The Peninsula Foundation supports the Arts Community by presenting Voices in the Valley, a showcase of traditional roots music. So kick back, relax and join us for a night of music in the Historic G.A.R. Hall. Beer, Wine and adult beverages available.
Parking for the G.A.R. Hall is located directly across the street on the South West Corner of Route 303 and Riverview Road. There is handicap parking located directly in front of the G.A.R. Hall. Alternate Parking can be found 1 block away at the old Yellow Creek Trading Company. Or at Riverview Court (old Ohio Hardwoods) on the Southeast Corner of the intersection of Route 303 and Riverview Road. Parking in Peninsula is always at a premium so if you are coming with friends, consider sharing a ride. Thanks!
If you are looking for a way to sponsor the arts, please consider helping support the Voices in the Valley music program at the historic G.A.R. Hall. Operated by the Peninsula Foundation, this program features local and national touring musicians in the intimate setting of this beautiful, grand old hall. Your donation is tax deductible and very much appreciated. Thank you in advance for supporting the arts and arts programming in N.E. Ohio!!!
New Vaccination Policy for the G.A.R. Hall and the Bronson Church.
The Peninsula Foundation has joined in alliance with other Northeast Ohio music venues in announcing a new vaccination policy. Effective in September 2021, all indoor events at the G.A.R. Hall and the Bronson Church will require a proof of vaccination or a negative covid test result, date stamped no later than 72 hours prior to the event, for entry for all concerts and events. We recommend mask wearing other than when you are eating and drinking while inside our venues.
We strive to provide a safe place for people to come and enjoy an evening of music. We have improved ventilation systems at both the G.A.R. Hall and the Bronson Church, our staff is 100% vaccinated and we hope by initiating these measures, we can provide you the trust and assurance of a great and SAFE place to enjoy a show.
Our hope is that SOON, we can move past Covid-19 and all of its variants. We long to come together as a music community again, where we gather with old friends, meet new friends and share a night of music with no worries of this virus. We feel these are the measures necessary to get us there.
Thank you for your continued support…and trust.
Karen James Walters
Executive Director- Peninsula Foundation
Artistic Director- Voices in the Valley
May 19th- Kieran Kane and Rayna Gellert - Kieran Kane’s seminal work in The O'Kanes and Kane Welch Kaplin, as well as co-founding the independent label Dead Reckoning Records, laid the foundation for the contemporary world of Americana music. A successful solo artist, collaborator, and songwriter (with songs recorded by Alan Jackson, John Prine, Emmylou Harris, and many more), Kieran is a musician's musician: his playing is always understated, always groove-oriented, and always serving the song.
If Rayna Gellert seems a preternaturally gifted songwriter, it’s because she’s seen farther into the old songs than most. Growing up in a musical family, she turned to Appalachian old-time music at a young age, becoming a prodigious fiddler and leading a new revival of American string band music through her work with the acclaimed roots band Uncle Earl. An in-demand collaborator, she has toured and recorded with artists such as Scott Miller, Abigail Washburn, Toubab Krewe, and Robyn Hitchcock.
Kieran and Rayna first met, fittingly, at San Francisco's celebrated Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, which led to their cowriting songs for Kieran's solo album Unguarded Moments (Dead Reckoning). They joined forces again for Rayna's 2017 release, Workin's Too Hard (StorySound Records), which they also co-produced. Their first duo album, The Ledges, was released in February of 2018 on Dead Reckoning Records, followed up quickly by 2019’s When the Sun Goes Down.
Now, in 2022, this “unlikely musical couple” have released The Flowers That Bloom in Spring, which finds the duo digging deeper into their exploration of minimalist writing and recording.
Fans of either artist will recognize the musical kindred-spiritedness in their restrained and roots-oriented approach to both songs and arrangements.
General Admission- $20.00
Doors open at 7:30/ Music at 8pm
Purchase tickets on Eventbrite
Please bring your Covid vax cards or negative PCR covid test (within 72 hours) with your ID for entry. You can read the entire G.A.R. covid policy at www.peninsulahistory.org. Thank You!
