, and Jane Knoeck on keyboard and accordion, as well as Mark Hellenberg on percussion. It operates from Rochester, New York.
• Growling Old Geezers (e-mail only) from Central California.
• Tina Gugeler plays hammered dulcimer solo and with a number of bands in the Denver, Colorado area.
• The Gypsy Stars started as a band dedicated to bringing the traditional New England contra dance sound of fiddle and piano to West Virginia and include Paula Bickham, Paul Epstein and Rita Ray. New entry (May 16, 2016)

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• The band, Hands4 is based in Portland, Oregon. and plays 99% original music written by band members. The music is in a variety of styles including French Canadian, New England, Celtic, Eastern European, and some Caribbean. Instruments include fiddle, mandolin, keyboard, flute, penny whistle, and percussion.
• Billy Hardy, while specializing in the fiddle, is a multi-instrumental player who sometimes plays at contra dances. He is based on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
• Harmon's Peak is to bring you American and Celtic folk music. The band members live in San Lorenzo, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Saratoga, California and play music from early America and from the Celtic tradition.
• Based in Seattle, the old-time string band Hart & Blech has been playing the traditional music of the Southern Mountains and Plains together since 1985.
• Before you check out the pages about the bands that she is in, visit New York's Laurie Hart's own page.
• North Carolina's Beth Hartness plays guitar at contra dances and other events with a variety of musicians.
• The Hat Band is a three-piece all-purpose string band that includes dual fiddles Sue Gray and Syd Newell; and Jon Neff, melody and rhythm guitar. They are based in Portland, Oregon. New entry (May 13, 2016)
• Hawks & Owls is an old-time string band based in Michigan.
• Hazel and the Delta Ramblers play on a regular basis across Louisiana. Facebook page.
• The Hazel Hill String Band regularly plays at the dance in Jerusalem, Israel. Change in URL (November 28, 2015)
• Ethan Hazzard-Watkins plays fiddle in contra dance bands such as Beeswax Sheepskin and Elixir, composes his own tunes (see his A is for Avocado tunebook) and is based in Brattleboro, Vermont.
• Heart's Ease is a 10-member contra dance band from Connecticut playing French-Canadian circle dances, English country dances square dances, Virginia Reels and contra dances. Change in URL (June 22, 2018)
• Central New York contradance band Hearts Delight consists of David Smukler on fiddle, Laurel Sharp on whistle and recorder, and John Wobus on piano.
• Matt and Shannon Heaton sometimes play at a contra dance along with gigs featuring their amalgam of Irish traditional, neo-traditional, and original song writing. They are based in the Boston area. Facebook page. Added Facebook page (June 22, 2018)
• A fiddler with various groups of musicians, Donna Hébert, teaches and plays in a variety of venues. Facebook page. Added Facebook page (June 22, 2018)
• Upright bassist Jeffrey Hersk has been a member of Carnival Knowledge and played with other contra dance musicians. He is based in North Carolina.
• With double the families and twice the fun, Heyday includes Amy Larkin and Shirley White on fiddles, George White on guitar, and Jonathan Larkin on button accordion, percussion, or octave mandolin. The band is based in Massachusetts. Change from e-mail to URL (June 22, 2018)
• The Hi-Tone Ramblers music, both traditional and original, is inspired by American roots music, both instrumental and vocal; a melting pot of Anglo and African-rooted songs, rhythms, blues and old-time fiddle and banjo tunes - driving and stately, bouncy, quirky and eerily beautiful. You can hear it in Massachusetts. Change of URL (June 22, 2018)
• Bill & Libby Hicks play rousing contradance music (as well as vocal oriented concerts) in the upper South and elsewhere.
• The High Jinks Band plays music for English and American Country Dancing, Ceilidhs and social events and is based in Stockport, England. Change in URL (November 28, 2015)
• Highland Solesare rooted in the traditions of Scotland and Cape Breton, with a good dose of innovation. The band is based in Maine.
• The Highlander String Band is a collection of Rockingham County (Virginia) musicians playing traditional Appalachian Mountain music, sometimes for contra dances. Facebook page. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• The Hillbillies From Mars have been rocking the contradance scene in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1983. They combine their love and dedication to Celtic and American traditional fiddle music with a healthy dose of their own "folk roots" of rock 'n' roll, swing, Latin and African beats, forging a new tradition of dance music.
• Andrea Hoag, Loretta Kelley and Charlie Pilzer play Swedish, Norwegian and other Scandinavian music as a trio. The group is based in Maryland.
• The Hobart Old Time String Band plays at an occasional contra dance in Tasmania and other locales in Australia along with their other gigs.
• Erik Hoffman plays fiddle in three California bands, 3 O'Clock Shadow, The OpporTunists and The Repercussions.
• Hope Hoffman composes original fiddle tunes and plays with various groups such as Bowdoinham String Band and Kittlish in Maine.
• Hog Wild is a wild combination of New England tradition and Yankee innovation and features Jody Kruskal, Marnan Laibow-Koser and Tom Phillips. The band is based in New York State. New entry (May 14, 2016)
• Superb fiddling, tight harmonies, high energy and a direct link with tradition infuse the Hogwire Stringband which is based in Bloomington, Indiana. Change of URL (January 23, 2015)
• John Holenko plays guitar and mandolin in a number of bands including The Hungry Monks. He is based in Charleston, South Carolina.
• Homespun Occasions plays for dances at a variety of dances, including schools with students of all ages. They are based in New York State. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• The Hoosier Recruits are based in Valparaiso, Indiana and play at that dance on a frequent basis. Change of URL (January 23, 2015)
• The Horse Flies feature Judy Hyman, Jeff Claus, Richie Stearns, Taki Masuko, Jay Olsa and Rick Hansen.
• Ohio's Hotpoint String Band has the recipe for a wall of rhythm, and it is one of the most in-demand contradance bands in the country.
• Seth Houston plays with a variety of musicians including the band, Lift Ticket, along with significant time with vocal groups and in teaching vocal students and groups. He is presently based in Colorado.
• In Eastern Massachusetts, Cal Howard plays a number of instruments for a number of bands. (e-mail only)
• Thom Howard plays guitar with a variety of musicians at dances in Missouri.
• The Hungry Monks are centered around the creative talents of Hazel Ketchum and John Holenko and are based in Charleston, South Carolina.
• Charlie Hunt is a mandolin player living in Fairbanks, the Northern most city in Alaska and plays at contra dances on occasion. Change from URL to e-mail (November 29, 2015)
• Adam Hurt plays elegantly innovative clawhammer banjo on old-time music tunes in Minnesota.
• Hu$hmoney is a new northeast Ohio contradance band spawned from the ashes of the dance band institution, Strings & Things. With their feet rooted in tradition, Hu$hmoney explores these traditions while to creating a driving, surprising, and varied takes on old time standards, ethnic melodies, and original tunes. Change of URL (January 23, 2015)
• The Hushpuppies have picked up elements of the sound of the bands on the old recordings, they've captured the feel of the music of the elderly fiddle and banjo players they visit and yet they still sound deliciously like themselves. They are based in Durham, North Carolina. Change of URL (December 1, 2019)
• Fiddler Judy Hyman is a member of groups such as The Horse Flies, Small Tattoo, and Big Table and is based in New York State.

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• Ice Jam is Skip Nodler, Sarah Garland & Seth Danielson, an Alaskan band with a unique combination of hammered dulcimer, banjo and guitar.
• Idewild is a contra dance band based in New York State. New entry (May 29, 2016)
• lydia ievins plays fiddle with a wide variety of musicians in numerous venues in New England for contra and English dances.
• The Ill-Mo Boys, consisting of Geoff Seitz on fiddle, Curtis Buckannon on mandolin, and Jim Nelson on guitar play, as you might guess, in Missouri, Illinois, and nearby venues. Change in URL (December 7, 2019)
• Illegal Contraband is a contradance band with an emphasis on New England, Irish, and Quebecois dance tunes, they are just as likely to throw in everything from wild Klezmer music, swing, classical, and jazz to gentle Scandinavian waltzes. The band is based in Catskill Mountains of New York. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• The Indian Run Stringband is a community-based, traditional, and all-inclusive Old Time band based in Blacksburg, Virginia. New entry (May 13, 2016)
• The Indianapolis Ceili Band plays, on an occasional basis, at the Indianapolis dance. New entry (January 23, 2015)
• Inishowen repertoire is drawn primarily from the rich musical heritage of the seafaring nations, especially Britain, Ireland, Canada and the United States and is based in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area.
• Michael Ismerio plays fiddle and calls at dances across the country but makes his home in Barnardsville, North Carolina. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• The North Carolina Ivory Boys say that their music is all about the groove, baby. It's rocking, it's funky, it's energetic, greasy, slippery. Featuring lots of original tunes and non-traditional arrangements. New entry (July 9, 2016)

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• The Jackson Pike Skifflers play old-time music for dances and other events and are based in SW Connecticut.
• Jane's Gang, a contra/square dance band, features the driving fiddling of Jane Rothfield with Allan Carr (Guitar), Paul Sidlick (banjo/mandolin) and Geoff Harden (bass) and is based in Pennsylvania. Change in location (August 28, 2015)
• Based in Iowa, Mark and Brandi Janssen play traditional American music inspired by the first generation of rural recording and radio artists. New entry (July 4, 2016)
• The Java Junkies have played old-time music for dances in the Lansing, Michigan area since 1998 and include Doug Berch on banjo, Hanno Meingast on fiddle, Larry Johnson on guitar, and Steve Szilagyi on upright bass.
• The California band, Jax, includes Christa Burch, Kira Ott, Steve Shapiro and Jeffery Spero. (e-mail only)
• Jericho is a group of old-time musicians who like to share the fun and variety of old-time music. Jericho presents an eclectic mix of American roots music including lively old-time fiddle tunes, lonesome ballads, early country vocal duets, mountain dulcimer, a variety of banjo styles and more! The band is based in Indiana. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• Jigabit is a dance band from the UK playing mostly in the West Midlands and East Midlands for Ceilidh and Barn Dances, and including many American and French-Canadian tunes in its repertoire. Change in name and URL (November 28, 2015)
• Jiggermeister plays lively, energetic music from all over the world, combining the traditional sounds of the British Isles and Appalachia with Eastern European scales and modern jazz riffs and is based in Ithaca, NY.
• Jigsaw plays traditional and contemporary folk music from different parts of the world and includes Dan Compton on fiddle, guitar, and button accordion, Clyde Curley on powerhouse mandolin, banjo, and tenor guitar, George Penk on fiddle, and Heather Pinney on piano and is based in Portland, Oregon.
• Jim's Red Pants plays traditional and original folk music, including waltzes, jigs and reels for concerts and dances in Ohio.
• The Portland, Oregon based group Joyride includes Sue Songer's swinging piano, Jeff Kerssen-Griep's flywheel guitar, Kathleen Towers' hot fiddle and Erik Weberg's fluid flute, punchy harmonica and stunning bombarde. Change of URL (October 31, 2016)
• The Jugbusters play old-time country music in the New River Valley and Blacksburg, Virginia and for traditional square dances.
• The Jumping Chollas are a contra dance band performing Celtic, New England and Old-time selections in Arizona and include Jennifer Sordyl, Tom Ryan and Steve Richard. Change of URL (February 16, 2015)
• The New Hampshire band, Jumpstart plays on a regular basis for the dance in Manchester along with other gigs in New England. Change of URL (June 22, 2018)
• The Just Desserts Contra Dance Band is the house band for the Flagstaff contra dances every other month. Change of URL (February 16, 2015)

