Wallen and Phelps
When the Wallens team up with Kentucky-born guitarist Dean Phelps, the result is a soulful take on roots music. Dean has earned both local and national recognition for his guitar playing, winning the National Thumbpicking Guitar Contest. The combined influences of Wallen and Phelps range from acoustic favorites like Merle Travis and John Prine to the guitar stylings of John Mayer and Doc Watson.
The Folkin' Grassholes
Combining blues, classical, and traditional influences, The Folkin' Grassholes bring a fresh dynamic to bluegrass and roots music. This Midwestern quartet brings together a uniquely talented group of musicians.
Classically trained from the early age of 4, John Lardinois (violin) is a member of the Dayton Philharmonic and West Virginia Symphony orchestras.
Brian Spirk (mandolin/vocals) stays busy burning up the fretboard with Sawgrass, The Repeating Arms, Nasty Bingo and others as the go-to mandolin player in Dayton.
A talented multi-instrumentalist, Ben Cooper (bass/vocals) is a longtime fixture in the area music scene. He has performed with a number of bands, from Shoefly to Sawgrass.