ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE

Will, Mat and Dan (sometimes known as WMD) has its roots in classic Americana and bluegrass, but that doesn’t limit us.  We sing and play our instruments – guitar, dobro, slide guitar, banjo, mandolin, even suitcase percussion! – with high-energy and we’re happiest when the audience has as much fun as the band.

We first got together at open mics and debuted at Bethel’s Earth Day celebration in 2017.

Will Demers, vocals, guitar & mandolin

Mat Kastner, vocals, guitar, slide guitar, mandolin

Dan Bonis, vocals, banjo, mandolin, guitar, dobro and suitcase percussion

Dave Anastasia, bass

Glenn Roth is not your typical commuter from Connecticut. Instead of a briefcase, he carries a gig bag. His workspace is the vaulted splendor of Grand Central Terminal or the tunnels and platforms of the New York City subway system. A literal “underground” sensation, Glenn is a licensed performer in the MTA’s “Music under New York” program, playing for the most distracted and demanding audience in the world: legions of workers rushing to jobs throughout the Big Apple. And his fingers work magic, creating a soundscape of compelling melodies that invite them to leave the cityrush behind on an aural escape.

Glenn is a fingerstyle guitarist, his thumb riding the bassline and the melody driving all. His compositions suggest multiple guitars, but it’s really just one guy, ten flying fingers, one instrument. All instrumental, Glenn’s songs suggest moods and narratives that compel the listener to fill in the details.

British bassist, Charles Berthoud (pronounced BEAR-too), is changing the way we think about the bass guitar. As one of the most exciting and versatile new bass players on the world stage, his compositions are both moving and beautiful, showing off a technique that he is helping to bring to the mainstream. Already being recognized as one of the masters of the two-handed tapping technique, he plays the bass like a piano, accompanying himself with multiple parts. A classically trained pianist and muiti-instrumentalist, Charles uses contemporary guitar techniques to play astonishingly fast, almost flamenco-like passages. Mastering his instrument through years and countless hours of practicing, Charles’ compositions range from the drama of a film score to the peaceful tranquility of a piano sonata.

In 2011, Charles was stuck. Working as a baggage handler at an airport near his suburban London home, he was attending university as a physics major by day and dreaming of coming to America to make music by night. Since he was a young boy, he had idolized the great American bassists, especially Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Victor Wooten, Jaco Pastorius, and, of course, James Jamerson. He knew that if he wanted to realize his dream, it was now or never. Soon thereafter, Charles was accepted into the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, and off he went to study with the best class of musicians in the world. There, mentored by New England bass impresario, Jim Stinnett, Charles was introduced to the two-handed tapping technique that would come to define much of his own music. Before graduating Berklee with highest honors, Charles co-authored an instructional book, Two-Handed Tapping, with Stinnett. Now, his talents are in high demand as a touring and studio musician.

Half British, half Finnish, and living in the United States, Charles Berthoud is an international artist in the truest form. Artists from all over the world, including the USA, India and Brazil, have been eager to collaborate with him. It doesn’t seem to matter the style. Whether it’s pop/rock/country, celtic/bluegrass/funk, or progressive folk, Charles’ playing transcends genre. That may explain why, at such a young age, he has conducted workshops and clinics across the northeast, including at Berklee and the New Hampshire Bass Fest.

Charles has performed at prestigious venues in all four corners of the United States, including The Capitol Center for the Arts, The Palace Theater, and the Agganis Arena in Boston, MA. Whether on bass guitar, piccolo bass or piano, audiences are captivated by his music, and amazed by his world-class virtuosity. After touring and recording as a sideman on a dozen records and tours, Charles now has two solo albums under his belt. While New Age of Solo Bass introduced his technical skills to the world, his follow up, Don’t Look Back, is a compositional tour de force. The songs are beautiful and moving, reminding the listener that there are still new frontiers to be explored in popular music. If Charles Berthoud is the one to chart this new territory, then music lovers are in good hands.

