Jim+Jesse McReynolds, Bill Monroe,Flatt and Scruggs,Special Consensus,The Gibson Brothers,Neil Young,Doyle Lawson+Quicksilver,Billy Joe Shaver,Chet Atkins,The Johnson Mountain Boys,The Infamous Stringdusters,Chris Jones+The Night Drivers,James King,Danny Paisley+The Southern Grass...and on and on.
Chicago. A city known for its blues…and its bluegrass. In the bluegrass history books, a pivotal stop, among others, along the road to success for the Monroe Brothers and, in more current times, noteworthy as home base for the long popular Special Consensus. And now, the Windy City serves as a critical intersection in the lives of five musicians, two who hail from Illinois and the others from as far and near as North Carolina, upstate New York and Missouri.
With a PBS series soundtrack already to its credit and a sophomore recording in the works, The Henhouse Prowlers have been barnstorming on to the red hot bluegrass scene since 2004. A couple of personnel shifts later, in 2007 the roughly thirty-something quintet made the commitment to go the distance, to be a full-time touring bluegrass band. But not just another bluegrass band. The Henhouse Prowlers are adeptly positioning themselves for nothing less than success. Each member does double duty within the group, holding a business as well as musical post, making it a total collaborative effort.
Dedicated equally to tradition and innovation, The Henhouse Prowlers center their sound on that of the early, formative years of bluegrass, while they keep their pulse on today by covering contemporary topics in a largely original repertoire.
The Henhouse Prowlers wear the Bill Monroe mantle with spit and polish. They perform -- and conduct media interviews -- in suit-and-tie and work in a tightly choreographed, one-mic stage setting, which adds a dynamic dimension to their shows. Combining passion, confidence and flair with instrumental and vocal prowess, The Prowlers deliver bluegrass with an edge.
The group’s prolific songwriting provides entrée to twenty-first century topics not typically tackled by traditional bluegrass groups. Guitarist Ben Benedict describes what they are trying to achieve. “None of us in this band lives in a ‘Little Cabin Home on the Hill.’ Most of our audience doesn't either. But there is a broad spectrum of life that we can all relate to, so those are the themes we try to hit on and tell stories about in our original material.”
Along with Benedict, fiddler Ryan Hinshaw, dobro player James Weigel, five-string banjo picker Ben Wright, and upright bassist Jon Goldfine bring to the table diverse musical backgrounds, drawn from their respective families and homeplace communities. Each pursued music in a variety of settings, ensembles, and genres prior to jelling as The Henhouse Prowlers. (Interestingly, at varying times, each did a stint in Chicago’s Back Porch Bluegrass.)
Along the collective road they have traveled, The Henhouse Prowlers have absorbed such diverse influences as Broadway, blues and barbershop, church music and shape note singing, opera and oldtime, classical and country, folk and funk. James Weigel explains what drew him ultimately to focus on bluegrass. “Bluegrass seemed to be an amalgamation of all the things I’d ever listened to: blues, country, folk, harmony, great songwriting, and the energy and drive of rock and roll.”
Their eclectic musical backgrounds were the perfect fit when called upon by NBC Today Show features correspondent Mike Leonard to compose the soundtrack for his PBS documentary series. Based on the best-selling book, “The Ride Of Our Lives” follows Leonard’s family on a cross-country motor home trip with the backdrop of tradition-inspired music composed and performed (off-camera) by The Henhouse Prowlers.
Before the year is out, The Henhouse Prowlers will be introducing a new CD, which will be ninety percent original material. At the production helm are banjo great Greg Cahill of Special Consensus and mandolin legend Don Stiernberg.
Currently on the road at least two-thirds of the year, The Henhouse Prowlers like to stress that they make fun a top priority. As Ryan points out, “We have a great time, and we feel this directly translates into our audiences’ having a great time, too.”
Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw Foods, Organic, Healthy Lifestyle? Veggie Fest Chicagoland 2008 has it all Come to Veggie Fest-Chicagoland’s Most Popular Vegetarian Festival
FREE GIVEAWAYS
See cooking demonstrations featuring juicing, French and Indian cuisine, soul food and much more. Enjoy all types of vegetarian food from world class food vendors. Listen and dance to live music throughout the day . Featured guest, Richard Dworsky, world renowned keyboardist and musical director of A Prairie Home Companion will be performing. Kids will enjoy having their faced painted, playing in the moon jump, laughing with the clowns and participating in an interactive magic show with a world class magician. Hear the latest research about the vegetarian diet and heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and stress-related illnesses presented by physicians, nurses and other health care professionals and learn how changing your diet can change your life. Experience how being a vegetarian can have a profound impact on your meditation practices and your overall outlook on life.
