Amy Blue - www.amyblue.com

Currently based in Portland, OR, Amy Bleu is an up and coming solo artist and singer-songwriter. She is a self described Anti-Folk Folk/Blues singer, but many liken her sound to the Alternative Folk Artist Kristin Hersh. Her Vocals, which range from a controlled scream to a mesmerizing lullaby are hauntingly beautiful and her lyrics poetically express anguish and joy with poignancy, depth, and pathos.

Hal Gerard

Hal was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and was introduced to music via the piano at the early age of 6. Hal started writing music in his teens as well as learning how to play guitar. Guitar soon became his primary instrument and into his college years, while studying for his Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, he began performing his original guitar based songs.

While seeking a more technical degree, Hal began to realize that music was his first love and began to make pathways into the music business. Through various bands and different church oriented settings, Hal began to realize his abilities as a guitarist, singer, writer, producer, soundman and arranger.

Hal has also taught guitar one-on-one for over 10 years. Besides teaching guitar, Hal has taught songwriting and arranging. Hal also plays bass, keyboard and percussion. Hal has been involved with 3 CD projects: the first in the duo, Imago Dei, entitled Stand Up For The Children; the second for the Grace Church Worship Team in Toledo, Ohio, entitled Grace Notes; and the third, his first solo project, entitled When I'm Around You. Stand Up For The Children, produced in 1994 by Jeff Lams, was a project co-written, designed and performed with Naomi Collins-Beltz, the other half of the duo, Imago Dei. Subsequent to the production of Stand Up For The Children, Hal took the position of Music Director at Grace Church in Toledo, Ohio. At Grace Church, Hal was responsible for leading the worship team, the congregation, rehearsals, song selection, performance pieces and personnel development. Before leaving the position at Grace Church, the project, Grace Notes, was begun. Grace Notes, co-produced with Scott Derkin, contains 4 of Hal's original tunes along with other standard contemporary worship pieces. Hal contributed to vocals and guitars on Grace Notes. Concurrently, Hal produced his own solo project, When I'm Around You, released March 2005. Hal has won 3 Honorable Mentions from the Billboard Song Contest. Hal also has done work as a soundman for the Toledo Repertory Theater, the Lafayette Civic Theater and the local Indianapolis band, Playback. Hal has also acted in productions of Guys and Dolls, Chicago and Jeffrey. He is now residing in the Portland, Oregon area and is currently thoroughly enjoying playing guitar for Reina G Collins and Tualatin United Methodist Church.

HannaH*s Field - www.hannahsgroove.com

Gypsy Janis Joplinesque vocals with an uplifting vibration. Mixing positivity, reggae, acoustic moon rock and funky earth beats. Nominated best female vocalist in the Hartford Advocate for 5 years, HannaH has shared the stage with such great acts as: The Average White Band, Brother's Johnson, Gov't Mule(members of the Allman Bros. Band), Derek Trucks, The Samples, Percy Hill and Sound Tribe Sector Nine. She has performed at such venues as Black Eyed Sally's, Toad's Place, Webster Theatre, Pearl Street Nightclub and House of Blues in Chicago.

HannaH*s Field recently released their new CD, "Psychedelic Woman", and is Performing their Gypsy Reggae music with percussionist, Andy Ardenski and Guitarist, Reverend of Rock-Lynn Tracey in the Pacific Northwest. The new sound of HannaH*s Field is being embraced by everyone, from folk lovers, reggae snowboarders to rock-n-rollers.

Purty Mouth - www.purtymouth.com

Purty Mouth, Seattle's premier almost-all gay country band, originally began in 2001 as a group of gay men who presented to the world their unique vision of country & western - a cocktail of countrypolitan, costume & camp. Many moons and personnel changes later, they've evolved into a merry band of ne'er-do-wells with diverse musical, social, and sexual histories whose gay (yet sincere) take on country-pop is an affectionate love-slap in the face of one of America's most conservative music genres.

With local musician Graham Short at the helm, Purty Mouth has proved itself as an exotic and entertaining opener for a wide array of acts, including Neko Case, the Hidden Cameras, Momus, the Meat Purveyors, Carolyn Mark, El Vez, the Ditty Bops and more. Proving their political bona fides, the band traveled to Washington DC in October 2004 to appear at the Freedom to Marry benefit WEDrock, where they shared the stage with Henry Rollins, Sandra Bernhardt, Bob Mould, Hedwig creator John Cameron Mitchell, Avenue D, and Richard Morel. A highlight of their young, very gay, career.

Reina G Collins Band - www.reinagcollins.com

Roots rockin' songstress Reina G Collins has been singing for her supper for twenty-plus years. Her voice has been described as 'smooth and fiery at the same time - like top shelf tequila' and 'warm with a color like deeply polished wood.' She and her band play a mix of upbeat originals and covers - crossing musical boundaries to include elements of southern and classic rock, alt-country and americana. Her bandmates are Jeff Porter and Hal Gerard on guitars, bassist Rob Busey and drummer Mark Evilsizer.