Jake Kulak picked up a guitar at age 11 and instinctively knew what to do with it.  Within a couple of months he was playing at open jams in the CT blues and jazz scene.  At age 13 he made the first of many trips to Memphis where he played in clubs on Beale Street as part of the International Blue Challenge Youth Showcase, and to Clarksdale, MS where he attended the Pinetop Perkins Masterclass in Guitar, learning from living blues legends like Bob Margolin.  At age 13 he was also recognized with a merit scholarship by the Honeyboy Edwards Fund for the Blues at the National Blues Museum.  Several years later Jake is playing 60+ professional gigs a year, all while still attending High School.  He can play solo acoustic, solo electric or rock out with his full band, Jake Kulak and the LowDown.

Jake Kulak and the LowDown bring their blend of modern and traditional guitar-driven blues and blues-rock to music lovers everywhere.  Formed in 2013, these talented young artists have represented CT for the past 4 years at the International Blues Challenge Youth Showcase in Memphis, TN.  They have also been nominated for a New England Music Award in the “Best New Act of the Year” category and were one of 6 Boston-area bands to win the the House of Blues emerging artist competition. Bassist Anthony Dailey, from Longmeadow, MA is a crowd favorite with his quiet swagger and tasteful grooves. Drummer, Jeremy Peck, from Manchester, Connecticut is a formally trained, multi-instrumentalist whose killer, high-energy beats anchor the band.

Born and raised in the PG County suburbs of Washington DC, L.T. Maroon began her career by quietly writing hundreds of beautiful and emotional songs while secretly wishing to front a hardcore metal band.

A strange way to begin a biography for a classically trained guitarist who became a singer/songwriter; but life is strange.

After a two-year stint playing bass with the hair metal band Evil Otto, Lisa did a 180 and picked up the 12 string acoustic guitar and began touring the local club circuit with the acoustic duo Only Two. It was in this setting her original songs were first brought to light. ‘Touch of Stone’ became a crowd favorite, and Lisa became a fixture in the Baltimore music scene.

With positive feedback on her original music, Lisa was itching to get back to playing with a full band. This band would be Heyday Maroon – an original rock band whose songs blend a variety of classic and contemporary styles into a unique and upbeat modern sound. ‘All I’ve Ever Wanted’ was one of their many songs recognized by the Songwriter’s Association of Washington DC. Heyday Maroon continues to write songs and play clubs in Baltimore MD.

At about the same time Heyday Maroon was formed, Lisa was hijacked by the classic country band Neon Tan. In a trial by fire playing honky-tonk venues throughout Maryland and Virginia, L.T. Maroon was schooled in the ways of Patsy, Merle, Buck, and Cash.

In 2006, the Mid-Atlantic native relocated to New England and quickly built a following in the Western Connecticut/New York area. Within a year Lisa was featured in a songwriter’s showcase at the famous Towne Crier in NY, and opened for national touring artists.

L.T. Maroon’s songwriting metamorphosed as she began incorporating country, bluegrass, and blues styles to her trademark use of double entendre, internal rhymes, and observation as biography. Her new band Charm City Exiles showcases these new ‘straight up rock with a twist of Americana’ style songs.

In 2018, to honor her Neon Tan honky-tonk alter ego Lisa released the album Ode To Betty-Jo: a collection of ‘old school meets today’ rock-tinged country. The album includes performances from her Heyday Maroon, Neon Tan, and Charm City Exiles bandmates.

L.T. Maroon lives in Connecticut with her partner Dennis and their dog Macallan.

With thumping thumb, dancing fingers, wailing harmonica and gritty, soul stirring vocals, Taylor’s songs ooze American roots; wandering roots. He’s drawn many comparisons, including Tom Waits, Stephen Stills, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder and Tom Rush, but his unique lyrics are colored by his own working class, wandering roots. He’s been an oysterman, cabinetmaker, father, Appalachian Trail ‘thru-hiker’ and full-time troubadour from New England to Nashville, for ten years. He’s shared the stage with legends such as Maria Muldaur, Vance Gilbert and Peter Mulvey, and released his 4th CD, “Balance,” in April 2017.