May 20th -The Slocan Ramblers (2020 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year Award Winner & 2019 Juno Award Nominee) are Canada’s bluegrass band to watch. Rooted in tradition, fearlessly creative and possessing a bold, dynamic sound, The Slocans have become a leading light of today’s acoustic music scene. With a reputation for energetic live shows, impeccable musicianship and an uncanny ability to convert anyone within earshot into a lifelong fan, The Slocans have been winning over audiences from Merlefest to RockyGrass and everywhere in between.
On their new album Up the Hill and Through the Fog, the all-star Canadian roots ensemble channels the past two years of loss into a surprisingly joyous collection of twelve songs intended to uplift and help make sense of the world. Bluegrass music is nothing short of catharsis for The Slocan Ramblers.
Though the past few years have brought the group accolades, that same momentum was abruptly halted by the pandemic’s brutal impact on live music. Over the next year, bandmates Adrian Gross and Darryl Poulsen both lost close family members and their bassist decided to step back to spend more time at home. They channeled these tumultuous changes into some of their most honest and direct compositions yet. Up the Hill and Through the Fog showcases the breadth of their varied influences while staying true to their roots in the rough and tumble bluegrass scene of Toronto’s no-nonsense bars and dancehalls. From Frank Evan’s classic, dusty vocals, to John Hartford-inspired lyrical musings, it’s all buttressed by impeccable musicianship, and emotionally raw songwriting from the three core members. This is roots music without pretension, art powerful enough to cut through the fog of the past two years and chart a more hopeful course forward.
Say hello to your new favorite band.
General Admission- $22
Doors open at 7:30/Music at 8pm
Please bring your Covid vax cards or negative PCR covid test (within 72 hours) with your ID for entry. You can read the entire G.A.R. covid policy at www.peninsulahistory.org. Thank You!
May 21- The Rusty Goat, bringing back your favorite rock and roll and blues tunes from the 70's. Three of these boys grew up in Peninsula with high hopes of being rock stars, they were good then, they are better now! John, Jeff, Tom, Tim and Mike are the Rusty Goat! Not our usual offering at the Hall, but every now and then we can still rock it out!
General Admission - $15.00
Doors open at 7:30/Music at 8pm
Purchase Tickets on Eventbrite
Please bring your Covid vax cards or negative PCR covid test (within 72 hours) with your ID for entry. You can read the entire G.A.R. covid policy at www.peninsulahistory.org. Thank You!
The Bluegrass Gospel Hour at the Bronson Church- Hosts Paul Kovac and David Mayfield play some of your favorite Bluegrass gospel tunes mixed with some fun banter! This is not a church service, rather a meeting of the Bluegrass faithful looking to enjoy some fellowship with two of the area's favorite pickers!
Join us at the Historic Bronson Church at 1712 Main Street in Peninsula. Doors open at 10:45. This is a LIVE show only and will not be broadcast on Facebook.
Beginning in May, we will be moving this show to every 4th Sunday. The May date is May 22nd in both the church and on Facebook. A $10.00 donation is appreciated at the Bronson Church or please donate on the Foundation's website. Much appreciated!
May 22nd- Rose & The Bros-
With a shared dream to simply have a blast while making people dance without stopping, Ithaca natives Rosie Newton, Paul Martin, and Steve Selin set out to collect tunes and the rare ingredients of a no holds barred Zydeco and Cajun dance party. Once the trio had found their undeniable rhythm section in drummer Greg Evans, bassist Angelo Peters, and rub board/triangle player Sally Freund, Rose & The Bros became a six piece instant party and the band was complete. Now, Rose & The Bros continue forward, gathering strength and a warm following with infectious joy, a love for community, and a rollicking good time
General Admission - $20.00
Doors open at 7:30/Music at 8pm
Purchase Tickets on Eventbrite
Please bring your Covid vax cards or negative PCR covid test (within 72 hours) with your ID for entry. You can read the entire G.A.R. covid policy at www.peninsulahistory.org. Thank You!
