4th Annual Bluegrass Winter Heater

Established in late 2018, The MilBillies hit the ground running, bringing their unique synthesis of traditional and progressive bluegrass to venues and festivals throughout the upper Midwest and beyond. They have crafted a genuinely thrilling live show, taking "high-energy" musicianship to another level while enthralling the crowd with intoxicating melodies and lyrical subject matter any troubadour would tip their hat to.

All of this has garnered a WAMI nod for New Artist of the Year, an IBMA Official Showcase, a loyal following, and glowing reviews—Bluegrass Unlimited says The MilBillies sound “straddles the line between the traditional and progressive schools of bluegrass along with hints of blues, punk and country,” while Milwaukee Record lauds their “punk-tinged barroom bluegrass.” But whether you hear “animated urban style grass” (Bluegrass Today) or simply “an explosion of banjos, guitars and storytelling” (Shepherd Express), you’re sure to leave a MilBillies show with a better understanding of what the fuss is all about.

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Singer/Songwriter/Multi-Instrumentalist Joseph Huber was a founding member of the .357 String Band--a group that, despite its abrupt break-up, still continues to gain popularity and is known as one of the most influential groups in the recent insurgent underground country and bluegrass movement. Having moved from .357, Huber has honed his songwriting abilities immensely and now continues moving onward and upward captivating folks with his sincere and well-crafted songs under his own name and with his backing band. Whether it's irresistible, fiddle-driven, dancing tunes or honest, heart-wrenching "songwriter" songs, Huber spans the spectrum of 'Roots' music while preferring not to stay within the boundaries of any strict genre classification.

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Maygen & The Birdwatcher’s music is Americana that isn’t afraid to embrace eclecticism, but it’s also firmly rooted in folk and country. To achieve their rich, full sound, the band fills out the sonic details, with multi-instrumentalist Nik Pellinen adding banjo, lap steel and electric guitar. Along with bassist Chase Rabideau, who rounds out the bottom, mandolin player Jesse Moravec, who also contributes vocals, fiddle player Evin Haukos, and drummer-percussionist Peter Anderson create a new take on bluegrass-folk-country. It’s a hyphenated hybrid that can come only from a seasoned—and tightly knit—band.

The past few years have been quite a stir for the Minnesota progressive folk-rock-country sextet Maygen & The Birdwatcher. In late 2021 they released their debut full-length album, Moonshine, (which Americana UK wrote is “stunning”), earning them Midwest Country Music Awards for Album of the Year and Americana Artist of the Year) and landed opportunities to join festival stages with bands like Old Crow Medicine Show, Paul Cauthen, Grace Potter, and even support a childhood favorite, Travis Tritt.

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Valley Fox is a Midwestern folk power trio made up of Laura Bomber (guitar), Joe Wais (mandolin) and Tori Yocum (upright bass).

With a focus on delivering bold, haunting harmonies, the trio seamlessly blends pristine vocals with gritty string music to create a forceful yet thoughtful sound, blurring the lines of folk, bluegrass and country music.

"At the moment, Joe Wais, Laura Bomber and Tori Yocum are to Milwaukee what David and Gillian & Co are to East Nashville; champions of acoustic charm, haunting harmonies and intimate, well-crafted songs that exude a magic and musicality that flicker like fireflies above and about the heads of anyone fortunate enough to be nearby. " -Jeff Stehr

Host or Publisher The Cooperage