Cherie’s Blues Highway Presents West Coast Eclectic with The Highway Poets and Kivett Bednar: May 17th

Cherie’s Blues Highway’s monthly showcase at The Lehrer will once again take place on Sunday, May 17 with an eclectic grouping of two of the West Coast’s rising acts, the Bay Area band The Highway Poets and Portland’s own Kivett Bednar. Producer Cherie Robbins has combined two acts that have both taken on their own up-dated stylings of the blues as she continues to offer combinations of West Coast talent that likely would not come together outside of a festival setting.

Formed in the hills of small town Petaluma, the award-winning band The Highway Poets, began fusing their Rock/Funk//Blues-sound with Folk instruments and soul inspired song crafting. The sound that they created was a fresh, creative, eclectic sound that can only be narrowed down in the music industry to Rock Indie Americana. The band is made up of Sebastian Nau on guitar, Taylor James on bass, Shane Schlick on drums, mandolin and banjo, and Travis James on guitar, banjo and mandolin. All four contribute vocals.

“Banjo, fiddle, and mandolin blend with guitar, upright bass and the occasional ukelele for a fresh sound…….They might have to quit their day jobs.” – Press Democrat

In the past 5 years they have recorded and released 3 full length albums out of their own homes, including their latest from 2014 In With The Old, toured throughout the Midwest and west-coast extensively, and have shared the stage with many nationally acclaimed acts including Johnny Winter, Lucinda Williams, The California Honeydrops, Foghat, Jackie Greene, and many others. With a new Remix-Compilation album recently released and a full length album of fresh material currently being recorded, their music continues to grow through their hard work and travels, and they don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon

“What a fun and fresh sound. Easy on the ears, Engaging. If Johnny Cash, Mumford & Sons, and Joe Cocker got into a bus accident…The Highway Poets would be the product of that crash. They are humble and hungry for recognition. They’ll get ‘there’, no doubt.” – ~ Ryan Spain, The Bohemian

Also on the bill is Portland guitarist, songwriter and vocalist Kivett Bednar. Originally from Austin, and a graduate of Berklee College of Music, Bednar moved to Portland in 2012 and is the leader of the alternate blues band Land Of The Living. Bednar blends metal with the blues, with perhaps a little touch of gangsta rap thrown in for enhancement. From the opening chords of the distorted guitar and into the pounding heavy pace you know that this is not going to be your standard traditional blues music. But he is also adept at performing traditional sounds on acoustic guitar. Bednar’s music is unique and his songwriting outstanding. And when everything is said and done, it’s all based solidly in the blues.

The Lehrer is located at 8775 SW Canyon Drive. This is an all ages event, starting at 3:00 pm. Admission is $10.00. A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon by catching two blues-based acts that are on a fast pace to make their marks in today’s music world.