Door County Bluegrass Camp Kick Off Concert at TAP

Fueled with the success of the first Door County Bluegrass Camp (DCBC) in Summer 2008, camp instructors Tommy Burroughs, Eric Lewis, Chris Cairns, Karen Mal, and Paul Sowinski will launch the camp’s second season with a kick-off concert at the Third Avenue Playhouse in Sturgeon Bay. This evening of expert picking, fantastic singing and outrageous harmonies is planned for Saturday, August 1 at 7:30 pm.

DCBC’s camp instructors are comprised of some of the best bluegrass musicians in the nation. Now a familiar face in Door County, Tommy Burroughs has wowed audiences with his amazing fiddle, mandolin and guitar playing. He has won the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) Premier String Player award in Memphis a record seven times.

Returning for the second year, Chris Cairns earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University. After graduation he moved to California and started the bluegrass band Wild Sage.

Known and loved throughout the county, Eric Lewis is a multi-talented instrumentalist who performs and records with some of the top Memphis artists. In 2003 Eric received the Premier Player Award for Strings by the Memphis Chapter of the NARAS.

American Folklore Theatre and Door Shakespeare alum Karen Mal is a full-time musician based in Austin, Texas. Best known for her effortless and expressive singing, she is also an accomplished instrumentalist on mandolin, guitar and upright bass. She has won awards for her songwriting from the Kerrville Folk Festival, the Tucson Folk and Arts Festival and the Portland Songwriters Association.

New to the Door County Bluegrass Camp team, Paul Sowinski recorded and performed with talents like Fred Alley, Eric Lewis, Andy Ratliff, Tommy Burroughs, Big Mouth, and the River City Six Dixieland Band.

Tickets for the concert are $15/adults, 12 for seniors and students, and $8 for children under 12. Tickets are on sale at the theatre box office at 239 N. Third Avenue or at Dancing Bear on 13 N. Third Avenue. Tickets also available one hour prior to performances.

For more information on the Door County Bluegrass Camp, visit http://www.violynn.com. For more information about the Bluegrass Camp kick-off concert, call 920.743.1760.