Dave Brown & The Dishonest Fiddlers

The Whistle Missed the Train
by Cathleen Lathrop | Music, Spotlight

The Whistle Missed the Train
Local acoustic folk band The Dishonest Fiddlers recently completed the album The Whistle Missed the Train. The band will promote the CD with a show Friday night at The Keys Beer and Spirits in downtown Scranton.
The Dishonest Fiddlers Release Debut CD
The Dishonest Fiddlers are going on a Northeastern Pennsylvania tour to promote the release of their debut album, The Whistle Missed the Train. The acoustic folk band begins their tour on Friday, March 11, at The Keys, 244 Penn Ave, Scranton, at 9:30 p.m. and continues to Arlos Tavern, 10340 Route 171, Union Dale, on Sunday, March 13, finishing at The Cooperage Project, 1030 Main St., Honesdale, on Friday, March 18.
The four-piece band includes Dave Brown, Patrick Casper, Josh Kulick and Ron Penska. The members met at various jams and open mics in the area and have been playing together for two years as The Dishonest Fiddlers.
Brown didn’t want to exclude any audience members from attending the tour, so the three stops include both family-friendly and adult venues. The tour starts at The Keys, which was where Brown played his first show in Scranton when he moved to the area.
“They’re also good about original music, and the owners are great,” Brown said.
The Whistle Missed the Train was recorded live at Flux Studios in New York City in November last year. The band took a train into the city and recorded all day before they took the last train of the day home. Despite the fact that the recording session went smoothly, the trip back to Pennsylvania for one of the members was not on the right track.
“Ron missed the train on the way home,” Brown said. “Halfway back we had to switch trains. Our whole itinerary was different on the way into the city compared to coming back. We had to wait for the gate to open, and once it did we had to carry all of our crap and run half a mile in five minutes to go through a turnstyle, find the train and jump on it. We did it, but then the doors closed and Ron was on the other side of the doors and we couldn’t open it up.”
The story gave Brown the inspiration for the title of the debut album. While the train whistle sound is not included on the album, Penska plays it during a few songs. Originally thinking that it could be the title of a new song, Brown decided it would be an appropriate name — and story — about the experience of their first record.
The folk band performs songs that bring awareness to current social issues — like “100 Proof Water” about natural gas drilling, but the majority of their original songs share everyday relatable tales.
“Somebody told me a long time ago that I should try ethical as opposed to political,” Brown said. “You should speak your mind, especially if it’s something you believe in, but the songs that I write tell a story. There are characters, and I think most people can identify with them. At least that’s what I hope — music for anybody.”
While Brown wants the audience to identify with the music, another band member gives credit to Brown that truly gives the album an edge.
“Dave killed the vocals,” said Casper. “The music is good, but he killed the vocals on that album. That’s always the toughest part when you make an album, because the music can sound great, but if you hear weird singing it’s like, ‘Eh, whatever,’ but he nailed it. You want to listen to it.”
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that listening to their live record means you can skip their live performance. According to Penska, every show is different.
“We have a little bit of a Grateful Dead-type philosophy when we go out and play,” Penska said. “You’re not going to hear us play the same tune two times in a row the same way. If people expect to hear exactly what’s on the CD — they’re wrong.”
To capture this energy, the band plans to record one of their live shows during the tour, potentially The Cooperage one.
“Even though we recorded the studio record live, it’s pretty straightforward with the songs,” Brown said. “To do it live with an audience would give us another aspect.”
At each show, the band will sell the debut album, T-shirt, stickers, posters and The Dishonest Fiddler Dry Hand Elixir made by The Wonderstone Gallery.
No matter what show you attend, the band is ready to play to audiences with sincerity.
“The music really does something for us,” Brown said. “We’re happy playing together.”
For more information, visit facebook.com/TheDishonestFiddlers. - The 570 Powered by Electric City

Scranton-based folk band gears up to release CD, play string of gigs
BY JOSH MCAULIFFE
Published: March 7, 2016
There’s nothing inauthentic about The Dishonest Fiddlers.

The Scranton-based acoustic folk quartet are genuine, faithful practitioners of American roots music, a genre that has found a passionate local fanbase in recent years thanks to the popularity of bands like Cabinet and the Coal Town Rounders.

