For the past eight years, Jake Speed has hitchhiked down Cincinnati’s American folk, bluegrass, and ragtime music highway with his award-winning band, The Freddies. Jake Speed & the Freddies are a four-piece band made out of guitar, mandolin, tenor guitar, and upright bass (plus harmonica, kazoo, washboard, and watering can). Their traditional and original songs leap right out of Depression-era freight trains and right into Ohio River steamboats. Their near-vaudeville style stage shows and quick-witted charisma rope in loyal fans of new and old generations alike.

Jake Speed & The Freddies Official Website & Facebook

Jake Speed and the Freddies from Brad Conner on Vimeo.

Hailing from Yellow Springs, Ohio, Wheels plays their own brand of music, which they’ve dubbed ‘outdoorsy bird funk’ – a high-energy, foot-stomping hootenanny steeped in bluegrass tradition, seasoned with classic soul and good old rock n’ roll, and delivered with a forward-minded and innovative approach. Known for their stunning three- to five-part harmony vocals, the band consists of Rory Papania on guitar, Sam Salazar playing mandolin, Jamie Scott providing percussion, Sam Crawford annihilating the bass, and Conor Stratton covering everything in between. Show after show, Wheels delivers an energetic and engaging performance, always leaving the audience wanting more of this one-of-a-kind experience.

Wheels Official Website and Facebook

Wheels at Kelly Hall from Reinvention on Vimeo.

Jeremy Pinnell’s return to the region’s music scene with his new project, Jeremy Pinnell and the 55’s, showcases a more country direction than any of the songwriter’s notable past endeavors like The Lightwires, Great Depression, and The Bothers and Sisters.

Since the group’s debut early last year the band has been a magnet for garnering critical acclaim while catching the eyes of many area music fans through marquee perfomances like last year’s inaugural Bunbury music festival and Whispering Beard Music fest.

We’re excited to get a chance to work with them at Paddlefest!

Jeremy Pinnell and the 55’s Official Website and Facebook

Eventually, it was going to happen.

Three brothers, all with vastly different music backgrounds, would end up in the same band. Russell P., Richard, and Jeff Lewis, combined with percussionist Dennis Foreman, form an exciting arrangement of eclectic and electric folk, rock, country, and general hillbillery. Songwriting duties are traded as often as they swap instruments on stage.

Call it punk-a-billy with traditional instruments. Call it supercharged folk rock. At any rate, call it fun.

Lewis Brothers Official Website and Facebook

Lewis_Brothers from Good Day Stranger on Vimeo.

About Paddlefest:

Cincinnati is the paddling capital of the United States and the Ohio River Paddlefest is the largest canoe/kayak paddling event in the Midwest with over 2,200 paddlers making their annual trek down the Ohio river during Paddlefest. It is a celebration dedicated to enjoying the experience of “paddling the Ohio River” one of Cincinnati’s greatest natural assets that sits right in our own back yard. Paddlefest  is a fun filled family event designed to bring people together to paddle, enjoy the outdoors, listen to great local music and much more for the whole family.

Roaring out of the southern Indiana foothills comes Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band playing a brand of Americana and Blues that stands alone – Delta blues and hillbilly fervor combine with musical acuity sharp as razor wire – best know, this trio is a force to be reckoned with. The growl of a good truck engine, the fiercest passion for his country home and family and an uncanny ability to breathe new life into old forms of music give them a pedigree many Americana acts would kill for and an ironclad work ethic keeps them on the road 250 dates a year, playing for the people with hurricane force. Locked in with an audience, the band create their own community and welcome the crowd into it, transporting them away from their troubles to joyous release, the way great musicians have done for centuries. The Rev. J. Peyton, his wife Breezy and distant cousin Aaron “Cuz” Persinger are a living breathing embodiment of the traditions and hard work ethic native to their Brown County, Indiana home. Their new album Between The Ditches is a chronicle of this lifestyle.

Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band Official Website and Facebook