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• Ryck Kaiser and Jill Smith are a fiddle and piano duo, playing mostly Appalachian and some Celtic tunes. They are based in south central Pennsylvania. (e-mail only)
• Kaleidoscope is a band based in Huntsville, Alabama, with a fiddle-piano core (Chuck and Katrina Weber). The band name is a nod to the diversity of their music and musicians, since they're often joined on the spot by various other musicians. They play for contradances (and other events), mainly in the southeastern US.
• The Kaubells (pronounced "Cowbells") are a 2-person husband and wife (Matt Kaufmann plays the piano, and Holly Bell plays the fiddle) band playing a mix of original and traditional tunes.
• Jeff Kaufman is a member (Mandolin, Trumpet, Feet) of the Free Raisins and also a contra dance caller. He blogs about music, dancing, and other topics and lives in Massachusetts. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• Living in Massachusetts, you can now find David Kaynor at his new web site. He is a contra dance caller and fiddler and the author of Calling for Beginners by Beginners.
• Kelly's Eye plays for contras and barn dances in England. Change of URL (November 28, 2015)
• Keltricity is a "Celtic World" band based in Kentucky which features contemporary, traditional and eclectic Celtic-influenced music from Ireland, Cape Breton, Scotland, England, Brittany, New England, French Canada and wherever! New entry (July 2, 2016)
• Upright bass player, Stuart Kenney, plays with a variety of bands and musicians and has his home base in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
• As they say, KGB is not a spy organization, but a band from Seattle that plays for New England style contradance. Dave Bartley supports the site.
• Kindred Spirits plays music primarily of Renaissance and Celtic origin. using recorders, penny whistle, viola/violin, mandolin, guitar, Celtic harp and cello. The band is based in the Denver, Colorado area.
• King Kontra are an exciting, unique and innovative band formed especially to play for contra dance. They present a blend of high energy American, Irish and original music set in a fusion of jazz, traditional, rock and western swing influences. They are based in England. New entry (November 28, 2015)
• Kingfisher is a Boston-based contra dance band, consisting of Cecilia Vacanti (fiddle) and Jeff Kaufman (piano, mandolin, drums, synths). New entry (September 28, 2019)
• John Kirk and Trish Miller live near Saratoga Springs, New York and teach and perform traditional music and dance including playing at contra dances.
• The Klezmer Contraband plays assorted dances in the Boston area following the long-standing tradition among klezmer musicians of infiltrating all sorts of other dance styles and subverting the music with the high-energy Eastern European sound.
• David Andrew Knight plays Scottish fiddle and for contra dances and has been playing since 1991. He is based in Washington, D. C.
• Debby Knight is a contradance fiddler and pianist from eastern Massachusetts. (e-mail only)
• Knotted Chord is a folk dance band and plays a wide variety of folk dance music, suitable for all levels of dance experience and all age groups. Their repertoire covers more than three centuries of English music, as well as a broad range of more recent dances. They have a strong interest in American Contra dance music and can also provide a sprinkling of tunes from most parts of Europe. It is based in Nottingham, England. Change of URL (November 28, 2015)
• The Knuckle Knockers hail from San Francisco and play from the vintage American musical tradition. Change of URL (December 1, 2015) Audrey Knuth with her bands, The Free Raisins, The Gaslight Tinkers and Audacious (with Larry Unger), has travelled across the United States playing fiddle for dances and concerts. She is based in Massachusetts. New entry (May 29, 2016)
• Rooted in the traditions of American Old-Time music, Baltimore-based banjo player Brad Kolodner represents the next generation of Old-Time musicians pushing the boundaries of the tradition into uncharted territory. New entry (January 2, 2016)
• Harry Koretzky has played with groups ranging from High Strung to The Old World Folk Band (klezmer) to the contra dance band, Medicinal Purpose along with playing with Todd Clewell and the Contra Rebels. He is based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
• Paul Kotapish is known for his inventive rhythmic accompaniment and incisive melody playing on mandolin and guitar with Wake the Dead, Euphonia, Hillbillies from Mars, and with noted fiddlers such as Kevin Burke and Rodney Miller. He lives in California.New entry (June 16, 2016)
• Caller and musician John Krumm has been performing for almost four decades for contras, squares, swing dancing and English dancing with knowledge from the U.S., Quebec and the British Isles. He is based in Pennsylvania.
• Jody Kruskal is a New York City concertina player who is a member of several bands in the area.
• The Kuffel Creek Band includes Marie Bruno, Emil Olguin, Nathan Olguin and Susan Platz and is based in Pasadena, California.
• Kylebrack performs traditional Irish tunes and songs, specializing in the lyric tunes of East Galway and Clare and consists of Alison Arnold (wooden flute), Paul Fackler (fiddle), and Donald Lively (guitar).

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• La Famille Leger play the dancing music of French Canada - the music handed down through generations in the New World, the music of back porches and kitchen parties in Washington State. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• Ladies at Play is a high-spirited and musically adventurous contra dance and English country dance band from Oklahoma. Our repertoire includes a wide variety of folk and ballroom-like dance tunes, including jigs, reels, polkas, waltzes, hambos, English, old time, and zweifache. We also play our own spicy and cosmic original tunes, inspired by folk music traditions from around the world. New entry (July 1, 2016)
• Marnen Laibow-Koser plays piano, fiddle, viola, flute, and recorder for contra dances and is based in Medford, Massachusetts. Change in location and URL (August 11, 2018)
• The Lamprey River Band plays regularly in New Hampshire and especially the sea-coast region and southern Maine (Kittery).
• Missouri fiddle player Dave Landreth has a page about old-time tunes, his CD and his other endeavors.
• The Kim and Jim Lansford includes information about both musicians (Jim passed away in 2012). They (and Kim continues to) play old-time music, including music for dances and are based in the Ozarks of Missouri. The Old-Time Herald has a lengthy article about and their careers and music.
• The Last Gaspé including John Kraniak, Paul Biere, Kevin Clark, Amy McFarland, and Maria Terres, play on 2nd Saturdays in Madison.
• Late for Supper plays old-time Appalachian fiddle tunes, bluegrass, gospel, and originals sung in three part harmony. We're an eclectic group, playing a variety of music on guitar, fiddle and banjo -- old country songs and ballads, to bluegrass standards, to old-time gospel. It is based in Pennsylvania.
• The Latter Day Lizards feature Dave Langford on fiddle/guitar, Bill Tomczak on clarinet/saxophone/banjo uke/dumbek and Kate Barnes on piano/guitar/flute/harmonica. They are, for the most part, based in Massachusetts. Facebook page. Added Facebook page (June 23, 2018)
• Jacqueline & Dudley Laufman call and play fiddles (as Two Fiddles) from New Hampshire. Change of URL (March 11, 2019)
• The Laughing Lizards Old Time String Band hails from Houston, Texas and features old-time fiddle and banjo tunes, Appalachian mountain music, early swing and ragtime, "roots" Louisiana Cajun music, American ballads, and old Gospel songs. Facebook page.
• The Laune Rangers featuring Ryck Kaiser (fiddle), Chad Shambaugh (bodhran), and Jamie Ward (guitar) are based in Pennsylvania.
• While it is not a major part of his gig list, Jamie Laval does play at contra dances from time to time. He now lives in Asheville, North Carolina.
• Le Vent Du Nord was formed in 2002 and has become well known in the Quebecois music scene.
• Mary Lea plays with the contra dance band, Dark Carnival, and the English Country dance band, Bare Necessities, along with other groups such as Yankee Ingenuity and is known for her recordings of music for couple dances. She is based in Vermont.
• Leaping Lulu plays on a regular basis at the dance in Logan, Utah.
• A native Manitoban, now living in Toronto, fiddle player Anne Lederman plays with bands such as Fiddlesong but is also known for her work preserving the works of Native and Metis fiddlers.
• Peter Leibert is from Connecticut and has been a caller and musician for more than 45 years.
• Leighas is committed to the preservation and transmission of the traditional dance music and cultures of Ireland, Scotland, and their Diaspora in the new world. They are based in the Tidewater region of Virginia.
• Tom Leighton plays at a variety of instruments for dances and concerts in Canada and other countries.
• Pippa Letsky has been playing bluegrass music on the guitar (mandolin, bass, or fiddle) since she was 12 and is in bands such as Three Around Three. She is based in Missouri. New entry (May 28, 2016)
• Michelle Levy plays classical viola, old-time fiddle/banjo and medieval vielle with a number of groups and bands. She lives in Oakland, California. New entry (May 14, 2016)
• Lift Ticket includes Rex Blazer on fiddle, Seth Houston on piano and guitar, and C.W. Abbott or T.J. Johnson on mandolin and plays a variety of traditional and original fiddle tunes and while it is based in Florida, plays all over the U.S.
• Lime in the Harp is a traditional string band of musicians who pick, strum, and bow their way through rousing Celtic jigs and reels, jumping New England dance tunes, back-porch southern shuffles, spicy Cajun tunes, plaintive slow airs, and sweet harmonic waltzes in San Diego.
• Buz Lloyd has been a dance fiddler of U.S. and Canadian Northeastern, celtic and appalachian old-time styles for more than 30 years and plays with The Donnybrook Lads, The Highbrow Hayseeds, The Carolina Cut-Ups and others.
• Amy Larkin, Shirley White and Linda Henry are the members of the Massachusetts-based band, LocoMojo.
• As Locust Honey, Chloe Edmonstone and Meredith Watson bring their experience in Old-Time, Bluegrass, and Pre-War Blues to both their original material and the traditional songs and tunes of the American Southeast. The band is from Nashville, Tennessee. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• Long John and the Tights is an old time string band from Ithaca, New York. They play dance music, fiddle tunes and songs inspired by American country music popular before it splintered off Blues, Bluegrass and Rock and Roll. New entry (May 14, 2016)
• Long John and the Tights is an old time string band from Ithaca, New York. We play music that became popular in the southern Appalachian mountains from around 1920 - 1940, mixing in some elements of today's celtic, bluegrass, and northern square and contra-dance music and include Randi Beckmann, John Hoffmann, Jody Platt and Jim Reidy.
• Loose Shoes plays at the Salt Lake City, Utah dances on a regular basis. Actually, they play all over Utah on a regular basis.
• Glen Loper plays mandolin and banjo with the band Rumblestrip, Frigate and Calliope. He is based in Maine.
• The Lost & Nameless Orchestra is based in Austin, Texas.
• Lost On The Turnpike is Eve Rantzer, piano; Enid Diamante, fiddle; and Chris Carpenter, mandolin, banjo, clarinet, whistle. They play for contras in the Pennsylvania/New Jersey area and are recording a CD which will be available soon. (e-mail only)
• Michael Ludgate is a fiddle player who lives in upstate New York and is a member of O'Shanigans and other bands. Change of URL (December 19, 2015)