Now is a particularly busy time for the Dishonest Fiddlers. On Friday, the band will celebrate the release of its new CD, “The Whistle Missed the Train,” with a show at downtown Scranton’s The Keys Beer & Spirits beginning at 10 p.m. Then, on Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m., they’ll play another show in support of the album at Arlo’s Tavern in Union Dale.

The band was formed by singer, guitarist, harmonica player and songwriter Dave Brown. He’s joined by Josh Kulick on banjo, dobro and pedal steel, Patrick Casper on guitar and Ron Penska on upright bass.

“The Whistle Missed the Train,” which can be purchased on iTunes or cdbaby.com, was recorded by the band at New York City’s Flux Studios last year. One night on the way back from recording, Mr. Penska, who can mimic the sound of a train whistle, missed the train in Secaucus, New Jersey, and was forced to sleep at the station. A funny anecdote, and it made for a whimsical album title.

Stories told

The album’s 11 tracks offer up a good representation of what Mr. Brown calls the band’s “old timey yet current” sound. Mostly, it consists of story-songs that deal with a range of subjects — love, heartbreak, traveling, even Mr. Brown’s car.

Like the best protest music of the 1960s, a lot of Mr. Brown’s songs have a real social consciousness to them, with themes that include gas drilling in his native Wayne County.

“It’s music with a message. The songs tell a story. There’s maybe not a political twist, but definitely an ethical twist,” Mr. Brown said. “It’s not like we have a shortage of current events that people shouldn’t be writing and singing about. People aren’t as involved as they used to be.”

The band, meanwhile, serves as a great conduit for that material, he said.

“(The album) shows a lot of different aspects of the band as a whole,” Mr. Brown continued. “It’s a good representation of what you would get out of a show.”

Bluegrass tastes

Mr. Brown grew up with a music-loving father who weaned him on a steady diet of great music from the ’60s and ’70s.

“I’ve always had music and instruments around for as long as I can remember,” he said.

His tastes progressively veered toward old folk, bluegrass and jug band music, as well as singer-songwriters like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and John Prine.

Mr. Brown eventually started writing his own songs and playing solo at open mics throughout the area. From there, he started jamming with other like-minded musicians.

Out of that came the Dishonest Fiddlers, an allusion to a fiddle player Mr. Brown used to play with who, sadly, proved to be less than scrupulous.

Mr. Brown has had the current lineup in place for nearly two years. Nothing gives him more pleasure than when they’re at a gig and he’s playing harmonica while the other players go back and forth.

“We’re all having a ton of fun. The music is getting really great. We practice all the time. The chemistry is great,” Mr. Brown said. “Even if it’s a song that will break your heart, you can still see we’re having a good time.”

Mr. Penska also is a member of the renowned bluegrass band Louie Setzer & the Appalachian Mountain Boys.

Playing with the Dishonest Fiddlers has given him the chance to do a little something different creatively. And Mr. Brown has proven to be a great collaborator, he said.

“He’s a nice person. He’s a genuine person. He’s down to earth. He’s an honest person,” Mr. Penska said. “He’s a really good songwriter, and he researches stuff. He looks at other songwriters and their technique. He’s very creative, and he’s got a wonderful voice.”

The Dishonest Fiddlers will continue their busy ways over the coming months. An upcoming show at Honesdale’s Cooperage will be recorded for a live album, and the band will perform at several festivals, including the Wind Gap Bluegrass Festival in May and the Busy Bird Bluegrass Festival in Berkshire, New York, in July.

Mr. Brown would love to play even more out-of-town dates. The more places they play, the bigger the audience they’ll build.

“I can’t wait to get out and do this stuff. It’s so much fun,” Mr. Brown said. “You just have to keep chugging. And keep trying to enjoy what I’m doing, and get better at what I do. One foot in front of the other.” - The Scranton Times Tribune

Scranton based folk/bluegrass band releasing new record with series of live performances

First Posted: 4:33 pm - March 7th, 2016

By Matt Mattei - mmattei@timesleader.com

When The Dishonest Fiddlers perform the bluegrass standard “Dark Hollow,” upright bass player Ron Penska makes a train whistle sound during the chorus. After the band traveled to New York City to record their debut LP and Penska failed to make a connecting train on the return trip, the album’s name was born.