We are Auguste and Alden, a sibling band from Northwest Connecticut. We consist of two siblings who play bass and guitar complimented by melodic blood harmonies in addition to the third part harmonies contributed by our drummer. We recently released our new album called Road Warrior, which has been producing a lot of positive momentum among fans and the music industry. We are a brother and sister who passionately write and perform our own original music and are also able to perform popular cover songs dependent on the specific needs of the venue. Due to playing music together our entire lives, we have created extremely unique and creative musical arrangements. As a band we have toured nationally performing on main stages and venues such as the NAMM show, providing us the opportunity to play alongside many major artists. Our passion to make music is evident by our catalog of over 70 original songs we have written, produced, and recorded.

Listen to and buy our album Heartwood:

Spotify https://goo.gl/r7tBYS YouTube https://goo.gl/3bX8xe CD Baby https://goo.gl/E4Nf1T iTunes https://goo.gl/47Cp1V Amazon https://goo.gl/7VTer4

Orb Mellon is the blues moniker of Mike Malone, founder and guitarist of the seminal 1990s indie rock band and Sony/Epic recording artists Dirt Merchants.

Orb Mellon mines the raw energy of 20th Century American roots music, particularly whiskey fueled house party delta blues. Influenced by the likes of Bukka White, Junior Kimbrough, and John Fahey, Orb Mellon  performs pure, sonically aggressive, and ever transforming original folk blues, free from any quaintness or historicism, prompting one early reviewer to identify Orb Mellon’s work simply as “blues in all its primeval glory.”  He has performed extensively around the eastern United States and Canada sharing the stage with such diverse acts as David Johansen (NY Dolls), Daddy Long Legs, Charlie Parr, R.L.Boyce and Brownbird Rudy Relic.  In 2018, Orb Mellon was a feature performer at the Montreal International Jazz Festival.

The Killian Troupe hails from Fairfield County, Connecticut and plays classic rock and country stringband music with Richard King on guitar, and Ward Whipple on bass. 

The Killian Troupe performs mainly as the duo of Richard King and Ward Whipple, with spot appearances by other musicians.  Our repertoire includes music from such diverse artists as Bob Dylan, Warren Zevon,  Shel Silverstein  and Kinky Friedman as well as occasional original material.  The wide variety of their music as well as their easy rapport with audiences of all ages makes them uniquely entertaining.

Richard King, lead singer and guitarist is a singer/songwriter and coffee-house musician with over 50 years of experience playing in bars, restaurants, clubs, and coffee-houses from California to Connecticut and many places in between.

Ward Whipple, bass player and vocalist has played in numerous bands over the years as well as performing solo in venues around Connecticut.  He has been with the Killian Troupe since March of 2015.

Jake Kulak picked up a guitar at age 11 and instinctively knew what to do with it.  Within a couple of months he was playing at open jams in the CT blues and jazz scene.  At age 13 he made the first of many trips to Memphis where he played in clubs on Beale Street as part of the International Blue Challenge Youth Showcase, and to Clarksdale, MS where he attended the Pinetop Perkins Masterclass in Guitar, learning from living blues legends like Bob Margolin.  At age 13 he was also recognized with a merit scholarship by the Honeyboy Edwards Fund for the Blues at the National Blues Museum.  Several years later Jake is playing 60+ professional gigs a year, all while still attending High School.  He can play solo acoustic, solo electric or rock out with his full band, Jake Kulak and the LowDown.

Jake Kulak and the LowDown bring their blend of modern and traditional guitar-driven blues and blues-rock to music lovers everywhere.  Formed in 2013, these talented young artists have represented CT for the past 4 years at the International Blues Challenge Youth Showcase in Memphis, TN.  They have also been nominated for a New England Music Award in the “Best New Act of the Year” category and were one of 6 Boston-area bands to win the the House of Blues emerging artist competition. Bassist Anthony Dailey, from Longmeadow, MA is a crowd favorite with his quiet swagger and tasteful grooves. Drummer, Jeremy Peck, from Manchester, Connecticut is a formally trained, multi-instrumentalist whose killer, high-energy beats anchor the band.

