Dig the initial line up for the 3rd Annual happening October 18 & 19, 2008.

Keep checking back for artist additions, and for some sweet, sweet early bird ticket prices !

the devil makes three      (San Francisco) The Devil Makes Three don't have a drummer....they don't need one! Percussive banjo accents, forceful slaps on the upright bass. More than enough rhythm. A guitarist/lead singer rounds out the trio with a bluesy vocal style - part Louis Prima, part Merle Haggard. DM3 is tearing up the scene, combining bluegrass, old time music, folk, rockabilly, Piedmont blues and ragtime. Played with blazing attitude !  With a slightly punk perspective on vintage American blues, Lucia Turino (stand up bass), Peter Bernhard (guitar/vocals) and guitarist Cooper McBean bring forth a genuine approach to acoustic music.

trampled by turtles   (DULUTH) Back to the high desert by popular demand !! Trampled by Turtles is an original, non – traditional bluegrass band whose raucous live performances put a unique spin on the genre, tweaking the tradition with their own mix of punk, alt-country rock and pop. They invert the normal poses of audience and band. The Turtles mainly sit down to rock out, while the music forces the audience to their feet for the entire show. Breakneck barnburners guarantee a work out on the dance floor, while sweet country crooners are goose bump inducing. The TBT’s music has a certain shit kicking quality to it where melodies become a blunt instrument amid impressionist strumming. “The tunefulness of Nickel Creek meets the fury of the Avett Brothers” says the Washington Post.

hillstomp     (PORTLAND) Drawing heavily from north Mississippi trance blues, a bit from the hills of Appalachia and stealing energy from Punkabilly, Hillstomp create a raucous hill country blues stomp with fiery youth and vigor. It comes claning and tumbling out of an assortment of vintage mics, buckets, cans and BBQ lids drenched in rambunctious slide guitar. Henry Kammerer kindles a slide guitar sound that cuts through the room like a bone saw. Alternately vicious and soothing – a mean whine that cauterizes wounds before opening up new ones. John Johnson bangs out clanking beats on his modified kit. Melodies zip and splash about. Mammoth grooves seemingly appear out of nowhere. It’s all primitive and natural, like it sprung up from the ground. Hill country blues rock stomp. Despite their homemade instruments and novel approach, Hillstomp is no joke. With distinctive songwriting and powerful musicianship, they recycle traditional elements into something fresh and exciting. Long live the spirit of R.L. Burnside!

nathan   (WINNIPEG) “If David Lynch had directed ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’, Nathan’s music would be the soundtrack.” “Lift me out of this dustbowl and hand me a champagne” from the song Key Principles by Nathan. Winnipeg, CA harbors a wild, weird and wonderful artistic community. The product of this febrile music scene, Nathan has coalesced around the haunting songwriting and singing talents of Keri and Shelley, augmented by Devin on bass, and Daniel on drums (and more). Nathan songs are slippery things, seducing you with georgeous harmonies, circus rhythms, and waltzes from the rag and bone shop of traditional country music, then knocking you sideways with some dark Tom Waits-ean basement. Contributing to the seduction is the fact that these guys are clearly having some serious fun, as anyone who has witnessed one of their tribal live shows, replete with homemade stage outfits, will attest.

the stairwell sisters      (SAN FRAN) This all gal urban old-time teardown have amassed a rowdy repertoire of timeless tunes and a solid quiver of smart, original material that is winning praise and rave reviews on a national level. Counterculturalists of every generation enjoy their energetic musicianship, tight vocal arrangements and red-hot buckdancing. Lately the gals have appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, at the Lincoln Center in NYC, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and in the UK. Stephanie (fiddle) and Evie (banjo/clogging) are steeped in old time musical knowledge. Lisa’s unique approach to the dobro adds a gift that walks a line through country and blues. Martha (bass) and Sue (guitar/tiple) motor the band forward with their lock-step rhythm. All of the sisters sing, and they do so with intoxicating energy and soul. “A powerhouse ensemble” says the SF Chronicle. “No fake-bravado flash, no glitz…..just the real thing” Dirty Linen Magazine. “Wild, hard dance music….infectious” the Oakland Tribune.

the starlings      (SEATTLE) The magnetic harmonies and songwriting of Joy Mills and Tom Parker are all at once wistful and fierce, haunting and soothing. From a pin-dropping ballad to a foot-stomping barnburner, their images linger – empty boxcars, twilight on the prairie, divining rods, river beds, long drive home, and an underlying wonder to the mystery of it all. Their debut album “Songbook” has made them a fave in the Northwest twangy music scene. The album is fresh and full of brio, expertly blending folk and country, while displaying top-notch musicianship at every turn. The spirits of Maybelle Carter, Woody Guthrie and John Steinbeck are alive and well in their spectacular collection of songs. Heartland inspired. Banjo inflected. A real front porch flavor. With one eye to the keyhole of deeper meaning, the Starlings remain dynamic in nature and happy to take the road less traveled.

the belleville outfit   (AUSTIN) Just voted ‘Best New Local Act’ of by the Austin Chronicle (and Austin is home to a monster musical community!). Their name is a nod to both Django Reinhardt and New Orleans. Their sound a seamless blend of gypsy swing, Americana, and big band jazz. The Outfit formed for Merlefest in April 07, and has been on a tear since. Every year at Merlefest, one new band steps from the shadows of and makes a name for itself. In 2007, it was the Belleville Outfit. Their debut independent release is slated for Feb ’08. Brilliant songwriting backed by stellar playing will no doubt mean that their meteoric rise in poplularity will continue this year. In addition to the Joshua Tree Roots Fest, they are scheduled to perform at prestigious festivals such as the Kerrville Folk Festival, Old Settlers, and Four Corners Festivals.

thrift store all - stars    (JOSHUA TREE) This monster talented high desert collective, led by the inimitable Travis Cline, consists of Victoria Williams, Tim Easton, Bingo, Solid Ray Woods, Carol Ann Crandall, Craig Stark, Tal Hurley and Don Lombardo. These lovely cats raise fun on a regular basis at "church" on sundays. That would be on the dance floor at Pappy and Harriets in Pioneertown. They reel em in on the dance floor, and also on stage..........Wally Ingram, Rosie Flores, Shelby Lynne, Robert Plant (true story !) and Juke Logan all sitting in with the all stars recently.   Don't miss em kickin' at all off !