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• Along with classical, bluegrass, western swing and music of the first half of the second millenium, Eden MacAdam-Somer plays at contra dances occasionally. She is based in Massachusetts.
• Tom MacKenzie plays music ranging from French Canadian to American Old Time to Scandinavian to Ragtime to Classical. Clarinet Polka on the Dulcimer, why not. Hall of the Mountain King on Banjo, Sure! And he plays at contra dances, too! He is based in Vermont.
• The members of the Greenfield, Massachusetts band, Magic Foot, are Colin Lindsay, Christian Stevens, Brendan Taaffe and Stefan Amidon (with Rachel Lindsay adding some step-dancing). Facebook page.
• Chloe Maryam Maher plays piano with The Contraptions and with other bands and musicians for English, Scottish, and contra dances. She is based in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area.
• Based in North Carolina, the Mando Mafia is a large acoustic string-band with a preponderance of mando-family instruments. Julianne Mangin maintains the site.
• Lisa and Heather Malyuk play at contra dances in Ohio and at other events in the area.
• Mangrove Green plays traditional Celtic, British and American music on fiddle and piano in upstate New York.
• Based in Huntsville, Alabama, the Maple Hill Band has been playing Celtic and old-time music since 2003. Change of URL (December 8, 2019)
• Robbin L. Marcus a contra dance caller and musician along with being a piano teacher of students of all ages. he regularly leads contra dances both in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic and is based in Atlanta, Georgia. New entry (January 6, 2017)
• The Marsh Island Band is a traditional string band specializing in Old Time Southern and plays on a regular basis at the Orono, Maine contra dance with more than 26 years of experience. Change from e-mail to URL (June 23, 2018)
• Dave Marshall plays fiddle at jams, sessions, and dances in the Vancover, British Columbia area.
• Vermont's Owen Marshall plays guitar and other instruments and when not playing for contra dances, you may find him out on the dance floor. Facebook page. Added Facebook page (June 23, 2018)
• Colin James McCaffrey plays guitar at an occasional contra dance among his other gigs. He is based in Vermont.
• Mandolinist Eric McDonald is based in Medford, Massachusetts and plays in bands such as Scoot! and Nor'easter. Facebook page. Change of URL (June 23, 2018)
• Ryan McKasson plays fiddle and viola for a number of bands in the Pacific Northwest and California. He is based in Washington State. New entry (June 28, 2015)
• Em McKeever is a self-described "classical guitarist gone haywire," who melds her love of wordcraft with musical pizzazz. She is a Newark-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, often writing for banjo, dulcimer, tin whistle, and any other instrument that crosses her path. Facebook page. New entry (January 2, 2016)
• The McKenzies (Woody & Marcia) are from Blacksburg, Virginia and play music from the Celtic/British Isles, Cape Breton/French Canadian, Southern Appalachian, colonial era (18th century and earlier), American minstrel era (mid 19th century), early American country (1920's to 1940's), lesser-known contemporary folk, originals, children's.
• Keenan McKenzie sometimes plays with The McKenzies and is an instrumentalist currently based in the North Carolina Triangle. Facebook page.
• Composer, accordionist, and pianist Jeremiah McLane is known for his work with a variety of musicians and with bands such as The Clayfoot Strutters and Nightingale. He is based in Sharon, Vermont. Facebook page. Added Facebook page (June 23, 2018)
• Katie McNally of Concord, Massachusetts is an active member of the Boston Celtic music scene and can be seen playing with Scottish fiddle band 5 A.M., local contra-dance band, Oh CONTRAire!, and the bluegrass group Boston Road. Facebook page. Added Facebook page (June 23, 2018)
• The Mean Lids are only as mean as they need to be to keep the grit in their tones and the edge on their tunes, they are never seen without their signature cranial apparel. Spot them by their hats, their long lonesome sounds, and the @$$ kicking "chin-cello" grooves emanating from their mean, mean fiddle fingers. They are based in Urbana, Illinois. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• The Melbourne Colonial Dance Band provides live music for the Colonial Bush Dance held on the first Wednesday of each month and plays tunes suitable for playing for Australian colonial and folk dancing.
• The acoustic folk band Meridian plays on a regular basis in Florida and is based in Jacksonville.
• In addition to the traditional Finnish repertoire, Metku plays music for contra dances, square dances, private parties and weddings. The band is based in New York State. New entry (July 1, 2016)
• A little information is available about the California band, Michael's Mixed Nuts, made up of some combination of musicians from the Chameleons, often joined by other outstanding musical guests (as of January 2012, the line-up is Michael Gutin, Mike Mullins, Patrick Wood, Sean Wood). They play in a variety of styles, from Old-Timey to swing, from Latin to Klezmer, demanding only that the result is fun and danceable.
• Microchasm, based in Washington, D.C. features Dave Wiesler on piano, Laura Lengnick on fiddle, Steve Hickman on fiddle, John Devine on guitar, and David Crandall on saxophone and flute. (e-mail only)
• Minnesota's Mill City Serenaders repertoire encompasses not only square and contra dance music but also minstrel tunes and songs, fiddle rags, waltzes, polkas, schottisches, and the occasional parlor ballad.
• The Mill Creek String Band plays at dances in the Portland, Oregon area. (e-mail only)
• New Hampshire's Randy Miller is well known for his fiddle tunes, recordings and tune books. Change of URL (June 23, 2018)
• Rodney Miller is a fiddler and violin maker who was designated a "Master Fiddler" in 1983 by the National Endowment for the Arts. He plays with a variety of musicians and is based in New Hampshire.
• Milliners' Maggot plays traditional music on fiddle and piano, with a focus on Celtic, English and New England tunes for contra and English country dances in upstate New York.
• Celia Millington-Wyckoff plays bass and recorder with Dr. Twamley's Audio Snakes and is based in Pennsylvania.
• Bob Mills plays mandolin, banjo and acoustic and electric guitar for contra dance, old-time and Irish music and recently moved to Vermont.
• The Mink Run Consort are based in Frankfort, Kentucky. (e-mail only)
• Missouri Compromise is a 6 piece band focusing on Civil War Era appropriate music, ready, willing and able to perform in period dress, (or at least an increasingly reasonable facsimile thereof). It is available for Civil War Reenactment Balls, and other events reflecting that period, as well as Contra Dances. From North East Missouri /West Central Illinois. Contact Dale or Sarah McUmber-House at 573-985-4141. See our 'alter-ego', Ralugerri.
• Howard Mitchell plays double bass, melodeon and concertina for all types of dances including contra dances in England.
• The Mixed Age Dance (MAD) Band plays easy-to-learn tunes for the Princeton Country Dancer's Community Dance. Our participants range in age from grammar school to senior citizens. It's a great way to learn a new instrument or learn to play with a live band. Change of URL (August 11, 2018)
• Mo' Contra is a relatively new dance band featuring Chuck (guitars, mandolin), Mike Hoerschle, and either Eric Metzger or Jamie Kubala on drums. Mo' Contra strives to present creative interpretations of traditional, and some more modern, tunes. Mo' Contra most recently played for the Toronto Contra Dance and plays regularly for the local and regional contra dances. The band is from New York State. New entry (June 30, 2016)
• The Moab Community Dance Band plays for the Moab contra dances and holds open rehearsals on Tuesday nights at the Moab Arts and Recreation Center. They play mostly Irish and other European and New England contra music. New entry (November 11, 2016)
• The Modal Tease String Band is an old time string band servin' up sizzling hot slices of American Folk Tradition to Music Lovers in Southern California and beyond. New entry (May 15, 2016)
• Rick Mohr is a contra dance caller and fiddler from eastern Massachusetts.
• New York State's Bruce Molsky: alone or with fellow musicians; guitar, fiddle, or banjo in hand, has been exploring traditional music from an astonishingly broad range of cultures over the past two decades and even plays at a few contra dances.
• The Montville Project is the name of the quartet of veteran Maine and New Hampshire dance musicians who perform the traditional New England dance tunes.
• The More the Merrier is the San Diego Contra Dance community band which periodically plays at the dance series.
• Judi Morningstar, a contra musician, hails from White Lake, Michigan.
• The Morrison Brothers: Jim Morrison (Fiddle and Guitar), Owen Morrison (Acoustic and Electric Guitars) and Will Morrison (Percussion) of Charlottesville, Virginia, occasionally play at contra dances. Change of URL (December 19, 2015)
• The Mound City Slickers are an old-time string band based in St. Louis who play for dances throughout the Missouri and Illinois areas and are looking to expand to other midwest states.
• The Mourning Glories: is an old-time, Irish-trad, ghostly gospel, folk-grass string band based in Gainesville, Florida. Facebook page. New entry (January 2, 2016)
• The Moving Violations play on a regular basis in Greenfield, Massachusetts and at other venues on occasion. Based on personal experience, they have an awesome string section. Facebook page. Added Facebook page (June 23, 2018)
• Mud In Yer Eye has played dances in the Cleveland area since 1978 and is the oldest continuously operating contra dance band in the Cleveland area.
• The Muletones are an old-time stringband, headquartered along the sparsely populated line between Hudspeth County, Texas, and Otero County, New Mexico. New entry (May 15, 2016)
• Mulberry Street plays a mix of traditional, modern, and original compositions with a lush and richly textured sound and is from southern Ohio. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• The Mumbillies play at dances in and around Tennessee. (e-mail only) Change from URL to e-mail (September 19, 2015)
• Keith Murphy and Becky Tracy now have their own site featuring bios, information about the bands they play in, CDs, and a music book. They are based in Vermont.

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• A hard-core traditional Irish music Naomi's Fancy is based in Elkin, North Carolina.
• As might be expected, the Nashville Ceili Band plays in and around Nashville, Tennessee.
• The Nettles play exciting contradance medleys throughout the Pacific Northwest.
• New Bad Habits with Dave Landreth, Chirps Smith, Tim Foss, Andrew Gribble and Dot Kent, play old-time, the music that combines the traditions of immigrants bringing their music to America for more than two centuries; music intended to accompany ethnic as well as uniquely American dances. The members hail from Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri.
• The New Southern Cowtippers reach deep into the musical roots of American music playing Appalachian fiddle tunes and songs, southern blues, pop tunes from the early 1900s, Grand Ole Opry favorites, southern gospel, and original compositions. They are based in Columbia, Maryland.
• The New Young Buzzards feature Frank Hoppe on fiddle, Steve Lewis on banjo, and Barbara Richer on piano and are based in Los Angeles, California. (e-mail only)
• Joe Newberry plays guitar and banjo with the groups Big Medicine and Town Mountain and is based in North Carolina. Change in URL (December 1, 2019)
• Deck Nieforth makes violins and plays in two Rhode Island contra dance bands Get Reel and the French Connection.
• The Night Before (Nicky Wood - fiddle, Alan Brunier - accordion, Adam Griffin - guitar) are a Coventry (England) -based folk dance band who play an exciting range of energetic and fun tunes for ceilidhs, contra and Playford dances. New entry (November 23, 2015)
• Nightingale is based in Vermont and consists of Becky Tracy (fiddle), Keith Murphy (piano, guitar, foot percussion, vocals), and Jeremiah McLane (piano, accordion). Their music travels through Quebec, Newfoundland, Ireland, France, Scandinavia and beyond. The band retired in 2011.
• Nine-8ths Irish is based in Sacramento, California and is made up of four unique musicians (Chris Dunlap, Linda Relph, Bo Bowen, and Kathy Barwick) with extremely diverse backgrounds. Band blog.
• No Strings Attached is a quartet based in Roanoke/Blacksburg, Virginia that features the following instruments: two hammer dulcimers, guitar, bass, harmonica, bouzouki, pennywhistle, flute, kalimba, synthesizers, bass and tenor clarinets, bass and tenor saxophones, Slinkys and percussion.
• The Boston area based Nor'easter with Cedar Stanistreet, Max Newman and Julie Vallimont with Eric McDonald and Loren Bienvenu was formed in spring 2008 and plays a high energy blend of music from many styles, including Irish, Scottish, New England, French-Canadian, and old-time.
• Based in New Hampshire, Northern Spy included Thal Aylward, Rick Barrows, Rachel Clark, Carol Compton, Alan Graham, Bill Shepard, Mary Jo Slattery, Andy Stewart and played at the 2nd Saturday dance in Norwich, Vermont until the dance and band retired in 2015. Facebook page. Updated entry and added Facebook page (June 24, 2018)
• Notes Inegales includes Michael Ludgate, Andrea Katz, and other musicians. The band is from New York State. New entry (May 29, 2016)
• Eden MacAdam-Somer and Larry Unger are the members of Notorious which brings together traditional and contemporary acoustic music from around the world, creating a dynamic, swinging sound that is sure to get you on your feet. The band is based in Massachusetts.
• Hailing from New England, Nova is a young contra dance band that weaves the sounds of fiddle, accordion, and guitar into a rich tapestry of sound. Nova draws from both traditional repertoire and original compositions to create versatile, high energy and driving dance music. Facebook page. Added Facebook page (June 24, 2018)
• Cellist and percussionist Fred Nussbaum is a member of a number of Pacific Northwest Contra and English Country dance bands, including Full Circle (with George Penk and Heather Pinney) and Calico. He is based in Port Townsend, Washington. Change of URL (June 28, 2015)
• From Ann Arbor, Michigan, Nutshell. (e-mail only)

