Join us for a night of fiery fiddling as Bobbi Nikles, Helen White, Laura Risk, and Julian Smedley -- all instructors at the FiddleKids summer camp -- take the Freight stage, kicking off this year's edition of the camp to an exciting start.

An accomplished, versatile musician with a special interest in Appalachian and Celtic fiddle styles, Bobbi Nikles currently performs with Wake the Dead and Melanie O'Reilly's Aisling Ghear, and is a shining star of the Bay Area contradance circuit. Bobbi is also the director of FiddleKids, a weeklong summer day-camp devoted to exploring traditional fiddle music through tunes, songs, dance, art, and fun. Kyle Thayer backs Bobbi (and Laura) with his driving, tasteful DADGAD guitar.

An award-winning old-time fiddler, Helen White has taught Appalachian fiddling at camps across the United States, and has performed worldwide with noted Appalachian guitarist Wayne Henderson. She also founded the acclaimed Junior Appalachian Musicians program, which introduces North Carolina children to their musical heritage. She's joined by ace banjo player Brendon Doyle for tonight's performance.

Laura Risk brings us luscious quebecois tunes from her new home in Montreal. Her expressive interpretations of Scottish, Irish, and Cape Breton fiddle music have garnered Laura international acclaim as her love of traditional fiddling leads her on a rich journey into the many genres which she performs with exceptional passion and finesse.

Julian Smedley adds to the mix both his brilliant swing-jazz fiddle and his charming personality. Julian has played with a wide array of artists, from Johnny Mathis and Dan Hicks to his current work with Bay Area combos the Hot Clubs of San Francisco and Berkeley, Magnetic Poets, and jazz guitarist Mike Wollenberg, who's joining him for tonight's show.