Joe Craven & Peter Wilson

To their great pleasure multi-instrumentalist Joe Craven and singer/songwriter/guitarist Peter Wilson have embarked on an exploration of mutual repertoire unearthing gems from the likes of Django Reinheart, Irving Berlin, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Garcia, Roger Miller, Tom Waits, Eddy Arnold and others. Eclectic is a word that comes to mind.

Joe Craven is an American freestyle folk, world and roots music multi-instrumentalist, singer and educator. He is the Director of RiverTunes Music Camp and a Co-Director of the Wintergrass Youth Academy. He plays a wide variety of string instruments, including fiddle, mandolin, ukulele, tres, cavaquinho, balalaika, as well as percussion, including a pickling jar, a credit card, or a jawbone.

Craven is a well-known sight at acoustic music festivals and, for many years, was violinist and percussionist for the David Grisman Quintet. Craven lists some of his influences being Jimi Hendrix, dumpster diving, Hermeto Pascoal, thrift stores, Frank Zappa, educator and aesthetician John Dewey, beachcombing, Carl Stalling, Eddie Palmieri, field recordings, Tiny Moore, Los Pleneros De Viente Uno, Darol Anger and The Horseflies.

Craven has played with many notable musicians including Jerry Garcia, Stephane Grappelli, Alison Brown, Rob Ickes and David Lindley. He performs solo and in different sizes and versions of his own projects.

Peter Wilson has toured and performed since 1978 in concerts, coffeehouses, honky tonks, colleges, trains and nightclubs across the US and Canada. He’s a member of the Deadbeats – a long running tip-of-the-hat to the music and songs of the Grateful Dead, a founding member of Paul Emery’s 1000 Kisses Deep – The Songs of Leonard Cohen, and, along with his songwriting cohorts, Mountain John Hilligoss and Moe Dixon, they’ve written scores of songs, toured and released a studio CD – Troubadour Camp. His vintage rock and roll band, The Pyramids, has played music for dancing since 1986.

At home in Grass Valley, California Wilson has hosted radio variety shows and open mic nights.

Tickets are $25 general admission. Children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are available at the link below, or you may purchase your tickets at the door the night of the show.

Doors open one half hour before show time. We accept cash or Venmo only at the door.

The Back Room is an all-ages, BYOB (for those 21+) space, dedicated to (mostly) acoustic music of all kinds. You are welcome to bring your own food and adult beverages with no additional corkage fee. The venue is ADA accessible. If you need more information or have any questions, please call us: #510-381-1997.

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A Message About Our Indoor Shows:

Our indoor shows require that you wear a mask except when eating or drinking. The performers will be mask-less and same-day tested.

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