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• The O'Schraves bring you entertainment that is joyous, skillful, inspiring, and fun and is based in Desbarats, Ontario. Facebook page. New entry (January 2, 2016)
• The O'Shanigans contra dance band performs Celtic, American and world Fiddle tunes suitable for contra dancing, general entertainment and weddings with fiddle and dance tunes from: New England, Southern Appalachia, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Finland, Sweden and the Middle East! The band is based in New York State.
• The Victoria English Country Dance Society has information about the Odd Hack Band from Canada. The band features Brenda Callen (fiddle), Brian Titus (woodwinds) and David Gartrell (keyboards). In addition, you can e-mail them.
• OH, CONTRAire! is a collection of musicians playing tradtional dance music for the dance series in Westford, MA at the Parish Center for the Arts (PCA), as well as the occasional private event or non-Westford dance. Contact: Mike Harde at (978) 692-2039. Added URL (June 24, 2018)
• The Old 78's are Curly Miller and Carole Anne Rose who play an unusual style of Old Time fiddle and clawhammer banjo, Hillbilly Fiddle Rags, Classic Banjo duets, Irish, Scottish, Celtic, World and historic music. The group is based in Arkansas.
• Old Grey Goose plays on a regular basis in its home in Maine, but also plays in exotic places such as Tajikistan.
• Old Sledge is a group of young musicians from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, blowing the dust off old tunes and songs from the golden era of early country, hillbilly and blues music.
• The Old Sod Band was formed primarily to play for New England-style Contra Dances, and while its repertoire is drawn from the jigs, reels and waltzes of Ireland, Scotland, England, the US, Canada and even Denmark, the style definitely owes much to the strong, driving rhythms of New England dance music.
• Masha Goodman and Geff Crawford play together as "Old Soles". Toe-tapping good-time old-time fiddle and banjo duets, songs from the silly to sublime, and red-hot traditional flatfoot clogging. Over 30 years experience (60 if you add them up) playing and calling for dances, festivals, inaugurations and cattle drives. They are based in California.
• The Old Twine String Band features Jeff Bratt (hammer dulcimer, recorder, concertina and percussion), Karen Croot (fiddle), JoAnn Koppany (banjo) and Martha Wild (piano and mountain dulcimer) and is based in San Diego, California.
• On the Fly is a string band that plays traditional American dance music. They play at contra and square dances throughout the great state of Florida. Facebook page.
• The Onlies (Sami, Leo and Riley) have been playing music together since we were little. We hale from Seattle, and play gigs from places like the Northwest Folklife Festival to the Muddy Rudder restaurant in Sellwood, Portland.
• Belgian-born Paul Oorts performs on harp guitar, 10-string cittern, mandolin, and musette accordion most often with his wife, hammered dulcimer player Karen Ashbrook. He is very active in the world of English, Contra, and Vintage dances in the DC-Baltimore area. With the trio Goldcrest he has performed at dance events all over the US. New entry (July 4, 2016)
• The Ottawa Community Band is a group of trad music players who play for community contra dances in Ottawa, Ontario. New entry (July 4, 2016)
• Oui Bis is a band that provides popular music reflecting the populus. Oui Bis focuses on nostalgic styles from American culture, from modern days reaching back as far as the Civil War. They are based in Texas. New entry (May 15, 2016)
• Out of the Wood has played for dances in Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho during the past five years, draws on traditional music forms from Celtic, New England, Quebecois and Southern Old Time music, and creates their music from a dancer's perspective. They are based in Idaho.
• Over the Isles plays on a regular basis in Zurich, Switzerland.

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• Rachel Panitch is a Boston-based violinist, improviser, composer, and teaching artist. She has been an artist-in-residence in neighborhoods, in schools, and in Zion National Park. Rachel uses her violin and voice to tell and translate stories. Her playing has been called "fearless" and brings together aural and written musical traditions. She plays with French Roast and other groups and is based in Massachusetts. Change of URL and updated entry (June 24, 2018)
• The Panther Hollow String Band is a Pittsburgh-based traditional Appalachian old-time string band. The name refers to a particularly beautiful and spooky hollow in the city's Schenley Park. Its repertoire includes traditional fiddle tunes and old ballads that stretch back before the birth of recorded sound, as well as "newer" songs from legends like the Carter Family and the Stanley Brothers. New entry (May 16, 2016)
• Dave Para played with his wife for many years before her passing in 2019. He continues to play a range of music from the lively dance tunes that they collected in their home region to old ballads to new songs. He is based in Missouri.
• Headquartered in Rhode Island, the Parallel String Band combines smooth vocal harmonies and accomplished instrumentals for their folk, bluegrass, swing, and Old Time string band influenced music. Their material is drawn from American traditional and contemporary folk music, ranging from cowboy ballads to uplifting Appalachian instrumentals. Frederick Theilig designed the page.
• The Parlor City Trio features Chuck Williamson, Steve Richard, J.P. Thom-Gronachen and Torsten Clay (e-mail only).
• Party of Three brings together three musicians, Lilly Pearlman, Neil Pearlman, and Joe De Paolo, from diverse musical backgrounds who share a depth of experience playing for dancing. Combining high energy Scottish and Cape Breton fiddle music with Latin and Funk influenced piano and drum grooves, Party of Three has been enthusiastically received by dancers across the mid-atlantic and northeast. The band is based in New York State. New entry (May 28, 2016)
• Charlie Walden and Patt Plunkett are the duo Patt and Possum and are active contra and square dance musicians, performing for numerous such events each year. They serve as instructors at several music camps, giving instruction on fiddle, piano styles, traditional dance and vocal music. They are based in Illinois. New entry (June 30, 2016)
• Clarinetist Anna Patton is based in Brattleboro, Vermont and plays everything from contra dance tunes to swing to musettes.
• Will Patton has been playing all kinds of music for over 30 years now, including celtic, jazz, rock and roll, bluegrass and Brazilian choro and is best known for his work on bass and mandolin. He is based in Vermont.
• Ed Pearlman plays fiddle music, particularly that of Scotland and Cape Breton for over 30 years and occasionally plays at a contra dance. He is based in Maine. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• Neil Pearlman, from Maine, plays with the contra dance band, Groove Train, and also plays traditional Scottish music with Latin, Funk and Jazz influences. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• From Atlanta, Georgia, Peavine Creek plays on a regular basis in the southern and South Atlantic regions of the United States. (e-mail only)
• Based in North Carolina, Don Pedi plays mountain dulcimer for a variety of events including contra dances.
• Gordon Peery has been playing piano (and occasionally guitar) for New England contra dance music since the mid-seventies and lives in the Monadnock Region of southern New Hampshire. Change of URL (June 24, 2018)
• Perfect 5th features Willie Simmons on guitar, bass, and piano; Keith Holmes on piano, accordion, and clarinet; Gail Huggett on hammered dulcimer and piano; Cheryl Cleary on whistle, flute, recorder, and percussion and Teresa Henrichs on fiddle and viola and is based in Houston, Texas.
• Permanent Wave is a contra dance band located in the Houston, Texas area.
• Elsie Peterson is a musician in Alabama (e-mail only).
• Pete's Posse is composed of acclaimed musician Pete Sutherland (fiddle, piano, banjo and vocals), his protégé Oliver Scanlon (fiddle, mandolin, dobro, foot percussion and vocals) and the dynamic Tristan Henderson (guitars, mandolin, jaw harp, bodhran, foot percussion and vocals). They are based in Vermont. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• Phantom Power is composed of fiddler Lissa Schneckenburger and pianist Bruce Rosen and plays traditional New England fiddle repertoire for today's contemporary dance crowds. It is based in Eastern Massachusetts.
• Stacy Phillips is a member of The Swivets and plays dobro and violin while living in Connecticut. He passed away in 2018.
• Arizona's Pick and Holler includes Carolyn Camp, Matt Minjares, Lindsay Cates and Ty Peterson. Change of URL (February 16, 2015)
• The Brian Pickell Band is friendly, funny and plays with passion, mostly in Canada and includes Shane Cook, Mark Sullivan, James Stephens, Pat O'Gorman, Sahra Featherstone, Julie Schryer and Brian Pickell.
• The Picks & Sticks Stringband are a gumbo mixture of acoustical folk, swing, traditional, light pop, western, country, jazz, bluegrass, oldies, and ethnic tunes that captivates audiences of all genres based in Michigan.
• Pied-a-Terre features Dan Compton, Fran Slefer and Rob Barrick and can be heard on the Pacific coast, especially in Oregon.
• The Pilot Mountain Bobcats play an infectious brand of old time stringband music and include Nancy Sluys on fiddle, Jacki Spector on fretless banjo, Allin Cottrell on guitar and Bill Sluys on bass and are Based in Surry County, North Carolina.
• Plaid Menagarie is Sonoma County Wine Country's Celtic band for your Irish, Scottish, Renaissance or Maritime themed entertainment. New entry (July 5, 2016)
• Charlie Pilzer's resume of includes being a musician, producer, sound engineer and event organizer for music ranging from Scandinavian and Celtic to folk and acoustic. He hails from Virginia.
• The Connecticut Commission on the Arts provides some basic contact information for The Please & Thank You String Band, which includes Bill Wallach (e-mail only), Will Welling, and Dave Howard.
• The Porch Stompers play for dances in Iowa and sing some fine country harmonies.
• Portland Drive is a folk dance band specialising in playing high energy and exciting dance music for contra dancing, although we also love playing the beautiful tunes from the English tradition. New entry (November 28, 2015)
• The Portland Megaband, in Oregon, is comprised of over 70 musicians ranging in experience from professional to beginner including more than 30 fiddles along with banjos, mandolins, concertinas, saxophones, clarinets, flutes, whistles, autoharps, celtic harp, keyboards, bass, guitars, and a lively percussion section. They are best known for their annual concert each spring.
• The Prairie Acre is based in Lawrence, Kansas, started up in 2002 and brings together elements of traditional bluegrass and old-time to create a unique sound and fuel their highly contagious positive energy.
• The Press Gang fuses the talents of squeezebox player Christian "Junior" Stevens, fiddler Alden Robinson, and guitarist Owen Marshall into a high-octane musical partnership. The trio blends their skill and fluency in traditional Irish music with their curiosity and aptitude for other styles. The band is based in Maine.
• The Princeton Country Dancers Pick-Up Band plays about once per month for the weekly contra dance in Princeton, New Jersey. It is open to players at all skill levels on any acoustic instrument.
• The Privy Tippers are located in Tucson, Arizona and include Jacqueline Wohl (fiddle), Craig Tinney (guitar and banjo), Dave Firestine (mandolin) and Jerry Ray Weinert (bass). They have been playing for contra and square dances for more than 13 years all over the state of Arizona and throughout the Southwest.
• The Pub Scouts are a traditional Irish music group located in Chico, California who host sessions on a regular basis and play at the contra dances in Chico. Change of URL (June 28, 2015)
• Puckerbush is a lively band of musicians who live in the puckerbrush of northern New Hampshire. They play acoustic music from the Old-time, Celtic and French Canadian traditions, with a little bit of Klezmer and Nordic music showing up at times. Change in URL (June 24, 2018)

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• No current "Q" bands.

