Ira Gitlin
Schedule
If you’d like to receive notices about upcoming performances and events, please e-mail me.
Saturday, February 22
Karen Collins & the Backroads Band (Honky-Tonk Country)
El Golfo Restaurant
8739 Flower Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20901
(301) 608-2121
6:30-8:30 PM
Monday, February 24
Bluegrass Jam
Takoma SPARK
7112 Willow Ave.
Takoma Park, MD 20912
(240) 690-1910
7:00-9:00 PM
Come join me and my co-host Mary Naden for an evening of musical fun and fellowship!
Saturday, March 1
Big Howdy (Bluegrass)
Hank Dietle’s Tavern
11010 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
(240)512-3077
5:00-7:30 PM
Our monthly bluegrass showcase, with special guests Henry Koretsky, Kevin Neidig, and Aaron Blouin.
Sunday, March 2
Max Brown (Old Time, Bluegrass)
Arden Gild Hall
2126 The Hwy.
Arden, DE 19810
(302) 475-3126
2:30-5:30 PM
Max is an up-and-coming teenage fiddler, and I’ll be playing banjo with him for an afternoon of contradancing.
Friday, March 7
Karen Collins & the Backroads Band (Honky-Tonk Country)
VFW Post 350
6420 Orchard Ave.
Takoma Park, MD 20912
7:00 PM
Good to be back at this neighborhood joint!
Saturday, March 8
Big Howdy (Bluegrass)
49 West
49 West St.
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410)626-9796
8:00-10:00 PM
A listening room with tasty food and adult beverages.
Sundays, March 9, 16, 23, and 30
Wernick Method Bluegrass Jamming Class
College Park, MD
If you play one of the bluegrass instruments (guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dobro) and would like to play with others, but don’t know where to start, THIS CLASS IS FOR YOU! You’ll learn the “rules of the road” that will have you jamming in the very first session. You don’t need to read music or tablature. All you need is the ability to play G, C, D, and A chords (or, for fiddle and bass, notes that go with those chords) and change them smoothly, and we’ll show you the rest.
And if you’re already playing, but want to work on your higher-level jam skills, this class is for you, too!
Topics covered will include the following:
•Jamming ground rules and etiquette
•Learning new songs on the fly
•Leading songs
•Finding melodies
•Faking solos
•Harmony singing.
For more information, or to register, go here.
And if you know anyone who might be interested, please pass this info along!
Friday, March 14
Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer (Folk)
Cultural Arts Center
2880 Mountain Rd.
Glen Allen, VA 23060
(804)261-2787
7:00 PM
I’ll be playing bass alongside Cathy, Marcy, and multi-instrumentalist Bryan McDowell in this tribute to the great songwriter Tom Paxton.
Monday, March 24
Bluegrass Jam
Takoma SPARK
7112 Willow Ave.
Takoma Park, MD 20912
(240) 690-1910
7:00-9:00 PM
Come join me and my co-host Mary Naden for an evening of musical fun and fellowship!
Saturday, March 29
The Oklahoma Twisters (Western Swing)
Hank Dietle’s Tavern
11010 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
(240)512-3077
9:00 PM-12:00 midnight
Saturday, April 5
Big Howdy (Bluegrass)
Hank Dietle’s Tavern
11010 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
(240)512-3077
5:00-7:30 PM
Our monthly bluegrass showcase, with special guests the Cobras. This’ll be big fun! The Cobras are a band of kids who play bluegrass and old-time music. There might even be some clog dancing!
Monday, April 28
Bluegrass Jam
Takoma SPARK
7112 Willow Ave.
Takoma Park, MD 20912
(240) 690-1910
7:00-9:00 PM
Come join me and my co-host Mary Naden for an evening of musical fun and fellowship!
Saturday, May 3
Big Howdy (Bluegrass)
Hank Dietle’s Tavern
11010 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
(240)512-3077
5:00-7:30 PM
Our monthly bluegrass showcase, with special guest TBA.
Sunday, May 11
The Original Dixieland Rock and Roll Band
Hank Dietle’s Tavern
11010 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
(240)512-3077
6:00-9:00 PM
Tex won’t be able to make it there, but we’ll be carrying on his vision—a rock & roll band augmented by a dixieland horn section—with Willie Barry sharing the lead vocals!
Monday, May 12-Thursday, May 15
Wernick Method Bluegrass Jamming Camp
Granite Hill Camping Resort
3340 Fairfield Rd.
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717)642-8749
If you play one of the bluegrass instruments (guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dobro) and would like to play with others, but don’t know where to start, THIS CAMP IS FOR YOU! You’ll learn the “rules of the road” that will have you jamming in the very first session. You don’t need to read music or tablature. All you need is the ability to play G, C, D, and A chords (or, for fiddle and bass, notes that go with those chords) and change them smoothly, and we’ll show you the rest.