May 28- The David Mayfield Parade, The Parade is led by Grammy- and Emmy-nominated producer David Mayfield on guitar, mandolin and vocals. He’s joined by two-time National Bluegrass Banjo Champion Steven Moore; Mandolin builder, songwriter and fiddler Matt Dunkleberger, and Dakota Bohner on upright bass and vocals. Together, they traipse into town for a light-hearted, fun-filled night of harmony, hot licks, and laughs the whole family can enjoy.
General Admission - $20.00
Doors open at 7:30/Music at 8pm
Purchase Tickets on Eventbrite
Please bring your Covid vax cards or negative PCR covid test (within 72 hours) with your ID for entry. You can read the entire G.A.R. covid policy at www.peninsulahistory.org. Thank You!
June 4th- The Dirty Grass Players, a four-piece new-grass band from Baltimore, is known for having one toe-tappin’ foot in traditional bluegrass while pushing boundaries. Composed of Connor Murray on bass, Alex Berman on vocals & banjo, Ben Kolakowski with the guitar & vocals, and Ryan Rogers on mandolin, they have been bringing their growing fanbase a down and dirty performance for over five years.
Their ability to seamlessly transition from down-home bluegrass to spirited improvisation makes each performance unique. Mix in some Allman Brothers, Pink Floyd, or a dash of southern rock and you’ll quickly understand what they mean by “Dirty Grass”.
Entering into their sixth year together, The Dirty Grass Players just released their 2nd studio album, “Beneath the Woodpile”. Put together with alluring harmonies, lyrics, and melodies, the band presents a sound precisely at the crossroads of traditional and progressive bluegrass. This isn’t just another run-of-the-mill bluegrass album or band; it’s cathartic and dirty grass.
Doors open at 7:30/Music at 8
General Admission- $15.00
Purchase your tickets on Eventbrite
Please bring your Covid vax cards or negative PCR covid test (within 72 hours) with your ID for entry. You can read the entire G.A.R. covid policy at www.peninsulahistory.org. Thank You!
June 5th- Sisters in Song return to the G.A.R. Hall for a night of music among friends. Sisters in Song features some of N.E. Ohio's favorite female musicians, coming together to share a song, a laugh and sometimes a tear. They play some of your favorite tunes from other artists and some from their own pen. Join us for what is always a special night at the Hall.
General Admission-$20.00
Doors open at 6:30/Music at 7
Purchase tickets on Eventbrite
Please bring your Covid vax cards or negative PCR covid test (within 72 hours) with your ID for entry. You can read the entire G.A.R. covid policy at www.peninsulahistory.org. Thank You!
June 9th - The Lonesome Ace Stringband - The Lonesome Ace Stringband is an old-time band with bluegrass chops that play some righteous folk and country music. There's a depth of groove and sense of space not often heard in bluegrass today, a level of instrumental interplay and vocal blend uncommon in old-time, and an on-stage rapport that transcends all of this. Three Canadians lost in the weird and wonderful traditional country music of the American South, the band members Chris Coole (banjo), John Showman (fiddle) and Max Heineman (bass) are each journeyman musicians and veterans of some of Canada's top roots music acts.
Instrumentation alone instantly sets LAS's sound apart: consisting of just fiddle, claw hammer banjo, and upright bass, the band moves freely between having a sound so powerful that it doesn't seem like it should be coming from a trio, to a sparseness and fragility that draws the listener in and refreshes the ear. All three are compelling lead singers, each with his own character and range. This allows for the vocal texture to shift depending on how the song needs to feel - and what the song has to say. When those voices come together the power of the harmonies is unshakable. It's clear to anyone who's heard LAS that they just don't sound like any other band.
Although the LAS has performed at some of the premiere folk and bluegrass festivals in North America, one must look at the roots of LAS to understand where the sound comes from. Starting in 2007, the band took up residency in Toronto's legendary Dakota Tavern routinely playing 10 sets of music every weekend. LAS spent 7 years as a house band before ever taking the show on the road or recording a note. In these days when new records and buzz-bands come at us like a jacked-up news cycle, this workaday approach hearkens to another era. Those years were a gestation period that allowed for a type of looseness and intuition to develop, something that can only come from experienced musicians clocking hundreds of on-stage hours together.