The Whistle Missed The Train is the inaugural studio effort by the Scranton based folk-bluegrass band, and they’ve planned a series of performances in conjunction with its release. The quartet will play at 10 p.m. March 11 at the Keys in Scranton, 4 p.m. March 13 at Arlo’s Tavern in Union Dale and 7 p.m. March 18 at The Cooperage Project in Honesdale.

Songwriter Dave Brown said the band planned three album release shows so they didn’t have to alienate any potential audience members. The March 11 show at The Keys has a $5 cover and fans must be 21 to enter, but the show at Arlo’s has no cover and is open to all ages, and The Cooperage Project welcomes all and asks only for donations.

Brown is an Orson native who now resides in Scranton, and he got his start playing solo at Arlo’s open mics. Collaborating with guitarist Patrick Casper, multi-instrumentalist Josh Kulick and bass player — and train whistle — Penska made him realize the time was right to record, Brown said.

“This is our first opportunity to record stuff that has been accumulating for years and years,” Brown said. “The songs have evolved. The sound has really gotten tight.”

Some of the songs on the album are five years old, Brown said.

“I think the fact that I still like them now is an even better reason to record them,” he said.

Although he wasn’t raised on bluegrass, Brown said he fell in love with the style as soon as he heard it.

“What I’m influenced by is old music, the songwriters of the ‘60’s,” Brown said. “I’ve been learning bluegrass music ever since I had bluegrass guys to play with.”

Brown’s songwriting style combines an appreciation for music that came before him and a desire to speak in the parlance of today.

“I think the sound of it is inspired by that old timey sort of sound, and the content is more current, to a degree,” Brown said. “I’m trying to be relevant with current things. I think the whole concept of folk music is to write things that anybody can identify with, no matter what your status or where you’re coming from.”

Implicit in that philosophy for Brown is a focus on simplicity in his creative efforts.

“If you can just not rely on some fancy guitar line, and you can have some words and three chords and still grab the people’s attention the same way that you would with all the special effects, then you’ve done something,” Brown said. “That, to me, is folk music. It’s something where I can give you the words and give you the chords, and you can play the same song.”

Brown’s affinity for universal themes is apparent in the singles, “There Ain’t Enough Water in the Water,” which tells a hopeful story in the face of down-on-your-luck circumstances through the guise of several characters, and “Criss Cross Country Blues,” a nomadic tale of love on the road.

Brown said the upcoming shows feature a combination of songs from the album, other originals from the Fiddlers’ catalogue and their take on classic bluegrass and folk staples.

“I’ve probably got about 20 songs that we’ll play that are original songs at the show,” Brown said. “Then we fit in traditional songs, which we have our own twist on.”

Brown is excited about the release of The Whistle Missed The Train and grateful to have the opportunity to play his songs for live audiences, but as passionate as he is about making music, his perspectives are as humble as his creative intentions.

“I can’t wait to play for new people,” Brown said. “If I get two people that are listening, and they’re into it … I’m happy. Any opportunity to do what we want to do … we get off that way. I’ve been always feeling like there was going to be some aspect of music that I found some part in. Whatever it turns out to be, I’m always going to be doing something with it.”

Reach Matt Mattei at 570-991-6651 or Twitter@TLArts - Civitas Media- The Times Leader

With their first ever album release, the Dishonest Fiddlers give their fans all the whimsy of folkloric wonder, all the gravitas of a bluegrass groove that is both contemporary and original, and all the hangdog spirit the band could muster in their sound of sorrow and tribulation. It is in every man’s thoughts and certainly in every boy’s dreams to tell the stories of their youth and youngness and in this, the Dishonest Fiddlers have exceeded their wistful callings. They have managed nicely to put the “blue” in bluegrass whether it is the denim of their dress or the dystocia of their delivery. Lead vocalist Dave Brown has a voice that delights with shy vulnerability in a way that stunningly captures the delirium. For when the moonshine is the music and the music is moonshine such as in this new release by the Dishonest Fiddlers, then one can imbibe an intoxicating experience of sound, story, and a slaker’s sins. - Roy Whitman

HONESDALE — Two bluegrass bands will be making appearances at the Cooperage in Honesdale in March.
Since Frank Solivan left the cold climes of Alaska for the bluegrass hotbed of Washington, D.C., he has built a reputation as a monster mandolinist. Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen was voted Best Bluegrass Band in 2012, 2013, and 2015 by the Washington (D.C.) Area Music Association. Their 2014 album, "Cold Spell," was one of five albums nominated for Best Bluegrass Album in the 2015 Grammy Awards.

