Details

This week is the Old Time dream team: The PossumTone String Band led by Tom Owens will provide hot music for a great old-time night. Our caller, Margaret Mathews, has years of experience with old time music and picks the dances to match.

We’re at Harmony House again this week, an old grange hall that has seen so much fine dancing over the years.

Intro to contra dance at 7:00. Dance runs 7:30 – 10:00.

Admission is on a sliding scale – pay what you can to support the dance. Suggested adult admission is $10.

 

Caller

Margaret Mathews at the microphone

Margaret Mathews

With more than 35 years experience as dancer, musician and caller, Margaret’s easy-going, engaging style gets everyone out on the dance floor. Her ability to smoothly adjust the dances to the experience level of the dance community make it a fun and accessible evening for everyone. In addition to contra dances, she calls for traditional Old Time square dances, Civil War reenactments, hoedowns, weddings and other joy filled occasions. Her dance calling has taken her up and down the East coast, from the Carolinas to Vermont, as well as the Northwest and Canada. When not calling, Margaret plays bass in Wild Root String Band, a Southern Old Time band.

Bands

Tom Owens plays the fiddle

Tom Owens

Tom Owens, Fiddle

Tom Owens is one of Rochester’s finest old-time musicians. He leads the Wild Root String Band and the PossumTone String Band.

PossumTone Stringband on stage

PossumTone String Band

Tom Owens (fiddle), Dan Palmer (guitar), Michelle Burack (banjo), Jordan Kleiman (bass)

The PossumTone String Band, based in Rochester, NY, plays high energy music anchored in the Southern tradition. While most their tunes come from the Appalachian region of the United States, some are from the Midwest and beyond. The band plays music that’s centuries old as well as new tunes created in the past few years. They enjoy playing for dances, weddings, farmers’ markets, and other happy events.