Legions of avid fans were left in despair when the beloved Freight Hoppers announced they were disbanding, back in 2002. Weep no more, folks: the Freight Hoppers ride again, right up onto the Freight stage tonight for a set of their signature rugged, hard-driving, old time string band music from fiddler David Bass and banjo man Frank Lee, with new members Thomas Bailey (guitar and baritone vocals) and Isaac Deal (upright bass and tenor vocals) added to the mix. The first time around, the Freight Hoppers recorded two critically-acclaimed albums that climbed into the Top 20 of Billboard's Americana music charts; this time around? The sky's the limit!
Innovative San Francisco string band, The Crooked Jades are on a mission to reinvent old-time music, pushing boundaries and blurring categories with their fiery performances of driving dance tunes and haunting ballads. Known for their obscure repertoire, beautiful original compositions, and eclectic, often vintage instrumentation, the Jades began with bandleader/founder Jeff Kazor's vision to revive the dark and hypnotic sounds of pre-radio music. The band has created a unique style by interweaving this old-time foundation with diverse musical influences from Europe and Africa. In the Jades' current lineup, Jeff is joined by Leah Abramson (Dyad) on vocals, ukulele, guitar and harmonium, bass player Charlie Rose (Asylum Street Spankers, South Austin Jug Band), banjo/slide guitar player Rose Sinclair (Heartbeats) and prodigy fiddler Sophie Vitells. A track from their most recent CD, World's on Fire, is featured in the acclaimed Sean Penn film Into the Wild.