The Boon Hiker Band is an eight-voice singing group (with instruments) based in the East Bay and West Sonoma County, formed in late 2017. Along with instruments, all eight of us sing so we are rich in harmonies! We perform mostly original material composed by two of our members. It is difficult to assign a genre to our material, but our work might well be characterized as "Contemporary Choral Folk Ballads," including alternative, non-cliché themes and interesting compositions that transcend typical folk music.
The Boon Hiker Band includes John Bidwell, Clare Broussard, J.T. Devine, Robin Eschner, Natasha Haugnes, Dennis Hysom, Chris Smith, and John Tuttle. The eight members of the group bring dynamic vocal harmonies to the heart of the original compositions and the arrangements of covers all supported by various combinations of guitar, bass, keyboard, banjo, accordion, dobro, lap steel, and percussion. The songs lean toward Americana/Folk/Indie traditions, with energetic and vibrant musicianship provided by the three East Bay members - Natasha Haugnes, John Tuttle, and John Bidwell (Quake City Jug Band, The Lonestar Retrobates, and Walavista Ave. neighborhood sidewalk jams). The five North Bay members enhance the vocal textures and harmonies with their choral backgrounds (Acorn MusEcology Project, Chimney Full of Birds, Cantiamo). Fans of the Boon Hiker Band recently arrived in fine feather to fill The Abbey at the HopMonk Tavern in Sebastopol for an evening of lively, beautifully performed, inspiring music that brought smiles to the crowd. Several fans even maneuvered to the front for some unanticipated dancing!
The bond these band members share began twenty years ago during time spent in outdoor settings such as the Strawberry Music Festival, occasions that involved singing and playing music in a circle beneath hot sun, the shade of tall trees, stars, clouds, rain, and (a little too often) snow! The person who was at the center of all was Bay Area composer, guitarist, singer and beloved, stellar person on the planet, Bill Horvitz. Bill always wanted to play one more song, steadily encouraging each person to join in, to try something new that was just outside their comfort zone. He loved hiking in the mountains almost as much as he loved sharing music. Bill died of pancreatic cancer in January of 2017. Later that year, when we next met up for a music festival, the Boon Hiker Band was formed. The name came from a dream in which Bill was introduced, as he hiked down a switchback trail in the mountains, as The Boon Hiker.
Location
Piedmont Center for the Arts (View)
801 Magnolia Ave
Piedmont, CA 94611
United States