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• Fiddler Alicia Jo Rabins plays everything from old-time (traditional Appalachian dance music, with banjos and stuff) to klezmer (Eastern European Jewish party music, with Slivovitz). She is based in Brooklyn, New York.
• You can turn to the Racket Factory for its combined experience producing the finest reels, jigs, waltzes, hambos and polkas for the people of New Sharon, Vienna, and Central Maine. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• The Rafter Ringers play Old-time Irish and hillbilly fiddle tunes for contra dances in Central Florida. (e-mail only)
• Raise the Roof, from the eastern Pennsylvania/New Jersey area features Mat Clark, Pete Soloway, Judi Stellar and Kathy Talvitie. Switch from URL to e-mail (August 11, 2018)
• Ralugerri is a 6 piece band focusing on Irish Traditional and Celtic music. It is available for Contra Dances and other events from North East Missouri/West Central Illinois. Contact Dale or Sarah McUmber-House at 573-985-4141. See our 'alter-ego', Missouri Compromise.
• Bart Ramsey & Neti Vann play a great collection of contra-versial jigs, reels and waltzes. Bart's contra-puntal piano rhythm will add bounce to your dance steps, and Neti's violin keeps the energy going in the New Orleans, Louisiana area.
• Ranting Banshee, with members Marci Phelan, Carla Blackmar and Martha Wild on piano play Irish with a bit of English, Scottish, Quebecois and New England-style tunes tossed into an eclectic mix. The band is based in San Diego, California. Change of URL (June 28, 2015)
• Rare Privilege features Maria Terres (fiddle) and Amy McFarland (piano) who play and teach Celtic-style music for traditional dancing, concerts, festivals, classes and workshops. The band is based in Wisconsin. New entry (May 28, 2016)
• Rattletrap Stringband, from Athens County, Ohio, features Matthew McElroy (fiddle), Tim Peacock (banjo), Frank McDermott (guitar) and Thom Herbie (bass). Change of URL (January 23, 2015)
• Red Dog Riley is a string band based in Cornwall, Vermont, playing music for contra and square dances, weddings, and parties. We draw our inspiration from the fiddle-based traditions of the Southern Appalachians, Québec, Ireland, Great Britain, Cape Breton, and any place in between. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• The Red Herring Stringband plays for square dances, tea parties, barn-raisings, art openings, farmers' markets, and pretty much anywhere good times are to be found and is based in Minnesota. New entry (June 16, 2018)
• Red Mountain plays traditional string band music in Alabama. The site is maintained by Jim and Joyce Cauthen.
• The Red Wellies include Beanie Odell, Duncan Wickel and Vincent Fogarty and are based in Asheville, North Carolina.
• The Reed Island Rounders play the foot-stomping dance tunes of the Blue Ridge to romantic waltzes, and beyond to the dark and lonesome mountain tunes of a solo fiddle or duet with the banjo and are based in Virginia.
• The Reel McCoy, featuring Joel Kaserman, Ritchie Schuman, Bethann Miller, Harry Johnson, Cheryl Parker and Julia Wallis, frequently plays at the dances in Memphis, Tennessee.
• Reel Shady played in Clemmons, North Carolina on January 28, 2020.
• In western Connecticut, The Reel Thing provides sparkling live music for contra, 18th century/colonial, English country and barn dances. Facebook Page. Change of URL and added Facebook page (June 24, 2018)
• Reel Women are basically dance musicians, and have considered refusing to play when people won't get up and dance, and are comprised of Martha Edwards and Kristin Graham and are based in Missouri.
• The Reel World String Band is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky and features Bev Futrell, Karen Jones, Sue Massek, Elise Melrood, and Sharon Ruble.
• W.B. Reid and Bonnie Zahnow play together, separately with others and together with others at contra dances and other events. They are based in Seattle, Washington.
• Relative Harmony's music is an energetic and engaging selection of English, North American and Quebecois tunes. Their style is influenced by the playing of many of the current New England dance bands, and is sure to keep you on your toes with a strong, steady back-beat and energetic fiddling. They are based in Ontario.
• The Remnants include Don Noon, Given Harrison, John Wright and Rick Johnson and are based in San Diego, California. Change of URL (June 28, 2015)
• The Retrospectacles started playing music together and somehow wound up becoming a contradance band. The band is based in Olympia, Washington. Facebook page.
• The Canadian band, Réveillons! plays traditional Québécois for contra dances and square dances in Québec, Ontario and United States, along with concerts and other events. Change of URL (July 5, 2015)
• The Rhythm Raptors is a high energy trance contra band featuring TJ Crow, Rodney Miller, Jeff Spero, Mark Hellenberg and Ralph Gordon. [The band features musicians from different parts of the United States, but the main contact is TJ Crow, so I'm putting them in Virginia - CS] New entry (July 5, 2016)
• The Rhythm Rats is a Cincinnati based old time band.
• Mike Richardson, a caller and musician from the Seattle, Washington area.
• Rip the Calico is a high energy contra dance band from North Carolina. Drawing heavily from Celtic influences (and origins), the "Calicos" will take you on a dance journey from dulcet circlings to mad romps across the dance floor.
• The Ripples are happy providers of contra dance music in the Midwest and beyond. Based in Cincinnati and Louisville, they put out a contemporary-meets-traditional sound with hints of jazz, bluegrass, world beats, and straight up pop hits.
• Riptide features wicked good dance music from Maine and Alden Robinson, Glen Loper, and Owen Morrison. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• Fiddler Laura Risk plays music suitable for 18th-century Scottish drawing rooms to driving strathspeys and reels suitable for a Cape Breton dance floor and plays at a contra dance on occasion. She lives in Quebec.
• The River Ridge String Band plays a mix of traditional, old-time, celtic, folk and bluegrass. Instrumentation includes hammered dulcimer, guitar, banjo, mandolin and bodhran and other folk percussion and is based in Jefferson City, Missouri.
• The riverrun country dance band plays for the South Bend, Indiana, contra dance and at other dances in the area. The five-piece band plays American, Scottish, Irish, and French Canadian tunes, along with Playford tunes for English country dances.
• Also from Eastern Massachusetts, Roaring Jelly plays a monthly dance in Lexington, Massachusetts along with other gigs. Facebook Page. New entry (June 24, 2018)
• Ian Robb is a member of bands such as JIIG, Finest Kind, and The Old Sod Band and is known for his playing of the English concertina and his songs. He is based in Ottawa, Canada.
• Jim Roberts plays percussion in the band, Footloose, and with other groups and on other projects. He is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Facebook page..
• Philip K. Robinson is an Ithaca (NY)-based musician who plays in several bands from the area.
• The Root Cellar String Band plays at dances in the Bowling Green, Ohio area. Change from e-mail to URL (January 23, 2015)
• Chicago, Illinois banjo player Steve Rosen writes about his trips, t-shirts, music, and bands on his page.
• Rosetree consists of Amy Shapiro (fiddle & nyckelharpa) and allen lutins (guitar). Amy and allen have played together to enthusiastic audiences for many years; both are long-timer performers on the Binghamton region folk scene. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• Jane Rothfield plays fiddle, banjo, and guitar with a number of bands along with running "home-based" music workshop weekends. She is based in upstate New York. New entry (May 14, 2016)
• Round the House plays celtic music for contradances in the Tucson, Arizona area.
• Roustabout, including Chris Romaine, Lars Hanslin, and Bruce Hutton, play in the Washington, D. C. area. (e-mail only)
• Don Roy is a Franco-American fiddler in Maine who occasionally plays at contra dances and custom crafts violins and violas.
• The Rum & Onions Band is the name of the band which, for many years now, has formed and rehearsed for several weeks in the fall to play at a Halloween contra dance organized by the Princeton Country Dancers. We have been joined in the past by many musicians from near and far. Instruments of all kinds are welcome: melody, rhythm, percussion. They also play at a few other events such as NEFFA. Change of URL (August 11, 2018)
• The Run of the Mill String Band has been playing and performing Old Time Appalachian music together for over ten years in southeastern Pennsylvania.
• Rusty Pick Up is based in Illinois and plays at concerts and dances including Olde English, Swedish, German and folk dances offered in local halls. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• Rusty Tap is a contra dance band based at the University of New Mexico. Formed in the fall of 2015, the ensemble performs regularly at UNM Contra Dances. New entry (June 30, 2016)

