Band News Archive
Here's what's been happening to Loose Gravel!
7/25/10 - Dawn Miller Subs For Pat
Bass player extraordinaire Dawn Miller played her first gig with "The Boys" on July 25th at Humpback Rocks! Dawn is filling-in while regular bassist Pat Velanzon recovers from
knee-replacement surgery.
We were fortunate to find someone who could handle our repertoire on such short notice. We did give her a break on having to commit all those songs to memory, however -- she gets to use chord charts!
Dawn has an excellent voice and we're working on a few songs that will showcase her talents. Don't forget to say "hello" when you see her at our next performance!
6/28/10 - Happy Campers!
Our fiddle player Anthony Van Pelt hosts a highly-successful fiddle camp every year and
we're honored to be a part of it! Shady Grove Fiddle Camp was expanded to two sessions this year to accommodate 36 enrollees and we had a blast hanging out with the students and joining them for a performance in front of their wonderfully supportive families. What a solid group of fiddlers! Kudo's to the instructors, who
made all that work seem like fun -- Kari Carpenter (seated), Maria Lorcas (standing at left) and Jessie Trainum (right of Maria).
8/30/09 - Diggin' the Pig in Winchester
We really "got our pig on" when we entertained
at Dave Bob's BBQ and Such's "Blue Grass Sunday" in
Winchester! Those folks know how to "render the swine" and we were none too proud to scarf it up.
Anthony got additional support when a bunch of his relatives showed up for the vittles and a meet-and-greet with his "peeps" -- check the photograph at right for family resemblences!
A special "Loose Gravel Shoutout" goes to the staff and management of Dave Bob's - they were fantastic hosts!
1/31/09 - Oh, Danny Boy...and Friends!
When "Super-Sub" Danny Dolinger of Harrisonburg, Va stepped-in for regular Loose
Gravel guitarist Rick Hensley at Franklin, WV's 2nd Annual "Whistle Pig Jamboree", he brought his own cheering
section! Onstage at the Pendleton County High School auditorium after the show are (left to right) Danny, pal Jerry
Pixley, Christina Wulf (Danny's fiancee) and her gal-pal Emily Mitchell.
Jerry drove up from Spotsylvania, Virginia (3 hours) and Emily from Morgantown, WV (3 hours) to support their "buds" and do some "catching up".
(Note Danny's official Loose Gravel baseball cap -- fines are severe for taking the stage without an authorized chapeau!)
12/15/08 - Loose Gravel Host Fan Celebration
Loose Gravel hosted a pre-Christmas "Fan Appreciation Night" on
December 15, 2008 at Shady Grove Community Center near Cross Keys, VA. The "Boys In The Band" flexed their
"culinary chops" with turkey, pork loin and barbecue while the Fans supplied the "covered dishes" for a
memorable feast.
TV-appearance clips and a slide show of early band photos provided some history while everyone visited the buffet. Loose Gravel provided some live music to close the celebration, including the (in)famous "Christmas In Dixie" number that features Anthony sneaking as many Christmas melodies as he can manage into a familiar bluegrass instrumental.
(There are more pictures of FanFest08 at the Pix page. Select "FanFest08 - Cross Keys - 12.15.08" from the drop-down menu)
11/13/08 - Virginia Governor Tim Kaine "Sits In" With Loose Gravel
Attendees at the November 13, 2008 "Governor's Cabinet Community Day" reception
at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel & Conference Center
in Staunton, VA got a special treat when long-time bluegrass fan Virginia Governor Tim Kaine
joined Loose Gravel on harmonica for a little improvised "bluegrass boogie"!
Gov. Kaine has plenty of "cred" when it comes to making music -- he's shared the stage with the Seldom Scene, Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby, to name a few.
To mark his induction into the "Loose Gravel Hall of Fame", his bandmates presented him with an "official" Loose Gravel baseball cap. "Now we can say that one of our former bandmates used to play with the Seldom Scene!" joked banjo player Dale Wenger.
(See more pictures of Gov. Kaine onstage with a visit to the Pix page. Select "With Gov. Kaine - Staunton - 11.13.08" from the drop-down menu)
8/16/08 - Faces Made For Radio!
