The Chris Silver Band
The Chris Silver Band will perform at the Mississippi River Challenge overnight at Fort Snelling on Saturday, July 26th. All Mississippi River Challenge participants receive admission to the fort and entertainment as part of their event registration fee. Friends and relatives are welcome to join us for an additional fee. Find out more at our Night at the Fort page.
Chris Silver
From 1987-1992 Chris sang and played mandolin and guitar with Stoney Lonesome, Minnesota's premier bluegrass band throughout the 80s and 90s. Stoney Lonesome toured nationally and in Europe and Japan, appeared on Prairie Home Companion, and recorded two albums for Red House Records. When Kate MacKenzie, the band's Grammy-nominated lead singer, left Stoney Lonesome to pursue a solo career, she invited Chris to tour with her in the mid-1990s.
Most recently Chris has been performing with his own group which performs his version of Americana with a large dose of original arrangements. His musical influences range from Ralph and Carter Stanley to Lowell George. Chris' dazzling flatpick guitar and mandolin technique are considered legendary. His soulful interpretations of traditional American music have led to national airplay and impressive reviews in magazines including Flatpick Guitar, Sing Out, Bluegrass Unlimited and Dirty Linen. Stretching his horizons beyond bluegrass, he has been invited to sit in with blues, swing, cajun/zydeco, and country bands over the last 20 years. Recent projects include organizing two Stanley Brothers tribute concerts in St. Paul, founding the annual Bluegrass in the Pines instructional workshop at Seven Pines Lodge in Wisconsin and teaching guitar and mandolin technique workshops to students across the country. He has recorded three solo albums: Who Will Sing for Me?, Over Time, and Souls and Spirits.
You can find out more about Chris Silver at his web site.
Pete Mathison
Joining Chris are Pete Mathison and Wayne Beezley. Pete "Ground Hog" Mathison plain and simple is a groove merchant. His subtle yet intricate choice of notes and incredible timing make Pete a rare find in the world of folk music. Pete's resume includes work with Cousin Dad, Redhouse Record's Farm Accident, and countless studio sessions. Pick up a bluegrass CD in this area and you'll probably find that Pete's the bass player.
Wayne Beezley
Wayne Beezley is regarded as one of the finest mandolin and mandola players in the country. He is at home playing jazz, bluegrass, folk, rock, and blues. Wayne is a prolific song writer and has several original CDs to his credit. He is a gifted at improvisations. Wayne's playing is always fresh and he rarely plays the same solo twice. He successfully weaves many music forms into vibrant statements that always seem to fit perfectly in the arrangement.
Lance Rhicard
Originally from Massachusetts, Lance Rhicard heard his first live bluegrass when his grandfather took him to the White Mountain Old Time/Bluegrass festival in New Hampshire. He became immediately obsessed with the music and several years later was lucky enough to fall under the teaching of former Ohio State Banjo Champion Mathew Inboden. Lance moved to Duluth, Minnesota, for college and spent his formative bluegrass years traveling to major festivals and playing in numerous bands, including Bluegrass Crossing and the notorious Elbow Grease. Lance took a break from bluegrass to pursue other musical genres and adventures (including several arctic expeditions, travels abroad, house building, and raising kids). In addition to his work with The Chris Silver Band and Stoney Lonesome, Lance performs with The Sara Softich Band and singer/songwriter Jerree Small. He has contributed to numerous recordings, including work by Sara Thompsen and the Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank. He loves "finding banjo lines" in unlikely genres and has performed with The Pines, The JJP!, and No Room to Pogo.