The Black River Belles are a band of southern women studying music and life at Oberlin College and Conservatory. We are the first all-female bluegrass band in Oberlin! We've been playing together since January 2009, and play a variety of old time and folk songs.
Origins:
Winter in Ohio is a terrible thing. Imagine a LOT of snow that doesn't go away, with no footprints in it because it's too miserably cold to go outside. There is no sun, and everyone is bored. This, incidentally is the perfect condition in which to create a band with your girlfriends.
The Black River Belles started out as a series of really fun jam sessions in the living room of Keep cottage. Though it was cold outside, we kept our hearts warm singing about murder, whiskey, love, and other important things. After playing together almost every day we started to set down arrangements of our favorite songs, at which point it became apparent that jam-sessions had become band practice.
Black River is actually a creek. It thinks it's a river, so everyone humors it. Many things in Northeast Ohio are named after the Black River and several of them are awesome.
Awesome things named after the Black River:
-Black River Cafe
-Black River Antiques
-Black River Lanes (bowling)
-Black River Pirates (Sullivan, OH high school football team)
-Black River Belles.
We are: Helena Thompson on vocals, guitar
From: Dallas, Texas
Specialty: Tomato soup, eye-candy, and haircuts.
Sara Sasaki on fiddle, vocals.
From: Austin, Texas
Specialty: Red Velvet Cupcakes, wardrobe, and organization.
Erin Lobb on bass, vocals.
From: Louisville, KY
Specialty: Corn Puddin', poster makin', and bad jokes.
Special Thanks to Garrett Openshaw, for making these recordings possible.
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Hey there fellow obies! If you have a minute, check out Viral Culture's latest track, titled 'I'm not a Helicopter.' I wrote it over the course of the 2nd and 3rd, and premiered it on local radio on the 4th. It's catchy as hell, and really fun. I hope you enjoy it! --Kirk
Hi There, We started a Facebook site and wanted to let you know about it in you case you have one too and would like to join us there as well as at Myspace. For the link... Just Click here----->
FACEBOOK Urban Monroes Thanks a lot. Hope to see ya there!
Beautiful music, beautiful harmonies, beautiful everything! very Old Crow Medicine Show! i dig it. I am officially a fan of yours now! keep up the great tunes!