New CD: RIPE - THE DIXIE BEE-LINERS' highly anticipated sophomore release, produced by Bil VornDick (Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss, Ralph Stanley) for Pinecastle Records, featuring the #1 single "Down on The Crooked Road."
So glad to have you as a friend! I pray my music blesses you. Please stop by my page and sign my guestbook. Feel free to visit often and keep in touch! In His praise, Yvonne "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to God while I have my being." Psalm 146: 1-2
thanks for the request...I'm always happy to find new bluegrass bands...especially from around here...I hope to catch you in peoria at the Hartford festival
check out my brothers band The Farewell Drifters if you get a chance they have a song you might like that he wrote in Chicago called Windy City Rails
Thank you for adding us to your friends list. We would love to have you play at Veggie Fest; the performances are booked all ready but we can use you next year if you are still interest. Thank you for letting us share with you and your network; and hopefully, to see you & any of your Chicago based friends at Veggie Fest Aug 2nd & 3rd...be well. http://www. veggiefestchicagoland. org/
Thanks so much for the fantastic show July 4th in Bellflower. Hope it wasn't culture shock for all ya'll! Hope to see you in Saybrook soon. Again - THANK YOU!!!
Hey ya'll! Thanks for adding us as a friend on myspace! Thanks also for joining us at Grasslife. com - It's such a pleasure to have you as part of the GrassLife family! Have a wonderful day!
Chicago. A city known for its blues…and its bluegrass. In the bluegrass history books, a pivotal stop, among others, along the road to success for the Monroe Brothers and, in more current times, noteworthy as home base for the long popular Special Consensus. And now, the Windy City serves as a critical intersection in the lives of five musicians, two who hail from Illinois and the others from as far and near as North Carolina, upstate New York and Missouri.
With a PBS series soundtrack already to its credit and a sophomore recording in the works, The Henhouse Prowlers have been barnstorming on to the red hot bluegrass scene since 2004. A couple of personnel shifts later, in 2007 the roughly thirty-something quintet made the commitment to go the distance, to be a full-time touring bluegrass band. But not just another bluegrass band. The Henhouse Prowlers are adeptly positioning themselves for nothing less than success. Each member does double duty within the group, holding a business as well as musical post, making it a total collaborative effort.
Dedicated equally to tradition and innovation, The Henhouse Prowlers center their sound on that of the early, formative years of bluegrass, while they keep their pulse on today by covering contemporary topics in a largely original repertoire.
The Henhouse Prowlers wear the Bill Monroe mantle with spit and polish. They perform -- and conduct media interviews -- in suit-and-tie and work in a tightly choreographed, one-mic stage setting, which adds a dynamic dimension to their shows. Combining passion, confidence and flair with instrumental and vocal prowess, The Prowlers deliver bluegrass with an edge.
The group’s prolific songwriting provides entrée to twenty-first century topics not typically tackled by traditional bluegrass groups. Guitarist Ben Benedict describes what they are trying to achieve. “None of us in this band lives in a ‘Little Cabin Home on the Hill.’ Most of our audience doesn't either. But there is a broad spectrum of life that we can all relate to, so those are the themes we try to hit on and tell stories about in our original material.”
Along with Benedict, fiddler Ryan Hinshaw, dobro player James Weigel, five-string banjo picker Ben Wright, and upright bassist Jon Goldfine bring to the table diverse musical backgrounds, drawn from their respective families and homeplace communities. Each pursued music in a variety of settings, ensembles, and genres prior to jelling as The Henhouse Prowlers. (Interestingly, at varying times, each did a stint in Chicago’s Back Porch Bluegrass.)
Along the collective road they have traveled, The Henhouse Prowlers have absorbed such diverse influences as Broadway, blues and barbershop, church music and shape note singing, opera and oldtime, classical and country, folk and funk. James Weigel explains what drew him ultimately to focus on bluegrass. “Bluegrass seemed to be an amalgamation of all the things I’d ever listened to: blues, country, folk, harmony, great songwriting, and the energy and drive of rock and roll.”
Their eclectic musical backgrounds were the perfect fit when called upon by NBC Today Show features correspondent Mike Leonard to compose the soundtrack for his PBS documentary series. Based on the best-selling book, “The Ride Of Our Lives” follows Leonard’s family on a cross-country motor home trip with the backdrop of tradition-inspired music composed and performed (off-camera) by The Henhouse Prowlers.
Before the year is out, The Henhouse Prowlers will be introducing a new CD, which will be ninety percent original material. At the production helm are banjo great Greg Cahill of Special Consensus and mandolin legend Don Stiernberg.
Currently on the road at least two-thirds of the year, The Henhouse Prowlers like to stress that they make fun a top priority. As Ryan points out, “We have a great time, and we feel this directly translates into our audiences’ having a great time, too.”