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• The Santa Fe Megaband is a fine group of courageous volunteers who play for the Santa Fe Contra Dance every other month – six times a year. New entry (May 13, 2016)
• Sassafrass Stomp is a sweet, high-energy, contradance band duo with one foot in western Montana and one foot in mid-coast, Maine. Fiddler Johanna Davis and guitarist Adam Nordell toured coast-to-coast as 2/3rds of the AM String Band before their debut as Sassafras Stomp at Seattle's Northwest Folklife Festival in May of 2008. Johanna and Adam are regular performers at the the state's four long-running monthy and bi-monthly dances as well as many smaller or intermittent dances. Also available by e-mail at wapiti dot music at gmail dot com. Facebook page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• Bart Saylor, of South Carolina, has been playing traditional American "Roots" music in the Charleston, SC area for 25 years, with various configurations of musician friends.
• The Scarlet Runner String Band, now featuring Mike Ross, Dave Langdon, Larry Johnson, and Brian Hefferen started playing in Lansing, Michigan more than twenty years ago and continue to play at dances in the area.
• Scatter The Cats is a contra dance band from the Owen Sound area with Will Henry, Dan McGee, Frank Francalanza, Bob Robins and Randy Martin and includes its own caller. (e-mail only) Change to URL (March 17, 2018)
• The band, Scenic Roots, from Kansas, occasionally plays at a contra dance. They mix bluegrass, folk, celtic, folk, and gospel for their unique sound.
• Lissa Schneckenburger is a fiddler from New England playing all over the place. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• Jacqueline Schwab plays piano for English country dancing, New England contra, Scottish country, couple dancing, vintage and tango. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• The Scissortail Mega Band is a group of volunteer musicians who fill in from time to time for The Scissortail Traditional Dance contra dances in Oklahoma City.
• The Screaming Earwigs, a Los Angeles, California based band, featuring Chris Cooper on guitar, Patrick Sauber on banjo, and Tom Sauber play at the 3rd Friday dance in Pasdena, California.
• Matt Fisher provides information about the Scotsbroome County Dance Band which plays at the first Saturday dance in Seattle.
• The Screaming Earwigs are Pat Sauber, Tom Sauber with other musicians. The band is based in Los Angeles, California. (e-mail only)
• Scrod Pudding plays at the third Saturday dances in Bowdoinham. Greg Anderson maintains the page.
• Geoffrey J. Seitz is a violinmaker and fiddle player in Missouri.
• Kathy Selby plays traditional fiddle music from England, Scotland, Ireland and North America. Her repertoire spans almost four centuries, from 17th century English country dances to recently composed tunes. Her expressive playing embraces a broad spectrum ranging from lively jigs and reels to soulful airs and tragic laments. She lives in New York State. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• Based in New York State, Set Americain concentrates mostly on Quebecois tunes with Steve Fry on mandolin, Betsy Fry on bass, Barbara Lubell on fiddle, Maurice Mercier on button accordeon, feet and other percussion, John Guay on hammered dulcimer and Vonnie Estes on piano. New entry (May 18, 2016)
• Shady Groove is a Charleston, South Carolina band with a fresh take on traditional string band music. Influenced by everything from English folk ballads to James Brown, we aim to produce a groove that makes Old Joe Clark himself boogie so hard he knocks over all those chicken pies he's got piled up everywhere. New entry (July 5, 2016)
• Shanahy is a band that hails from Salt Lake City and performs traditional songs and tunes from the British Isles--primarily Scotland and Ireland. Change of URL (February 16, 2015)
• The Ann Arbor Council for Traditional Music and Dance provides information about the members of the Sharon Hollow String Band which is from Michigan.
• Mara Shea lives in Raleigh, North Carolina and plays plenty of dance music: Scottish country dances, English country dances, and Irish set dances, as well as contra dances, parties, and concerts with the fiddle-guitar duo, The Elftones. Facebook page.
• The Winter Harbor dance in Maine features the Sheep Island Rovers with Jon Archer, Ruth Grierson, Geoffrey Warner, David Quinby and Carl Karush. (e-mail only)
• Sheesham & Lotus met in Alabama, settled in Kingston, Ontario in Canada and play s Old-time Rag-time High Steppin' Mountain music.
• Kathy Shimberg lives in Mt. Vision, New York, plays piano, fiddle, banjo for a wide variety dance types (contradance, old time traditional square-dance, English country dance, Irish ceili dance) and musical genres and bands, including pick-up bands, and sometimes calls for dances. (e-mail only) New entry (April 2, 2019)
• The Shoe String Band is a local, organic, free-range, and sustainable band playing Appalachian music in New York's Hudson Valley. New entry (July 9, 2016)
• The Shortleaf Band began in about 1995 in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and finds its foundation in the driving, energetic music required for dancing.
• Shwadevee, a contra Dance Band, serves Southwest Florida from Sarasota County. They are available to play for dances year-round. New entry (July 9, 2016)
• Along with his work with the Berverwyck String Band and other groups playing at contra dances, Vermont's Peter Siegel plays and sings in a variety of musical styles. Facebook page.
• Mark Simos plays fiddle, guitar, and piano and across New England and other locations and weaves a lifetime's love of many traditions--Irish, Southern old-time, New England, Québéois, bluegrass, and Klezmer among others--into innovative musical forms. Facebook Page. Change of URL and added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• Taking their stylistic cue from classic performers in the Irish tradition, Sixpenny Money is a dance band that aims to do what folk music at its best has always done: to bring enjoyment, entertainment and a sense of community to audience members, dancers and muscians alike. The band is based in Kitchener, Ontario.
• The Skirtlifters authentically recreate the music of the 19th century riverboat, stage and parlor, enlivened by period humor, skits, songs and percussive dance. Their repertoire includes jigs, reels, rags, galops, marches and waltzes. The band is based in Arkansas.
• Based in England, Skylark is a new band formed out of members of the Dave Brown Band. Dave Brown (Fiddle), Elaine Meechan (Keyboards), Kathryn Meechan (flute), Dave Hunter or Patience Scott-Brown (Guitar) and Mark Brown (Bass).
• Based in North Carolina, Skylark plays traditional and contemporary music from the Celtic lands and beyond and is made up of the husband-wife duo of Paul Fackler on fiddle and Marilyn Hartman on piano.
• Charmaine Slaven is a musician, flatfooter, and caller based in Seattle. New entry (September 25, 2016)
• The Sligo Creek Stompers include Sarah Foard, Adrian Erlinger, Jess Eliot Myhre and Chris Ousley. The band is based in Washington, D.C. Change of URL (July 9, 2016)
• Nancy Sluys of North Carolina plays clawhammer banjo and fiddle with groups such as the Pilot Mountain Bobcats and other musicians.
• Smash the Windows began as a Civil War period dance project in 2006 and branched out to play contras and festivals in 2007 and is based in State College, Pennsylvania.
• Beverly Smith and Carl Jones play at a variety of contra dances mostly in the mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic regions. They are based in Philadelphia.
• Lynn "Chirps" Smith has been playing the fiddle for more than thirty years and is well-known as an interpreter of fiddle tunes collected from fiddlers throughout Southern and central Illinois.
• Smoke and Mirrors is comprised of Deborah Gerstein (piano) Damaris Rohsenow (Hammer Dulcimer), and Ryan Thomson (Fiddle, Flute, Banjo). They play for dances throughout New England.
• Smoke Creek features Mike Murray, Jim Murray, Peggy Sullivan, Ted Briggs-Comstock and Elizabeth Gale on Fiddle. The band plays an unpredictable mix of award-winning original songs, ballads, country-western songs and old-time instrumentals. They are based in Port Townsend, Washington.
• Alan Snyder plays fiddle with bands up and down the Pacific coast. Slight change in URL (June 28, 2015)
• The Soda Rock Ramblers are three friends and musicians (Linda Askew, Larry Edelman, and Scott Mathis) whose music features old-time American fiddle tunes from the South and Midwest and the haunting melodies from the Southwest, including Mexican tunes, music of the Rio Grande (Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado), and the beautiful and rare Gu-achi tunes from Arizona. They are based in Colorado. Change of URL (February 16, 2015)
• Some Assembly is a quartet of musicians from Southern Maryland whose repertoire is quite eclectic, but draws heavily from traditional Irish, Scottish, English and Canadian (especially Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) instrumental music. (e-mail only)
• Julie Sorcek plays flute, piccolo, saxophone and bodhran as part of the contra dance band The Reel Thing, and also plays periodically with the group Out on a Whim and other musicians. She is based in Connecticut.
• As you might guess, the Southern New Mexico Music & Dance Society Band plays at the SNMM&DS dances in Mesilla on a regular basis.
• On piano and flute, Bill Matthiesen and Liz Stell, comprising Spare Parts, play a variety of historic dance music, including contra, English Country, ragtime, 19th century Victorian and Civil War re-enactments, and early Argentine tangos. They are based in western Massachusetts.
• Bill Spence with Fennig's All Stars and other groups, has bee playing the hammered dulcimer for dances and others events since the 1970s. He is based in New York State. Change of URL (August 11, 2018)
• The Spike Island Band plays at barn dances in England. Richard Breton maintains the site.
• Spin Cycle from Sunland, California. (e-mail only)
• Spud Mountain, while no longer a performing old time country music band, did work out of Portland, Oregon.
• SPUDS is the pick-up band that regularly playsfor the Thursday Night Contra Dance held at the Commodore Barry Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• The Squeaky Reels is a contra dance band based in Lexington, Kentucky which includes Cary Ravitz on fiddle, Brett Mason on piano, Eve Podet on Mandolin, and Shannon Arnold on bass guitar.
• Squeezology is a band of driving rhythms, lush harmonies and flights of fancy and is based in New York. New entry (May 14, 2016)
• Sharing a mutual love of old time music, Charlie Beck and Charmaine Slaven began performing together as the duet, Squirrel Butter, in spring of 2005. The band is based in Washington State. Change in URL (June 28, 2015)
• The Squirrel Heads are an old-time string band playing reels to waltzes are are based in southern California.
• Squirrelheads in Gravy plays delicious old-time music in Texas with Jack Izen, Ray Quigley, Neia Lively Izen, Greg Breiland and Joe Izen stirring the pot.
• Bill Dudley provides information about the band Squirrelly Germs in the Tampa area.
• The Stairwell Sisters are San Francisco's all-gal urban old-time teardown with a deep and rowdy repertoire of timeless tunes plus a solid standing of smart, original material.
• Star Thistle plays for contradances in and near Sacramento, Auburn, Reno, and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Dave Kistler, David Wright, Lonna Whipple, and Cheryl McKinney combine forces on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo, whistles, drum and piano -- and have at least as much fun as the dancers. Change from e-mail to URL (June 28, 2015)
• Based in Arizona but with members from across the country, the music of STEAM! lights up the dance floor with energy and creative innovations. Change of URL (January 2, 2016)
• Steamchicken began life as a trio of Folk enthusiasts, and has bred to become an eight piece ensemble of virtuosic cacophony spanning the folk, jazz, soul and funk genres with trademark buffoonery, big hearted riffs and unstoppable energy. They play in England. New entry (November 28, 2015)
• Steamshovel, composed of Roger Gold and David White, have been playing at contra dances throughout the South and South Atlantic dates since 2006.
• The Steeltones feature Keith Moe, Dave Hamlin and Jon Neff playing 18 strings that will make you dance, especially in Oregon and other parts of the Pacific Northwest.
• Clelia Stefanini has followed in her’s father’s footsteps quickly becoming outstanding on fiddle, guitar and vocals. She was first prize winner in fiddle at the 2013 Appalachian Stringband Festival in Clifftop, W. Virginia and is also an accomplished teacher privately and at music camps. She occasionally plays at contra dances in Nashville and at events in other locales. New entry (August 11, 2018)
• While he was born in Italy, Rafe Stefanini has established himself as an interpreter of fiddle music from the South with his dynamic and elegant fiddle and banjo playing in numerous bands. He is based in Pennsylvania. Change of URL (August 11, 2018)
• Besides all his wonderful web pages about contra dancing, Bob Stein, from the Philadelphia area, is a musician who plays the accordion, piano, banjo, and a small drum called a doumbek. (e-mail only)
• Stewed Mulligan blends the old backwoods sound of West Virginia with clever Country Rock to create music that could have been birthed in a basement by the illegitimate sons of The Band.
• Still, The Home Grown Band is Debra Tyler (piano) Jane Prentice (fiddle) Kathy Lyon (guitar) Rachael Gall (fiddle) Mike Prentice (bass) Shaila Chowdhury (drum) Jim Prentice (concertina) and based in Connecticut. New entry (July 1, 2016)
• Gordon Stobbe's musical interests lie in the field of traditional music, especially as it is expressed in the wide variety of North American fiddle styles. He plays fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and clawhammer banjo. Along with concerts and festivals, he does play at events that include contra dances.
• Stradivarious plays music for Folk Dances, Country Dances, Barn Dances, Ceilidhs, Scottish Dances, Square Dances, Contra Dances, in much of England.
• From State College, Pennsylvania, Strath Hanna plays mostly Scottish traditional music, both for dancing (Scottish and contras) and for listening. Change of URL (August 11, 2018)
• String Equinox with Shana Aisenberg and Beverly Woods play an eclectic variety of international folk music styles including Celtic, Appalachian, Klezmer, eastern European and more on a fantastic array of acoustic instruments combining over 100 resonating strings and are based in New Hampshire.
• Strings and Things disbanded in 2007, but played at the dance series in Peninsula, Ohio and included Tina Bergmann, David Rice, Bryan Thomas and Heather Malyuk.
• Strings on Wings plays traditional fiddle tunes and waltzes in the Appalachian, Celtic, Folk, New England and French Canadian styles, features Todd Clewell and Barb Schmid and is based in Pennsylvania.
• The Stringrays, featuring Stuart Kenney, Rodney Miller and Max Newman, have a sound that is playful and sublime, raucous and tender, modern and old-school. The band is multi-state but based in Massachusetts. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• The Striped Pig Stringband frequently plays at dances in Humboldt, California. New entry (May 29, 2016)
• Strumbow Squeezeblow, a New York State band, is contra dance mayhem - infused with the blues. New entry (May 14, 2016)
• Ray Frank (guitar) and Dan Engle (fiddle), the members of the California band Stump Tail Dog blend many different styles and traditions to create a bold and exciting performance all their own.
• Stunt Double plays at contra dances, mostly in Massachusetts, where they are based. Change of URL (December 19, 2015)
• Based in Maryland, Sugar Beat is a folk fusion band blending Scottish, Irish, Quebecois, Klezmer, and American music with contemporary improvisation. New entry (May 29, 2016)
• Sugar on the Floor plays for a variety of occasions and at different venues in Washington State.
• Mark Sullivan, while playing at concerts and other venues in Canada and the United States, continues to be part of the old-time music and dance scene in Canada.
• David Surette along with his solo work and performances with Susie Burke, plays guitars, mandolin and bouzouki at contra dances with a variety of musicians and groups. He is based in New Hampshire. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• From Western Massachusetts, Swallowtail includes George Marshall, Ron Grosslein, Tim Van Egmond, Timm Triplett, and David Cantieni and has been playing for more than twenty years.
• Sweet Sunny South plays bluegrass and old-time, any time and is based in Colorado.
• While it was in existence, Swinging on a Gate played high-energy music for New England contras and squares from 1986 to the early 2000s.
• Sybaritic String Band is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Change of URL (June 30, 2016)
• The Syncopaths are a vibrant West Coast band from California, offering a fresh, contemporary take on Celtic music. Fiddler Ryan McKasson, pianist Jeffrey Spero, bodhran player and vocalist Christa Burch and multi- instrumentalist Bill Flores make up this energetic and inventive quartet.