Reina grew up in sunny, salty Florida where she played in rock bands until changing direction toward jazz and Brazilian music in the late 80s. She crisscrossed the continent on solo road trips and landed in San Diego and then Los Angeles in the early 90s. Moving back to roots rock and country music she got to know the Rocky Mountain region while touring for a year with Billy Farmer's regional country rock band Way Out West.

Collins' rambling led her to Teton Valley, Idaho, her home from 1996-2005. There she established Big Hole Music, Driggs' first retail music shop. Those years were spent performing at festivals, ski resorts, weddings, fundraisers, bike rallies, casinos, honky tonks and any local watering hole that would have her! In 2003 with the assistance of producer songwriter Ben Winship (Kane's River, Loose Ties, Growling Old Men, Fishing Music) Reina released her folk rock and bluegrass flavored cd Kitchen Sink.

Sensing the need for a new musical environment Reina relocated to Portland in 2005 where she soon crossed paths with songwriter Rob Barteletti. Their 2006 collaboration Even If I Fall showcases Reina's warm, rich vocals and the poignant, hopeful, haunting and witty songs written mostly by Rob Barteletti with a few of Reina's gems included. Produced by acoustic blues guitarist Terry Robb (Yellow Dog Records) and recorded with Dennis Carter at Portland's Falcon Studios the cd features Robb on guitars and multi-instrumentalist Tony Furtado on dobro, banjo and dojo. Other fine Portland musicians who contributed tracks are Paul Hirschmann, Peter Boe, Jeff Minnick, Rob Busey, Bob Baker, Nick Peets, Bart Ferguson and others.

Shannon Tower Band - www.shannontowerband.com

Is a singer, songwriter and guitarist with her own unique style of music that crosses between alternative and folk. With her unique vocal style and writing abilities, her songs are both haunting and energetic. Her message is as much politically relevant as it is personal. Shannon Tower was raised in Eugene Oregon, where at the young age of nine she performed her first solo at a school concert. When she saw the tears in the eyes of many audience members during her performance, she knew at that moment the stage was her home. Ever since she was a little girl she used a journal to write down her deepest thoughts and feelings. As she approached her high school years she realized her power to communicate intimate thoughts and ideas was through her ability to write. She left home at eighteen and moved to New York to explore and find her voice and after two years moved to Portland Oregon. Self taught guitarist since the age of 23, Shannon started to combine her talent for lyrical poetry with songs composed on her guitar.

Using a unique rhythmic pulse of the music, her unorthodox playing technique appears both fluid and percussive. Shannon writes about many different lifes situations, these include the Iraq war in her song POWER PLAY. Homelessness, poverty and the real consequences that are incurred in her song THINK ABOUT IT. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS is a song that stems from personal experience with a mothers abusive behavior and neglect. Music has always been apart of Shannons life. Such artists as Bob DylanJoni Mitchell Paul Simon Peter Gabriel Natalie Merchant and Ani Difranco have influenced her. Shannon Tower has been playing music in the Portland area for years with a variety of different musicians. In 2004 she met lead guitarist Grant Warrens, who later introduced her to electric violinist Jeff Sullivan. The three of them played as a trio for a greater part of a year before finding upright bassist Andy Baxter, and drummer Greg Lauzon.

Tommy Johns - www.myspace.com/tommyjohns2

Tommy Johns has been performing and mixing live sound in groups and as a solo artist for over 20 years. Starting with private lessons at age 8, he continued his music education until finishing his Bachelor of Music at the University of Wisconsin. His first groups were in the mid-west where he was bassist and lead vocalist. Tommy was also house engineer for the Chicago based "Haymarket Riot" and the widely popular "Funkhouse". He later moved to Denver where he was one of many artists selected to perform on a series of CD's called Acoustitherapy.

Tommy is an out and proud musician having performed at Pride festivals in Vancouver BC and Seattle. He has also performed in several Bearapalooza concerts including New York City, Nashville, Tampa and co-produced a show in Seattle. In Seattle and Nashville Tommy has backed Fredddy Freeman, Max Christopher, Yolanda, Andy Northrup and comedian Bobaloo on guitar. Currently residing in Seattle, Tommy released his first full length CD of original pop/rock music, "This is Supposed to be Fun!?" on his own label in 2003. The second CD from Tommy, "Heading into Tomorrow" was released in 2005. He has also recently contributed songs for Vol.s 1 and 2 of Beartracks and the new "G" CD produced by Woobiebearmusic.

Sneakin Out - www.sneakinout.com

“Sneakin’ Out sends audiences into paroxysms of surprise and delight…A winning combination of chops and charm…Watch listeners’ synapses pop to the combination of novel instrumentation, familiar melodies and surprising juxtapositions.” ~The Oregonian

“New grass meets new wave…A trio of infinite possibilities…Try to put Sneakin’ Out in a box and you’ll inevitably end up contradicting yourself.”’~Just Out

“They’re a three-man symphony: David Grisman meeting Michael Jackson in the house of Erik Satie.”
‘~Eugene Gray, Eugenio’s Kitchen

“Melding thrilling musicianship, creative arrangements and sheer audacity, it’s obvious these guys are headed for big things.”~The Flint Journal