We are Auguste and Alden, a sibling band from Northwest Connecticut. We consist of two siblings who play bass and guitar complimented by melodic blood harmonies in addition to the third part harmonies contributed by our drummer. We recently released our new album called Road Warrior, which has been producing a lot of positive momentum among fans and the music industry. We are a brother and sister who passionately write and perform our own original music and are also able to perform popular cover songs dependent on the specific needs of the venue. Due to playing music together our entire lives, we have created extremely unique and creative musical arrangements. As a band we have toured nationally performing on main stages and venues such as the NAMM show, providing us the opportunity to play alongside many major artists. Our passion to make music is evident by our catalog of over 70 original songs we have written, produced, and recorded.

Born and raised in the PG County suburbs of Washington DC, L.T. Maroon began her career by quietly writing hundreds of beautiful and emotional songs while secretly wishing to front a hardcore metal band.

A strange way to begin a biography for a classically trained guitarist who became a singer/songwriter; but life is strange.

After a two-year stint playing bass with the hair metal band Evil Otto, Lisa did a 180 and picked up the 12 string acoustic guitar and began touring the local club circuit with the acoustic duo Only Two. It was in this setting her original songs were first brought to light. ‘Touch of Stone’ became a crowd favorite, and Lisa became a fixture in the Baltimore music scene.

With positive feedback on her original music, Lisa was itching to get back to playing with a full band. This band would be Heyday Maroon – an original rock band whose songs blend a variety of classic and contemporary styles into a unique and upbeat modern sound. ‘All I’ve Ever Wanted’ was one of their many songs recognized by the Songwriter’s Association of Washington DC. Heyday Maroon continues to write songs and play clubs in Baltimore MD.

At about the same time Heyday Maroon was formed, Lisa was hijacked by the classic country band Neon Tan. In a trial by fire playing honky-tonk venues throughout Maryland and Virginia, L.T. Maroon was schooled in the ways of Patsy, Merle, Buck, and Cash.

In 2006, the Mid-Atlantic native relocated to New England and quickly built a following in the Western Connecticut/New York area. Within a year Lisa was featured in a songwriter’s showcase at the famous Towne Crier in NY, and opened for national touring artists.

L.T. Maroon’s songwriting metamorphosed as she began incorporating country, bluegrass, and blues styles to her trademark use of double entendre, internal rhymes, and observation as biography. Her new band Charm City Exiles showcases these new ‘straight up rock with a twist of Americana’ style songs.

In 2018, to honor her Neon Tan honky-tonk alter ego Lisa released the album Ode To Betty-Jo: a collection of ‘old school meets today’ rock-tinged country. The album includes performances from her Heyday Maroon, Neon Tan, and Charm City Exiles bandmates.

L.T. Maroon lives in Connecticut with her partner Dennis and their dog Macallan.

Jake Kulak picked up a guitar at age 11 and instinctively knew what to do with it.  Within a couple of months he was playing at open jams in the CT blues and jazz scene.  At age 13 he made the first of many trips to Memphis where he played in clubs on Beale Street as part of the International Blue Challenge Youth Showcase, and to Clarksdale, MS where he attended the Pinetop Perkins Masterclass in Guitar, learning from living blues legends like Bob Margolin.  At age 13 he was also recognized with a merit scholarship by the Honeyboy Edwards Fund for the Blues at the National Blues Museum.  Several years later Jake is playing 60+ professional gigs a year, all while still attending High School.  He can play solo acoustic, solo electric or rock out with his full band, Jake Kulak and the LowDown.

Jake Kulak and the LowDown bring their blend of modern and traditional guitar-driven blues and blues-rock to music lovers everywhere.  Formed in 2013, these talented young artists have represented CT for the past 4 years at the International Blues Challenge Youth Showcase in Memphis, TN.  They have also been nominated for a New England Music Award in the “Best New Act of the Year” category and were one of 6 Boston-area bands to win the the House of Blues emerging artist competition. Bassist Anthony Dailey, from Longmeadow, MA is a crowd favorite with his quiet swagger and tasteful grooves. Drummer, Jeremy Peck, from Manchester, Connecticut is a formally trained, multi-instrumentalist whose killer, high-energy beats anchor the band.