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Welcome to
Mike Garris & Area 51
The official home of the
Baltimore-Washington
area's most progressive
Bluegrass Jamband! |
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According to the fans, two things are evident about Mike Garris & Area 51. You never know what you will hear and it's always a great show. As a master of his craft, Mike has the ability to pick and choose what kind of music he wants to play while incorporating mostly bluegrass instruments. The fact that he plays with some of the most sought after musicians only enhances his performances. His band members include Mike Munford on banjo, Tom Lyons on fiddle, Dave Miner on dobro, Billy Beeler on mandolin, Akira Otsuka on bass, and Demetrius Kakavas on drums.
This Baltimore native has an ability that sets him apart from a lot of musicians. During a show, Mike can go from sounding like he is in the hills of Kentucky to a blues singer at 3:00 a.m. on a corner in New Orleans, or a jazz artist, and end up in a psychedelic bluegrass jam. His influences are as follows: Bill Monroe, The Osborne Bothers, The Eagles, Elvis, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, Delbert McClinton, The Stones, Smokey Robinson, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, and many more. As major influences, he covers their songs in own style. He also plays his original songs, some of which have been covered by the likes of Del McCoury and other bands.
Throughout his lengthy music career he has played and recorded with people such as The Del McCoury Band, The David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, Dave Evans, and Bobby Hicks as well as many other great talents.
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