Jan Hill, host of "Jan's Jamboree" on WEMC 91.7 FM in Harrisonburg, VA
lived up to her show's motto - "Bluegrass Music With A Local Touch" - by sharing the mic with Loose Gravel
on Saturday, August 16, 2008.
Loose Gravel played several of their original songs and instrumentals during the broadcast and shared some of the moments that inspired the tunes they've written, including their now-legendary trip on the excursion train near Romney, WV that resulted in "Blue Potomac Eagle".
Fans of bluegrass music and local bands in particular can find "Jan's Jamboree" on the air every Saturday afternoon, 12:00 pm-3:00 pm, at 91.7 FM. Look for Jan in person at bluegrass festivals, shows and jam sessions throughout the Valley -- you never know where she'll turn up!
(See more pictures of our visit to WEMC with a trip to the Pix page. Select "On The Radio - WEMC - 8.16.08" from the drop-down menu)
6/28/08 - Celebrating the Wedding Singer
The historic Wayside
Inn in Middletown, VA was the setting for a "rockin' reception" on Saturday, June 28, 2008 for newlyweds
Sarah and Steve Singer of Front Royal. Loose Gravel provided a bluegrass sound track for the occasion and
presented the smiling couple with autographed Loose Gravel logo baseball caps. (lookin' good there, Steve!)
"You guys didn't just play wedding music," said the elegantly-attired groom. "You played a whole concert!"
Kudo's to the those in attendance for making this one of the most enjoyable experiences we've ever had and a big "Shenandoah Valley Shout-Out" to the folks from New York and Staten Island -- "You Rock, Dudes!"
This was our first trip to the Wayside Inn and it certainly lived up to its reputation as one of Virginia's finest destinations.
6/4/08 - Loose Gravel Guest of Virginia Farming TV Show
Loose Gravel was excited to "return to the airwaves" as musical guest on
Virginia Farming with
host Jeff Ishee on Wednesday, June 4 at the studios of WVPT-TV in Harrisonburg, VA.
Jeff very generously featured six Loose Gravel songs, five of which were original band compositions.
The program is scheduled to air on WVPT-TV on Friday, July 4th at 7:30 pm and will be repeated
at noon on the following Saturday and Sunday.
"Virginia Farming" is re-broadcast over many
other stations throughout the Commonwealth and nationally on RFD-TV.
Check your local listings!
"It's amazing how quickly the 22 minutes went by," said mandolinist Jim Gallaher. "It's very unlike a public appearance, where we all have a much greater sense of time. Even more amazing was [banjo player] Dale's ability to change his capo so quickly! I told him just before the taping that he would have to change keys for every song -- all of the instrumentals were in one key and the songs other keys -- but he managed to stay ahead of me throughout."
5/16/08 - Gravel Guys Entertain Antique Car Enthusiasts
Loose Gravel was proud to provide the musical entertainment for the May 18 Friday Night Social of the Antique Automobile Club of America's 2008 Eastern Division National Spring Meet near Cumberland, MD at the beautiful McCagh Farm.
The event was hosted by the Queen City Region of AACA with meet headquarters at Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort in nearby Flintstone, MD. Shuttle buses and trolleys were provided for 600 club members and their guests.
The AACA is an international organization with members in all 50 states and in more than 50 countries of the world. Loose Gravel extends its warmest thanks to AACA Spring Meet Director Don Reid for his gracious hospitality and congratulates the Queen City chapter on a successful event.
4/16/08 - Brain Freeze Tour 2008 Gets Cranked!
Loose Gravel has completed the schedule for the 2008 version of the Brain Freeze Tour! Stops this year include What's The Scoop in Grottoes, Sarah's Ice Cream and Coffee Shoppe in Penn Laird and all three Klines Dairy Bar locations in Harrisonburg and Staunton. Each 6:30 pm stop features a 2-hour concert with the lactose-tolerant bluegrassers and assorted cone-heads.
"Last year's Tour was a blast!" said mandolin picker Jim Gallaher. "I've been waiting all Winter to shake off the cold and do some more taste-testing. The search for the ultimate Chocolate Chip continues!"
Check the Schedule page for dates and details.
2/12/08 - Loose Gravel Fiddler Featured in Magazine
Loose Gravel fiddler Anthony VanPelt graces the cover of the Spring 2008 issue of Shenandoah Living, a quarterly magazine available at many Valley locations from Winchester to Lexington. The article "Classically Bluegrass" focuses on Anthony's considerable success at mixing classical and bluegrass music. The feature was written by Kathryn Parker and includes photographs by Holly Marcus.
