News Release

Annapolis Maritime Museum / 723 Second St / Annapolis, MD 21403
Contact: Jeff Holland / 410-295-0104

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 11, 2011

Chester River Runoff to perform at Annapolis Maritime Museum

Many musical groups describe themselves as "a family." But in the case of Chester River Runoff, it's not a simple cliché. It's an accurate description. For nearly seven years they've been laughing, bickering, and making music together from their home on the Eastern Shore to the rest of the East Coast. And you can hear the results Sunday, May 1 at the Annapolis Maritime Museum in Eastport. 

The band is known for shows that combine three and four part harmonies and a mastery of the bluegrass idiom with the high energy of some of the more far-flung torch-bearers of modern acoustic music. Says banjo player Sam Guthridge “for the first few years we did our homework on traditional bluegrass until we got a handle on it, and then we moved on to doing our own thing. That time really trying to toe the line sets us apart from a lot of the bands we're compared to.” No strict traditionalists, the Runoff’s original songs draw inspiration from all over the map, and their sets are sprinkled with covers from artists as disparate as Pavement and Waylon Jennings, as well as songs the band has mined from old field recordings while riding in “Old Brown,” their battered tour van. 

Guthridge and guitarist Ben Armiger formed the band in the fall of 2004. After losing their original bassist and mandolin player, the pair did some searching and managed to convince bassist Marc Dykeman and ace fiddler Nate Grower to come along for the ride. Over the next 5 years, Dykeman and Grower became integral to the group, with Dykeman's rock and roll background livening up the mixture and Grower bringing the bluegrass chops that have enabled him to share the stage with some of the genre's legends.

Chester River Runoff now plays at numerous venues and festivals up and down the East Coast. With the release of their debut studio album “Blue Heron Farm,” and a consistent drive to write, learn, and expand their musical horizons, more growth is on the way for the band. Catch them on the way up on May Day at the Annapolis Maritime Museum.

For seat reservations and details go to amaritime.org or call 410-295-0104. The museum is located at 723 Second Street. For directions and parking, see the Museum website at www.amaritme.org. Beer and wine are available for a nominal donation.

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