And if you’re already playing, but want to work on your higher-level jam skills, this camp is for you, too!
Topics covered will include the following:
•Jamming ground rules and etiquette
•Learning new songs on the fly
•Leading songs
•Finding melodies
•Faking solos
•Harmony singing.
For more information, or to register, go here.
And if you know anyone who might be interested, please pass this info along!
Thursday, May 15
Karen Collins (Honky-Tonk Country)
Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activity Center
7120 Contee Rd.
Laurel, MD 20707
(301) 206-3350
6:00-7:00 PM
This’ll be an acoustic duo with my favorite “honky tonk girl.” We’ll be playing on the outdoor patio. Come join us!
Friday, May 16-Sunday, May 18
The Hula Monsters (Hawaiian/Blues/Swing/???)
Spring Wine Festival
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy.
Mount Vernon, Virginia 22121
(703) 780-2000
Saturday, May 24
Solo banjo
Hollywood Farmers’ Market
Hollywood Shopping Center
9801 Rhode Island Ave.
College Park, MD 20740
10:00 AM-1:00 PM
Wednesday, May 28
Private event
Why not have bluegrass, country, or swing music at your next event? To contact me, go here.
Saturday, June 7
Big Howdy (Bluegrass)
Hank Dietle’s Tavern
11010 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
(240)512-3077
5:00-7:30 PM
Our monthly bluegrass showcase, with special guests Murphy and Casey Henry!
Saturday, June 21
Karen Collins & the Backroads Band (Honky-Tonk Country)
Church of the Covenant
2666 Military Rd.
Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 524-4115
5:00-6:00 PM
Saturday, July 5
Solo banjo
Hollywood Farmers’ Market
Hollywood Shopping Center
9801 Rhode Island Ave.
College Park, MD 20740
10:00 AM-1:00 PM
Saturday, July 5
Big Howdy (Bluegrass)
Hank Dietle’s Tavern
11010 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
(240)512-3077
5:00-7:30 PM
Our monthly bluegrass showcase, with special guest Bryan McDowell.
Sunday, July 13-Friday, July 18
Augusta Bluegrass Week
Augusta Heritage Center
Davis and Elkins College
100 Campus Drive, Elkins, WV 26241
(304)637-1209
An intensive and fun week of classes, jamming, concerts, square dancing, and more, in “the green rolling hills of West Virginia”! For more information, or to register, go here. (Scroll down about halfway.)
Thursday, July 24
Karen Collins & the Backroads Band (Honky-Tonk Country)
New Deal Café
113 Centerway
Roosevelt Center
Greenbelt, MD 20770
(301) 474-5642
7:00-9:00 PM
Friday, July 25
Karen Collins & the Backroads Band (Honky-Tonk Country)
VFW Post 350
6420 Orchard Ave.
Takoma Park, MD 20912
7:00 PM
Friday, August 1
Big Howdy (Bluegrass)
Lubber Run Community Center
300 N Park Dr.
Arlington, VA 22203
(703)228-4712
Saturday, August 2
Big Howdy (Bluegrass)
Hank Dietle’s Tavern
11010 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
(240)512-3077
5:00-7:30 PM
Our monthly bluegrass showcase, with special guest Hayden Shaw.
Thursday, August 14-Sunday, August 17
Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival Kids’ Academy
Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival
Granite Hill Camping Resort
3340 Fairfield Rd.
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717)642-8749
Know any young people who’ve begun playing any of the bluegrass instruments? Please make sure their families know about this fun and educational program at the Gettysburg festival! For more information, go here.
Saturday, August 23
Solo banjo
Hollywood Farmers’ Market
Hollywood Shopping Center
9801 Rhode Island Ave.
College Park, MD 20740
10:00 AM-1:00 PM
Monday, August 25-Friday, August 29
Pete Wernick’s Bluegrass Camp
Silver Bay YMCA
87 Silver Bay Rd.
Silver Bay, NY 12874
(518) 543-8833
Another intensive and fun week of classes, jamming, concerts, and more—in a spectacular setting on the shores of Lake George! For more information, or to register, go here.
Saturday, September 6
Big Howdy (Bluegrass)
Hank Dietle’s Tavern
11010 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
(240)512-3077
5:00-7:30 PM
Our monthly bluegrass showcase, with special guest TBA.
Saturday, October 18
Solo banjo
Hollywood Farmers’ Market
Hollywood Shopping Center
9801 Rhode Island Ave.
College Park, MD 20740
10:00 AM-1:00 PM
Saturday, October 25
Big Howdy (Bluegrass)
Backwater Books
8156 Main St.
Ellicott City, MD 21043
(410)696-2482
8:00-10:00 PM
Saturday, November 22
Solo banjo
Hollywood Farmers’ Market
Hollywood Shopping Center
9801 Rhode Island Ave.
College Park, MD 20740
10:00 AM-1:00 PM