General Admission- $20.00
Doors open at 7:30/Music at 8pm
Purchase tickets on Eventbrite
Please bring your Covid vax cards or negative PCR covid test (within 72 hours) with your ID for entry. You can read the entire G.A.R. covid policy at www.peninsulahistory.org. Thank You!
G.A.R. Grass Jam
Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at 7:00pm
Grass Jam is BACK! Paul Kovac and David Mayfield will be your hosts. All ages and skill levels are welcome and encouraged. We have 3-5 separate break out rooms so you can pick your jam. You are welcome to bring your own food to munch on, the bar will be open.
$5 donation at the door
June 17th- Chatham Rabbits- As one of North Carolina’s most beloved roots music outfits, Chatham Rabbits has swiftly emerged from the fertile Americana scene in the Triangle with intimate-close harmonies and mature songwriting.
The husband-and-wife duo of Sarah and Austin McCombie favor rich, minimalist arrangements, and their stage banter and presence connects to the audience in a way that is both warm and universal. North Carolina is a place so identifiable by its separate regions – the mountains, the piedmont, the coast – that it has the tendency to feel indescribable, meaning one can conceptualize the state as a mashup of places rather than a single locale. The art and artists born from the state often embody that same sense of blended regions, borrowing from broad cultural traditions and plumbing the histories of others’ stories on the way to telling their own. Chatham Rabbits exemplify North Carolina’s tradition of producing artists who embrace the state’s many cultural resources and diverse musical traditions.
In their marriage and in their music, Chatham Rabbits’ Austin and Sarah McCombie also blend their own histories into a shared musical experience. Their music feels: immediate, personal, available.
“We’re not purists,” Austin says.“
And we’re certainly not the hippest,” Sarah adds.
“But we’ve been able to belong nowhere and everywhere at the same time,” Sarah says.
General Admission- $20.00
Doors open at 7:30/Music at 8pm
Purchase tickets on Eventbrite
Please bring your Covid vax cards or negative PCR covid test (within 72 hours) with your ID for entry. You can read the entire G.A.R. covid policy at www.peninsulahistory.org. Thank You!
June 24th- Rachel Baiman-With her 2017 debut Shame, Americana songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rachel Baiman emerged as a fearless voice of the American female experience. “Shame” was featured on NPR’s “Songs We Love”, called a “Rootsy Wake-up Call” by Folk Alley, and described by Vice’s “Noisey” as “flipping off authority one song at a time.” On her new full-length album Cycles, Baiman has found a grittier musical medium for her signature unabashed and defiant songwriting.
Cycles is a collection of songs encompassing the many ways that we destroy and rebuild as people, as families, and as a country. Songs about the cycle of life inspired by the birth of a nephew and the loss of a grandmother, songs about internal mental cycles of ambition and self-doubt, the cycle of progress and regression in our country’s political journey, and the cycles of growth and reinvention that relationships take on. At times heartbreaking, at times celebratory, the album is a reflection of a lot of life experienced in a relatively short amount of time, a desire to hold fast to the people we love in the wake of so much uncertainty, and an exploration of the immense and unique strength of women in the face of adversity.
Pierce Edens-Over the last ten years, Pierce Edens has been drawing on his Appalachian songwriting roots and blending them with the grungy rock and roll sounds that took him in his teenage years. The result is a haunting and fiery mixture that is notoriously hard to pin down.
General Admission- $18.00
Doors open at 7:30/Music at 8pm
Purchase tickets on Eventbrite
Please bring your Covid vax cards or negative PCR covid test (within 72 hours) with your ID for entry. You can read the entire G.A.R. covid policy at www.peninsulahistory.org. Thank You!
Look for news about the coming shows soon!
July 8th- Griffin House
FAQs
More information about these shows coming soon!
Please send all booking inquiries to karen@crookedrivercreative.com
Thanks so much to the Ohio Arts Council for their continued support of the Arts Programming at the Peninsula Foundation, including
Voices in the Valley
Thanks so much to the Akron Community Foundation for their support of Arts Programming at the
G.A.R. Hall
