Lawrence.com

Like so many Lawrence bluegrass acts, The Sunflower Colonels trace their origins back to Kansas's Walnut Valley Festival. They served as the house band for a weekly jam session at Dempsey's Pub until the big bad copyright wolf came and blew their house down. While adhering to most of the tenets of orthodox bluegrass, the Colonels also draw influence and energy from the entire melting pot of 20th century American Music and write roughly half their own material. The Colonels recently wrapped up a debut album recorded at Mike West's Ninth Ward Picking Parlor.

Spencer and Braden are a duo featuring Spencer Goertz-Giffen from The Kinetiks and guitarist Braden Young. In addition to playing in local groups The Shamans and The Willnots, Young has been working up a new batch of folksy material that supplements Goertz-Giffen's softer side.