The band is now celebrating the release of their latest album, "Family, Friends, and Heros." The band is known for its rich vocals, and rip-roaring mandolin and banjo, and roof-raising vocals. Its members are: Frank Solivan, mandolin; Mike Munford, banjo; Jeremy Middleton, bass; and Chris Luquette, guitar. They all sing.
Their performance on March 13 is being presented by RiverFolk Concerts.
On March 18 the Cooperage presents the Dishonest Fiddlers, an emerging acoustic folk band from Northeastern Pennsylvania. Their off-the-cuff blend of homegrown music is influenced and inspired by both bluegrass and old style jug music.
Informed by the musical sensibilities of Dave Brown, the group came together in 2012 and quickly gained traction in the northeast region. The Dishonest Fiddlers recorded their first full length album last November. The band includes Dave Brown, guitar, harmonica, and vocals; Josh Kulick, banjo, dobro, and vocals; Patrick Casper; guitar and vocals; and Ron Penska, upright bass and train whistle.
And anyone who wants to play bluegrass is invited to an acoustic jam midweek, on March 18.
For more information call the Cooperage at 570-253-2020 or visit http://thecooperageproject.org.
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- See more at: http://www.pikecountycourier.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20160309/ENTERTAINMENT/160309952/Of-Dirty-Kitchens-and-Dishonest-Fiddlers#sthash.OZr33Oxd.dpuf - The Pike County Courier

MAY 21ST, 2016 - 9:50 AM - UPDATED: MAY 21ST, 2016 - 12:31 PM.

Susquehanna Breakdown at Montage Mountain in Moosic brings bluegrass and more May 20

ARTS, FEATURES, LOCAL

By Matt Mattei - Click for more information on Matt
mmattei@timesleader.com - @TLArts - 570-991-6651
More Articles By: Matt Mattei

The fourth annual Susquehanna Breakdown music festival started, fittingly, with a nod to Northeastern Pennsylvania music Friday.

The yearly sound display, hosted by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s own contemporary bluegrass ambassadors, Cabinet, launched as a celebration of regional music while taking time to embrace a roots forbear as well as rock explorers.

Opening Scranton act The Dishonest Fiddlers brought their best as they played tunes from debut album “The Whistle Missed the Train.”

Vocal accompaniment was provided by Cabinet’s own J.P. Biondo as the Fiddlers played “There Ain’t Enough Water In The Water,” a folky song-scape of inequity and hope.

Scranton-based Coal Town Rounders took the stage next, their suit jackets, suspenders and full brimmed hats as old timey as their music.

Gathered around a single microphone, as is their custom and the custom of string bands before them, they delivered an emotive rendition of Bill Monroe’s “The Wicket Path of Sin” showing depth in both picking and harmonizing.

Jerry Egelhoff of State College was at his third Breakdown and said, “Those guys are stellar,” referring to the Rounders.

Egelhoff passes out stickers with the word “special” at each festival, and he brought 2,500 stickers with him this year, a number that’s grown 1,500 since his first year.

Larry Keel, renowned as an acoustic legend, took the stage down two members from his intended ensemble. His banjo player experienced health issues earlier in the week, and his fiddle player’s car broke down en-route.

He and wife Jenny Keel performed as a duo, carrying a big sound with Keel’s lightning fast flatbody guitar picking and Jenny’s rhythmic, in the pocket, bass playing.

Keel’s haunting tune “The Internet” brought roars from the crowd with it’s skepticism of human reliance on technology.

“I like it up here on the mountain,” Keel said. “Y’all got it goin’ on.”

After riling up the crowd, he launched into “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong,” from his latest album “Experienced.”

Keel joined Cabinet on stage for a Cabinet & Keel set. The collaboration led off with “Nashville Blues,” featuring solo moments by every player on stage, even pushing through a power glitch that downed the sound system.

