Press Release
Banjo Dan PRESS
RELEASE: JUNE 1, 2005
Information: Nectar's, 865-4563 or Dan Lindner, 802-425-5171
BANJO DAN BACK AT NECTAR'S AFTER 25 YEARS
Banjo Dan and the Mid-nite Plowboys will perform at Nectar's on Main Street in Burlington on Friday, June 17 -- for the first time in a quarter-century! Vermont's longest-running bluegrass band, and one of the top acoustic groups on the New England circuit, the Plowboys are finally bringing their top-flight picking and singing back to where it all began.
Founded in 1972 by Dan and Willy Lindner and Big Al Davis, the group began by playing local night clubs and ski resorts. Burlington was a hotbed for bluegrass in the seventies, with the Plowboys, Pine Island and other exciting bands playing every weekend. Main Street, with Nector's (as it was then called) at one end and the Yankee Pickin' Opry (later Hunt's) at the other, was the hub of it all. Bluegrass filled the air and the crowds were large and raucous. "It was a great time to be alive and pickin' in Burlington," says "Banjo Dan" Lindner. "Young people were into the music, the beer was flowing, and the bands were hot."
Banjo Dan and his group have survived and thrived. As the club scene for bluegrass faded out the band began to find work in concert halls, opera houses and outdoor parks. They expanded their territory beyond Vermont, eventually touring throughout the New England states and New York, with occasional forays farther south. They recorded several albums and in 1984 enjoyed their first overseas tour, a week-long jaunt to England. Linking up with Project Harmony in 1988 they became the first American bluegrass band to tour the Soviet Union. Additional touring, frequent recording, and regular performances around the Northeast have kept the band in the forefront of the acoustic scene.
As near as Dan can remember, their last gig at Nector's was around 1980 - a good 25 years ago. "It's gonna be great to get back there. I know a lot of our old friends will show up, plus there are all these young folks now into bluegrass - it's like getting discovered all over again."
Over the years the band has seen musical trends change, with bluegrass rising and falling in popularity, but has never wavered from its commitment to authentic, acoustic bluegrass music. With drive and energy, great singing and picking, Banjo Dan and the Mid-nite Plowboys are still hot. "Call us stubborn," says Lindner. "We just love this music, and we've never compromised."
The show gets underway at 9 PM, with a cover charge of $3. Opening for the Plowboys will be the Mad Mountain Scramblers, a spirited Waitsfield-based bluegrass band. "These guys are zany and unpredictable -- it'll be a lot of fun sharing the evening with them," says Banjo Dan. "And where else are you going to find a scene like this for three bucks?"