About this Event
Come on down to The Dance Hall for a good old fashioned Barn Dance! Featuring music by the Ruth and Ben String Band, and our square dance caller will be Grace Clements.
Led by guitarist Ruth Rappaport and her fiddler son, Ben Wetherbee, this intergenerational band's repertoire includes rousing, powerful old-time fiddle tunes and traditional, modern, and original songs that feature tight harmony singing. They are very spirited and people of all ages love their enthusiastic and innovative music.
Ruth Rappaport lays down the beat behind some of the best fiddlers, old-time string bands, and other traditional instrumentalists active today. For 15 years she traveled widely with the acclaimed eclectic string band The Poodles. Ruth shines as a vocalist with a repertoire that ranges from mountain ballads and gutsy blues to honky tonk hits and old folk songs.
Ben Wetherbee has made a mark for himself as a popular old-time, roots rock, Cajun, and alt music fiddler. His fiddling is inspired by traditional Appalachian music; Northeastern old-time music from Ithaca, Vermont, and Massachusetts; Bluegrass; Cajun/Creole music; New England contra dance music; experimental music; and more. He is also a singer/songwriter, guitar player, poet, and artist. His other musical combos include The Ben Wetherbee Honky Tonk Band, The Queens County Rat Club, Hell and Scissors, and I Want a Cat.
Ruth and Ben are joined by Joel Wennerstrom on clawhammer banjo. His playing is featured on various recordings, including Hammer & String’s “The Girl Who Broke My Heart” with Rhys Jones and Cleek Shrey, “Wooden Nickels” with Laura Feddersen and Owen Marshall, “The Pleasure of Your Company” with Harry Bolick, and “All in Good Time" with Alan Kaufman and Don Stratton.
Gian Criscitiello brings years of bass playing experience to the band. He regularly plays old time music with fiddler extraordinaire Alan Kaufman, and for square dances and concerts around New England. He played the only upright bass on the West Indian island of Antigua, where he lived for four years and played with a variety of international musicians, including Fruto de la Manga, an Argentinian folk music group. He also plays electric bass in a Boston area rock group.
$20 advance | $25 day-of | $15 student | Children 10 and under FREE
*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Dance Hall, 7 Walker Street, Kittery, United States
USD 20.37 to USD 30.99