Festival founders Cabinet took the stage for the headlining set and did not disappoint. With emotive renditions of “99 Years (And One Dark Day)” and “Home Now,” which incited cheers from the hometown crowd.

Dave Gaiser from Sauquoit, New York said he loves supporting music and likes the local scene in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

“It takes you away from all the crap in the world,” he said referring to the festival atmosphere. “This is what reality should be.”

Late night players Flux Capacitor kept the energy high and the people dancing as they performed a set full of their psychedelic jam rock with tunes like “They Know We Know” and a cover of the Zombies’ “Time of the Season.”

Reach Matt Mattei at 570-991-6651 or Twitter@TLArts - Times Leader

Dave Brown has finally found an honest fiddler — and a few other accomplished instrumentalists to round out his band.

Two years after the release of the project’s debut album, Dave Brown & The Dishonest Fiddlers are poised to reveal another volume of music, and Brown, the group’s primary songwriter, is as enthusiastic about the band’s new cast of players as he is about its new songs.

The Scranton-based outfit is in the final phases of production on, “A Deeper Shade of Blue,” which is scheduled for a spring release, and they’ll headline the inaugural Steamtown String Fling, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Scranton Cultural Center and also features Mike MiZ, Brother Roy, Chris Kearney, The Spain Brothers, and Mickey and Liam.

Brown’s latest batch of bluegrass-infused folk has taken some time to surface, but the Fiddlers frontman said his patience has paid off.

“We’ve been in the studio a bunch and tried out a couple different lineups,” Brown said. “This whole last year was kind of a learning process for me, having a whole bunch of guys in the mix.”

Brown said he and the three musicians with whom he recorded the first Dishonest Fiddlers record, “The Whistle Missed the Train,” parted ways for several reasons, but mostly because of wanting to go in different creative directions. The dissolution of his original lineup sent him looking for artists who would fit the musical roles he was looking to fill.

“It’s not a no-brainer when it comes to the players who are going to work and play together well,” Brown said. “We’ve always been looking for an honest fiddler is the slogan we’ve used in the past.”

And that role’s been filled by local violinist and composer Mark Woodyatt.

“It was nice to get Mark Woodyatt in the mix,” Brown said. “He’s a super talented guy.”

Brown met guitarist David Hampton last summer at the NEPA Bluegrass Festival in Tunkhannock, and the two “stayed up all night and played until the sun came up a couple nights in a row.”

“He’s an incredible guitar player, and he’s done some really cool things and played on some really big stages,” Brown said of Hampton.

Behind the drum kit, both in studio and during live performances, is veteran drummer Jami Novak, whose work with Village Idiots and Cabinet has been celebrated in Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond.

Novak completes the rhythm section along with upright bass player Bob Wilson.

“Jami I’ve known all along, and I never had a drummer in my band, but when he became available, it was like, ‘Maybe we should try this out,’” Brown said. “He’s added so much to the music. He’s got the goods musically, but he’s also great to have in the band.

“All these guys are the total package. If we weren’t playing music, we could be playing cards together and have just as good of a time. I think that shows onstage and off stage. Hopefully we’ll be playing together for a long time.”

Fans will have a chance to experience that onstage chemistry during Steamtown String Fling when the Fiddlers fill a performance slot Brown is proud to have earned.

“It’s great to be on this bill, but it’s even cooler to be headlining it with players I respect so much, in my band, and on that stage,” Brown said. “I just picked people I admire. I’ve got Roy Williams (Brother Roy) and Mike MiZ and Chris Kearney all on board. I always looked up to them locally, and those guys are all over the place now.”

As for his upcoming record, Brown said the Dishonest Fiddlers will be announcing album release shows in the near future, and he’s excited to share their work.

“I’ve grown so much since (my first) record, and I’ve tried to surround myself with the best possible players,” Brown said. “I think I’ve done that, and I think it’s pushing me to work harder. The pressure of this excellent band is bringing out the best part in me. I’m being inspired to make better music.”

For more information on Dave Brown & The Dishonest Fiddlers’ upcoming album and performances, visit thedishonestfiddlers.com.

Reach Matt Mattei at 570-991-6651 or on Twitter @TimesLeaderMatt. - Times Leader