(See a closeup of the tattoo mentioned in the article by visiting our Pix page and selecting "Photo Shoot - Humpback Rocks - 4.1.07" from the drop-down menu!)
2/2/08 - Loose Gravel On the Road in Franklin, WV
Loose Gravel was the guest of the Pendleton County Chamber of Commerce (www.visitpendleton.com) for their First Annual Whistle Pig Jamboree at the Pendleton County High School auditorium in Franklin on February 2. We were honored to share the stage with the Rough But Natural Old Tyme String Band, the Moats Town Choir and The Country Store Opry. Thanks to all the folks who made the evening such a rousing success!
12/10/07 - Loose Gravel Bassist Recovering From Recent Surgery
Loose Gravel bass player Pat Velanzon is recovering at home from his recent hip replacement surgery and thanks everyone for their kind wishes. The operation went well and Pat expects a complete recovery. He's already been relieved of the pain symptoms that had persisted for many months.
11/29/07 - Loose Gravel Bassist Under the Knife December 7th
Loose Gravel bass player Pat Velanzon and reigning IBMA Bass Player of the Year Missy Raines have something else in common -- a hip replacement! Missy had hers done in early 2005 and Pat will undergo a right hip replacement on Dec. 7, 2007 courtesy of Dr. Thomas E. Brown at the University of Virginia Health System. Pat is still ahead of Missy, though -- he had his other hip replaced 18 years ago! If you'd like to send Pat a card, use the mailing address on our Contact page.
10/11/07 - Loose Gravel Opens for Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain
Loose Gravel took the stage at Harrisonburg's Court Square Theater on Thursday, October 11 as the opening act for Rural Rhythm recording artist Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain, whose self-titled CD has been climbing the Bluegrass charts since its 2006 release.
Okay, most of our band members have t-shirts older than these guys, but it's worth noting that Carrie, her band and her family are genuinely warm and friendly people -- in addition to being flat-out hard-drivin' bluegrassers! They rocked the house! Be sure to catch them if you have the chance.
We'd like to publicly thank sound man Jason Misterka for his efforts at making us sound as good as possible and making the evening low-stress and smooth-running. Anyone who's ever attended a show at Court Square knows that the sound is always top-notch!
10/7/07 - Loose Gravel Subs For Rough & Natural
Loose Gravel was pleased to be able to help out on Sunday, October 7 at Humpback Rocks when the Rough and Natural
String Band was forced to cancel their appearance due to the passing of a family member.
We feel a strong bond with the other members of the musical family who
perform "under the walnut tree" at Humpback and express our thanks to volunteer Ted Hughes, Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the representatives
of the National Park Service for their continued hospitality and support.
9/26/07 - Loose Gravel On Television!
Loose Gravel was excited to be the guest of "Virginia Farming" host Jeff Ishee on Wednesday,
September 26 at the studios of WVPT-TV in Harrisonburg, VA. Jeff did us the great honor of featuring Loose Gravel for
the entire show!
Additional thanks are due the very gracious and professional staff at WVPT, who made the
event a memorable experience for all of us. The show will air locally on WVPT-TV on Friday, September 28 at 7:30 pm,
and will be repeated at noon on the following Saturday and Sunday.
"Virginia Farming" is re-broadcast over many
other stations throughout the Commonwealth and nationally on RFD-TV. Check your local listings!
9/13/07 - Brain Freeze Tour 2007 Concludes
Loose Gravel concluded its successful "Brain Freeze Tour 2007" on Sunday afternoon,
September 23 at the Kline's Dairy Bar Wolfe Street location in downtown Harrisonburg, VA with a 2-hour concert
that featured spirited versions of traditional and contemporary bluegrass covers, original tunes and waffle cones
featuring the flavor of the week -- "Cherry and Chocolate Chip".
"Man, that's tasty!" remarked mandolin player Jim Gallaher after consuming mass quantities of the local favorite. "I think this flavor compares to the best that Kline's has to offer, and that's saying a lot!"
The Tour featured a series of concerts at the Kline's locations in Staunton and Harrisonburg during the month of September.