T

• T-Acadie means "a little Acadia". They sing and play traditional music from French and Maritime Canada, French Louisiana, the southern Appalachians, and New England for contradances, family dances, school functions, concerts and any festive occasion. The band includes Pam Weeks, Bill Olson, and Jim Joseph. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• Along with playing at plenty of square dances in Washington State and elsewhere, The Tallboys Old Time String Band plays at a contra dance, on occasion.
• Tamarack brings the joyous touch of traditional fiddle tunes to any event, from background music at wedding receptions or public events, to the upbeat drive for barn dances, hoedowns and community dances. They are based in the New York State Capitol region. Change in URL (August 11, 2018)
• Tapsalteerie is a five-member band (two fiddles, guitar, concertina, and stand-up bass). We play topsy-turvy music for contradances in the Seattle area.
• Tempest is a fiddle, jazz, and folk music band based in New York State. New entry (May 29, 2016)
• Nancy Bakemeier on fiddle, Barbara Naple on bodhran, John Guay on hammered dulcimer and Vonnie Estes on piano compose the band Tenpenny Bit which uses mostly Scottish and Irish tunes for dances. New entry (May 18, 2016)
• Ellen Tepper plays the harp at dances and other events with a variety of musicians. She is based in eastern Pennsylvania.
• The Maryland based band Terpsichore is a contra duo (Elke Baker and Liz Donaldson), a trio with Ralph Gordon, or even larger with special guests from Maryland.
• Three Bean Salad, from Lawrence, Kansas, plays a blend of New England Dance, Celtic and other traditional and contemporary styles.
• Emily Ann Thompson plays Celtic fiddle a number of venues for concerts and dances. She is based in Indiana.
• Captain Fiddle aka Ryan J. Thomson plays the Cajun, Zydeco, and Celtic music on his fiddle. He is based in New Hampshire.
• Carl Thor plays with Vancouver Celtic and folk group Talisman and Portland contra dance band Hands4, Carl also plays in Cascade Crossing, the Portland Megaband, in other groupings for folk dancing, and as a soloist.
• The Thread City String Band is based in Willimantic, Connecticut and includes Chuck Morgan, June Bisantz-Evan, Noreen Morgan, Larry Boisvert and John Soltys. Change in URL (June 24, 2018)
• Three Cats and a Dog includes Richard Gregory-Allen, Jim Shaw, and John Alden, who play tunes and songs and is based in Eastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Change of URL (June 24, 2018)
• The Tickwood Stringband is an old-time string band based in Ottertail County, Minnesota which has been playing music for dances and concerts around the region for over four years.
• Tidal Wave (Raz-de-Maré) is grounded in traditional Quebec rhythms and melodies but not limited by it. The band includes Sabin Jacques, Rachel Aucoin and Stuart Kenney with guest musicians André Brunet, Eric Favereu et Claudine Arcand with occasional guests Benoit Bourque et Kimberly Holmes. The band is based in New England and Quebec. Change of URL (June 24, 2018)
• The Tie Hackers are a 5-piece string band from Goshen, Elkhart and Plymouth, Indiana who started playing together in 2009 and played together before that in the Goshen Old Time Jam group. (e-mail only)
• The Timbre Wolves, based in Columbus, Ohio, are a five-member acoustic band playing "old-time", celtic, a little bluegrass, and a spot of jazz.
• Tipsy House, in various configurations and combinations as a traditional Irish music band, has played in the San Francisco area for a variety of events for more than 10 years.
• Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki has been touring with multiple rock bands while continuing to develop his unique approach to traditional Celtic music while living in New Hampshire. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• The Toe Dusters is a traditional dance band out of Pueblo, Colorado. They play contra dances around the region and, much to their pleasure, they will be the house band for Pueblo's new contra dance. Change in band name (February 16, 2015)
• Bill Tomczak plays clarinet and saxophone with several groups including The Latter Day Lizards and Northern Comfort. He hails from Boulder, Colorado.
• Josie Toney has been a fixture of the folk music community since a young age, growing up in the contra dance community of Olympia, Washington. You can now find her in Denver, Colorado where she teaches fiddle through her own studio and performs with Bluegrass and Country bands throughout the Front Range. New entry (June 18, 2016)
• The Top Drawer String Band featuring Brian Bishop (fiddle), Laura Stein (piano), and Joel Mabusis (guitar, banjo, fiddle), is based in Michigan.
• Toppish plays traditional Irish music for Contra Dancing - many years of contra experience, precision players, tunes to suit the dances and plenty of positive energy and plays for the weekly contra in Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania.
• Toss the Possum is the band of the Zisette family of Virginia and plays at dances in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. Facebook page. Changed to main URL (July 9, 2016)
• The Tractor Family plays Southern Old-Time music and includes Judy Hyman, Jeff Claus, John Hermann, Larry Unger, and June Drucker and is based in New York State.
• Traditional Blend, featuring Bill and Patti Cummings, is a duo that plays contra dance music for contra dances from the Portland Collection, including music from the southwestern prairies of Louisiana, Irish, and Scottish music from Cape Breton (Celtic) and have written some of their own reels, jigs, as well as a waltz for dancers to enjoy. They play from Arizona (where they hail) to the Pacific to the Great Plains and Midwest. They can also be contacted by phone through email. Please use the subject line as "contra dance bookings or inquiries". (e-mail only)
• Based in the Northern Catskills of New York State, Traverse is a trio playing traditional Celtic music for Contra dances, weddings, parties, events, and other gatherings. Liz Brown (flute), Carol Mandigo (guitar), and Bernd Neumann (fiddle). New entry (July 1, 2016)
• Treehouse is comprised of Bo Leyden (mandolin, banjo, flute), Becky Dorsey (fiddle), Benjamin Young (banjo, whistle), and Rachael Young (piano). Between them they bring a mix of Irish, Quebecois, and New England style, and put it together with Pacific Northwest flair. The band is based in Corvallis, Oregon. New entry (February 2, 2017)
• One of the hottest bunch of musicians in the Pacific Northwest: Bag o' Tricks, a contra dance band, and their (almost) mirror image, the English country dance band, Tricky Brits, include Dave Bartley, Anita Anderson, and Sande Gillette (Bag o' Tricks), and sweet tunes, new and traditional, when Betsy Cooper joins the band and they morph into Tricky Brits. Slight change in URL (June 20, 2015)
• Mark Barsamian, Mark Delozier, and Zeke Hutchison comprise Trillium a contradance trio from Central Ohio. New entry (July 9, 2016)
• Trip to Nelson takes its name from a lovely jig written by Pete Sutherland and includes Perin Ellsworth-Heller, Matt Garland, Lizza Backes, Richard Backes, and Gordon Peery. It is based in New Hampshire. Change of URL (June 24, 2018)
• Triple Chicken Foot plays at square dances in California and believe highbrow, lowbrow - it really doesn't matter because it is music.
• Tripping Up Stairs features Jan Drechsler on piano, Bob Mills on banjo, mandolins and fiddle, and John Pranio on fiddle and 5-string banjo. While named for an Irish jig, they became popular playing old-time music for contra dancing. They are based in Vermont.
• From a simple folk song to a snappy gypsy jazz tune to a wandering improvisational reverie, three-piece band Troika brings the rich and diverse landscape of Eastern European folk music to life for American audiences. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• Jaige Trudel and Adam Broome, a fiddle and guitar duo, play energetic and uplifting music for contra dances, weddings and special occasions and are based in Maine. (e-mail only)
• Tuberville is Elaine and Mark Davis, Leon Ashley Peek, Brian Horn and Steve Horn and is based in Texas.
• The Tucson Open Band plays, as might think, for various Tucson area contra dances. Change of URL (February 16, 2015)
• TuneFolk offers a variety of traditional and original fiddle tunes -- lively jigs, rolling reels, stately marches and smooth waltzes (and maybe a song or two). They are based in New York State. New entry (October 18, 2016)
• An innovative dance band from Western New York & Pennsylvania, TuneScape nudges the border between traditional music and modern groove, inspired by the tunes of Ireland, New England, Quebec, and Appalachia.
• Tuq, from Montreal, Canada, posesses a passion for Contra Dances, they fuse Quebecois reels with Yiddish Hongas, Irish jigs with Sweedish Polskas, Breton Andros with Texas Swing.
• From Ohio, the Turkeys in The Straw feature Barry Chern, Marian Funk, Jeanne Budde, Mike Allen, Bruce Dadisman, and Andrea Ardito. Harold Cheyney provides the information.
• Dance music from the Upper South (Knoxville, Tennessee), with fiddle, banjo, guitar, and percussion is the basis of the duo Turnip the Beet. New entry (May 29, 2016)
• Turtle Creek includes Steve Lewis, Gaili Shoen, Daniel Slosberg and is based in California. (e-mail only)
• The Tuscan String Band features Elizabeth Lamberti on fiddle, Jim Becker on fiddle, banjo and guitar and Jessica Ziegler on fiddle and banjo and plays at dances in Illinois.
• Twisted Strings, featuring Wil West and Michelle Roy, play old and new tunes with traditional Celtic roots in Maine. New entry (July 9, 2016)
• The Two Bits String Band features two musicians, Vonnie Estes on keyboard and John Guay on hammered dulcimer who comprise parts of contra/community dance bands Set Americain and Gigue-a-Bit as well as other bands Tenpenny Bit and the Saratoga Pan Celtic Sessioneers in New York State. New entry (May 18, 2016)
• Two for the Show, featuring Jake Kensinger and Ellen Schmidt, play at contradances in between their numerous other gigs. They are based in Massachusetts.

