Shows - Wild Rose Productions

BILL KIRCHEN Somewhere between steering Commander Cody’s “Hot Rod Lincoln” into a top-10 hit and scoring a Grammy nomination for Best Country Instrumental Performance, Kirchen dubbed his sound “dieselbilly,” wrapping his fondness for country’s truck-driving song subgenre (as in big rigs, not pickups), its intersection with the Bakersfield Sound and his own name into one memorable moniker.
4640 Soquel Dr, Soquel, CA 95073

Kirchen’s right-place-at-the-right-time career has put him at the forefront of many musical movements, including outlaw country; Commander Cody’s 1974 album, Live from Deep in the Heart of Texas, recorded at Austin’s legendary Armadillo World Headquarters, made Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Albums of All Time list.

But whatever label Kirchen’s music wears, it’s always notable for its balance of high-octane energy and deft understatement. There’s no leadfoot excess; Kirchen’s all about finesse — a sensibility absorbed from the symphonies and Broadway musicals his parents loved, along with the orchestral works he played as a school-band trombonist. Through another major influence, Interlochen Center for the Arts summer camp counselor David Siglin (who would go on to run famed Ann Arbor venue the Ark), Kirchen became immersed in folk traditions and learned to love the “big, sonorous tones” of an undistorted guitar. “I was more interested in sounding like Doc Watson than Eric Clapton,” admits Kirchen, whose main guitar was crafted by Rick Kelly of Carmine Street Guitars from 200-year-old pine floorboards recycled from film director Jim Jarmusch’s loft.

Nina Gerber

Born and raised in the semi-rural outskirts of Sebastopol, CA, Gerber has been an undeniable staple of the West Coast acoustic music scene since the late 70’s. From the first time she heard Kate Wolf perform in a local pizza shop, the budding teenage guitarist single-mindedly dedicated herself to her instrument. Within a few years she had won Wolf’s respect and a place as her principal musical collaborator. From there she built a career as a sought after teacher, arranger, producer and prolific accompanist to a veritable who’s who of folk music royalty (Greg Brown, Karla Bonoff, Kate Wolf, Dave Alvin, Lucy Kaplansky, Peter Rowan, Rosalie Sorrels, Mollie O’Brien, Laurie Lewis, Eliza Gilkyson, Chris Webster, and so many more).

It would take pages to include all the accolades Gerber has received from the many songwriters she has worked with. In 2018 Maria Muldaur wrote of Gerber, “It is so Zen the way she under-girds and complements whatever music is at hand, never playing an extraneous or superfluous or irrelevant note.” Acclaimed songwriter Karla Bonoff says, “Nina has this uncanny ability to weave an emotional tapestry throughout a song…never getting in the way of the song, but adding this incredible depth to it…Sometimes, I am just amazed at what I hear coming from her side of the stage.”

SULLY TUTTLE, Sullivan Tuttle, guitarist and singer with AJ Lee & Blue Summit, has created a name for himself as one of the most innovative guitarists of his generation. From an early age he was wowing listeners in Youtube videos that have millions views collectively. His tasteful guitar playing is impossibly fast, and he has won the Northern California Bluegrass Society Guitar Player of the Year award more times than anyone can count. Sully is more than just a virtuoso picker. One listen to his cover of The National’s “Soho Riots” and it’s clear that he possesses a voice and musicality equal to his incredible technical abilities on the guitar. Sully’s rich baritone crackles with emotion and leaves audiences wanting more. When he steps up to the mic at live shows and lets out the first words and you can feel the energy shift in the air as the audience snaps to attention. There is a deep inward focus in his performances that makes it impossible to look away. His music reflects his singularity as an artist, as well as the thousands of hours he has poured into his abilities, creating something both raw and masterfully crafted.