U

• Ubertuber is Alex Jarrett on flute, whistle and piano, Dhyana Miller on fiddle, Christopher Walsh on percussion, Jonathan Vacanti on mandolin, banjo and guitar, and Tim Dolan on guitar and banjo and is based in Western Massachusetts.
• Unbowed is a fiddle-less contradance band from Pennsylvania, led by the mandolin of Henry Koretzky and supported by guitarist Jamie O'Brien and others. (e-mail only (take out the (at)))
• Uncle Farmer is Ben Schreiber on fiddle and Michael Sokolovsky on guitar. With an Irish and New England sound at its core, the duo is known for its original dance tunes, modern twists on old favorites, and sets mixed with pop rhythms and improvisational flair. The band is based in the San Francisco Bay area. New entry (May 29, 2016)
• Uncle Henry's Favorites is an old time string band from Charlottesville, Virginia and was formed in 1985.
• Uncle Joe and the Rosebud Ramblers offers a mix of lively up tempo New England fiddle tunes, energetic old time tunes from before the Civil War and family oriented traditional folk songs that have stood the test of time. The band is from Ithaca, New York. Change of URL (December 1, 2015)
• Uncle Wiggily plays on a regular basis for square dances in Portland, Oregon.
• Musician Larry Unger, banjo & guitar player extraordinaire, has been a professional musician since 1984.
• Ohio-based Upriver collects and performs Celtic, Appalachian, Bluegrass and American Folk Music. They play a mixture of traditional tunes and original music in the old time and Celtic tradition. New entry (July 9, 2016)
• From Sherman Oaks, California, Unsafe at Any Speed. (e-mail only)
• The Arizona band, Updraft, features Mike Reddig, Mary Anne McLeod and Judy Francis.

V

• Josee Vachon plays in the band Chanterelle, solos, and with other musicians. She is based in Pennsylvania.
• Tim Van Egmond is a musician, folksinger, caller, and storyteller and a member of Swallowtail. He lives in Massachusetts. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• Doug Van Gundy, from Elkins, West Virginia, plays old-time music on the fiddle for concerts and dances.
• Vertical Expression was originally formed as the house band of the Sheffield Contra series, but now also plays at other venues in England and is driven by the double bass and guitar rhythm with excellently danceable melodies played on the fiddle and melodeon.
• The Vigortones include Jim Nelson, Chirps Smith, and David Landreth. The web site Old Time Music has information about the band. They are based in Missouri (?).
• Village Idioms play occasionally at the Albuquerque, New Mexico dance. (e-mail only -- note the "NOSPAM")
• The Virginia Creepers including, Greg Donohoe, bass; Laurence 'Laurie' Phillips, mandolin; Rick Olcott, guitar; Peter White, fiddle; Bruce Thomson, fiddle; and Steve Huestis, banjo, play in New Mexico and other parts of the southwestern United States. Change of URL (February 16, 2015)
• The Volo Bogtrotters hail from the Chicago, Illinois area.
• Vulcan's Britches, from Birmingham, Alabama, plays what they call old-time music, meaning the traditional music style of the southern Appalachians, first recorded in the late 1920's and early '30's. They feature Kurt Kinbacher (guitar and banjo), Allen Peterson (fiddle), Terry McGinn (fiddle), Bobby Weathers (upright bass), and Carter Laney (banjo and guitar).

W

• Wake Up Robin is an eclectic quartet from Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York, and Washington (Audrey Knuth, Andrew VanNorstrand, Amy Englesberg, and Noah VanNorstrand). New entry (December 18, 2017)
• Fiddler Charlie Walden is from Missouri and plays at contra dances, festivals and music weeks.
• The Walker Family Band, in various incarnations, has played for traditional dances all over New York (their base) and New England for almost 25 years. With the children adding a variety of musical instruments, they play a mixture of music from the dance traditions of England, Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia, Quebec, Cape Breton, New England, and Appalachia.
• The Water Tower Bucket Boys were brought together by their love of string band music play classic old-time and bluegrass tunes with a relentless youthful exuberance. They are based in Eugene, Oregon.
• Julia Weatherford performs regionally (North Carolina) with the string band Far Horizons, as well as an all woman contra dance band, Fly by Night, and a swing and traditional vocal group, Firefly. She also plays cello in the group Trillium, playing baroque and classical music.
• The Bozeman, Montanta based band, Weatherwood, with members Tom Robison, Lindsay Turnquist and Steve Marty, draw on Celtic tunes, Appalachian tunes, Latin tunes, orignal pieces, swing tunes and contra dance music for their repertoire.
• Maine's Pam Weeks is a mountain dulcimer player, fiddler in Cajun, Quebecois, New England, and old-timey styles, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and educator.
• In Maine, Kate Wegner and Chuck Donnelly fuse Irish, Scottish, and Cape Breton Celtic musical forms with Old-Time influences into a musical fabric that is being called Celtic Old-Time Fusion.
• Jonathan Weinberg is a hammer dulcimer musician from Massachusetts who played with the Polymorphous String Band and now plays with Allemande North.
• Erica Weiss plays in bands like the Rhythm Method String Band, Grand Bois Cajun Band, Corndogs and The Killer Bees and is a caller of contras and squares. She is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Change of URL (June 24, 2018)
• Since 1979, Lee Anne Welch has focused on traditional Celtic and American folk music. A mainstay on the California Bluegrass scene, Lee Anne is also a Contra dance fiddler and teacher. New entry (July 5, 2016)
• The Weston Country Dance Band combines Christina on fiddle, Mary Brock on keyboard and John Brock on box in the UK. Change from e-mail to URL (November 29, 2015)
• Based in the Los Angeles, California area, Patty McCollom, Bob Altman, and David James make up Whirled Peas which plays for English Country Dance, Civil War Reenactments and Contradances. New entry (May 29, 2016)
• Whirlygig is a dance band from the Guelph/Kitchener area of Ontario that plays jigs, reels and hornpipes from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany and Galicia, as well as haunting airs and songs for ceilis, weddings and folk festivals along with contra dances.
• In Hawaii, Whiskey Starship plays traditional and contemporary music in the Celtic, New England, and Old Time style: jigs, reels, hornpipes, waltzes.
• The White Cockade, based in Concord, New Hampshire, plays at Scottish Country, English Country and New England Contra Dances. You can also e-mail them.
• The Whitetop Mountain Band is a family-based band from the highest mountains of Virginia. The members have done much to preserve the Whitetop region's style of old time fiddling and banjo picking and are legendary musicians and teachers of the style.
• Wild Asparagus based in Western Massachusetts. You can also start off with their own domain.
• Wild Card plays traditional acoustic and contra dance music. We've been playing together in various permutations for nearly 25 years. The band is based in Eastern and Central Massachusetts. New entry (June 24, 2018)
• The Wild Coyotes play music spanning a wide variety of traditional American roots styles including old time, bluegrass, and classic and contemporary folk set to classic old-time string band instrumentation with wonderful vocals. The band is based in Idaho.
• Wild Hair is a contra-dance band of fur, fun, and festivity and has been Wiggling fannies on the dance floor since 2006! The band is based in Oregon. Change in URL (June 28, 2015)
• The Wild Notes, formerly The Wingnuts, are based in Connecticut and include Mickey Koth on fiddle, flute, whistle, and recorder, John Kalinowski on concertina, accordion, fife, and bones, and Kasha Breau on keyboard, harp, and vocals ... Facebook Page. Updated description (November 29, 2019)
• Wild Ride is a new dance band with decades of combined dance experience in its ranks. Wild Ride brings together the fiddle of Bob Tracey, the piano and fiddle of Holly Norton and the mandolin, banjo and guitar of Robbie Thomas to produce an exciting, driving and superbly danceable sound. New entry (November 28, 2015)
• The Rochester, New York based WildRoot String Band plays Southern style Old-Time music from the Appalachian regions of North Carolina, the Virginias and Tennessee. Change of URL (December 1, 2015)
• Nicholas Williams is a Montreal based musician who plays blackwood and bamboo flutes, piano, and piano accordion in a variety of traditional and contemporary styles and plays with bands such as Crowfoot and Les Jouers de Bon Accord.
• George Wilson's dynamic fiddling, strongly influenced by Cape Breton and French Canadian styles, has been popular with contra dancers and concert-goers since the late 1970s. Change of URL (August 11, 2018)
• The Wintergreen Trio a folk trio, performs a mixture of traditional and contemporary music from the British Isles and America, along with their own compositions and is based in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• John Wobus plays piano for contradances and English Country dances with Contranella, Fancy That, Crooked Sixpence, and with other Central New York fiddlers and contradance musicians. New entry (June 30, 2016) You can find me fiddling and playing piano at jams in Central New York. Currently I'm into Cape Breton music, so contact me if you are in the area and play Cape Breton fiddle.
• Sandra Wong plays both the fiddle and the the Swedish nyckelharpa for concerts and dances in Colorado.
• The Wongawilli Band plays at bush dances and other events in Australia and all over the world.
• Beverly Woods plays in String Equinox and other ensembles. She is based in New Hampshire.
• Formed in 2014, The Worcester Folk Orchestra brings together instrumentalists who love to play reels, jigs, and waltzes. We perform at events in the Worcester area, primarily contra dances, or other family-friendly gatherings. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)
• Gary Wright and Leah Weiss play guitar and fiddle with other musicians at contra and square dances in Maryland.
• Wry Bred is a contra/barn/family dance band in Connecticut. Good music no matter how you slice it. Facebook Page. Added Facebook Page (June 24, 2018)

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No band listings for X.

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• Yankee Ingenuity featuring Peter Barnes, Cal Howard, Mary Lea and Jack O'Connor, hosted the Monday Night dance in Concord, Massachusetts for a number of years.

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• Ohio's Zeke's Fancy takes traditional dance music from the British Isles and Appalachia and combines it with American swing to create a unique blend of music. New entry (July 2, 2016)
• For more than twenty years, the Zillionaires have played string swing jazz standards, fiddle tunes, klezmer dance music, and songs new and old at events in and around Albany, New York.
• Zollo consisting of Cathie Whitesides, Anita Anderson, Nova Devonie and frequently Christian Green plays contra dance music for music lovers and dancers of all levels. The music world is our oyster! Flavors of Ragtime, Swing, Pop, Balkan and Greek music inform our original tunes, tricks and irresistable rhythms. Your feet will sail over the floor! The band is based in Washington State.

This page is part of the Contrdancelinks.com web site. For more information about contra dancing, visit these other site pages:

*The Colorado link will bring you to Dancing on the Web. The Maine link will bring you to the Downeast Friends of the Folk Arts. The New Mexico link will bring you to the New Mexico Folk Music and Dance Society. The Utah link will bring you to Utah Contradance Information. These fine organizations and individuals already have complete listings for these states and there is no reason for me to duplicate their efforts.

**As far as I know, there are no regular dances or events in Mississippi, South Dakota or Wyoming, but I have created pages if something changes in the future.

http://www.contradancelinks/bands.html
Produced by Charlie Seelig
Last updated on December 8, 2019