Moon Mountain Ramblers

Artist Information

Biography

The Moon Mountain Ramblers have always stayed on the creative edge of acoustic music. This increasingly popular group (voted best band by readers of local paper, The Source Weekly, in 2004, 2008 and 2009), has consistently been one of the hardest working and most successful bands of Central Oregon for almost a decade.

Even in a town that has a strong and fast-growing music scene which brings in plenty of tough outside competition, the band continues to sell out the hottest venues in town whenever they play. They have toured the state with success and are devoted to expanding their territory with each coming year. MMR has twice hosted their own Moon Mountain Music Festival (2008, 2009) and kicked off the Moon Mountain Music Camp in 2010.

At first glance, the Ramblers may look like a traditional bluegrass band, with the classic instrumentation of fiddle, mandolin, acoustic guitar and upright bass. However, with the addition of full percussion and musical inspirations with no boundaries, this band has truly found their own unique niche in the world of acoustic music.

If you attend a show, or listen to any of the band's albums, it won't take long to recognize the variety of musical influences this band uses to create their ever-growing library of original music and creative covers. With tasteful flavors of Celtic, Bluegrass, Jazz, Latin, Rock and more, MMR can most closely be labeled as an Acoustic Americana, Jamgrass Band.

The Moon Mountain Ramblers have had the honor of sharing the stage with such great acts as: The David Grisman Quintet, Del McCoury Band, John Reischman and the Jaybirds, Jackstraw, the Gourds, Hot Buttered Rum, New Monsoon, Sneakin’ Out, Taarka and others.

Press About the Moon Mountain Ramblers:

Voted the "Best Band in Central Oregon" in 2004, 2008 and 2009 by The Source Weekly

"The Moon Mountain Ramblers, a string band from Bend, have created their own soulful interpretation of traditional bluegrass, swing music and country music. Listen to their tunes and you'll hear Django Reinhardt-flavored acoustic jazz or country rock a la Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers." Laurie Heuston (Tempo, Mail Tribune)

“The Best band I saw at 4 Peaks on Sat. was Bend’s own Americana string band the Moon Mountain Ramblers.” Ben Salmon (music reporter of The Bulletin in Bend)

"Built on more of a jazz and blues, than bluegrass foundation, the combo likes to embark on polyphonic sprees and improvisational interludes." (Joe Ross, music writer Bluegrass Now)

Review of "Let it all be Good" from Ben Salmon of The Bulletin (Bend, OR)

“Schulte’s title track is a joyous blast of rock ‘n’ roll… . Harada’s 'Chasing the Sun' is a new-traditional fiddle tune that will flutter it’s way into your heart. Hyman’s songs are the twangiest of the bunch, evoking visions of cowboys and campfires. And McClung’s instrumentals incorporate a little jazz, a little swing, and a whole lot of Middle Eastern flavor on the 11-minute-long jam 'El Serpiente.'” (GO! Magazine, Jan. 23, 2009.)

Instrumentation

Matt Hyman - acoustic guitar, dobro, lead vocal; Joe Schulte - mandolin, lead vocals; Dan McClung - acoustic bass, harmonica, vocals; Jenny Harada - violin, vocals; Dale Largent - hand percussion

Discography

Albums:
Moon Mountain Ramblers 2004
Borderline 2006
Let It All Be Good 2009
Live at the Tower 2010 (double disc)

Official Website

http://www.moonmountainramblers.com

Audio

• Stuck In The Middle
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• EMD
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• Train So Long
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• The Moustache Man
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• Chasing The Sun
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Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Happy Feet [+ Show ]
  

  Standing room only. That’s what I thought as I looked around the Tower Theatre last Saturday nigh...Standing room only.
  That’s what I thought as
  I looked around the Tower
  Theatre last Saturday night
  a couple songs into the Moon
  Mountain Ramblers’ set.
  I wasn’t sure if the local eclectic-
  roots band had sold out the
  venerable downtown venue.
  (They had.) But I could tell there
  was standing room only.
  Never have I seen standing
  room put to such good use.
  Let’s not even call it standing
  room. Dancing room’s more like
  it.
  The Ramblers, celebrating the
  release of their new album “Let
  It All Be Good,” played a pitchperfect
  2.5-hour set for an enthusiastic
  and appreciative crowd
  that not only filled the seats in the
  Tower’s lower level, but also lined
  both aisles and packed the space
  in front of the stage with a nonstop
  dance party.
  It took a few songs for the
  throng to warm up, but once it
  did, 50 to 100 people shimmied the
  night away as the band worked
  its way through a well-paced selection
  of new and old tunes.
  But enough about the crowd.
  Let’s talk about the Ramblers.
  They were terrific. Their arsenal
  of stringed instruments rang
  out crisp and clean. The mix
  was perfect, with percussionist
  Dale Largent complementing
  the pickers nicely. Vocally,
  the harmonies were shipshape,
  and I was surprised by guitarist
  Matthew Hyman’s strong voice.
  I didn’t realize he’s that good of
  a singer.
  As for the set list, the band flitted
  back and forth between its
  favorite styles, from Hyman’s
  twangy ballads to bassist Dan
  McClung’s jazzgrass instrumentals
  to mandolinist Joe Schulte’s
  more rock-influenced numbers.
  One highlight was my coworker
  Jenny Harada’s song
  for her brother, Jason, who died
  last summer, called “Chasing
  The Sun.” I’m sure there were
  dry eyes in the house, but they
  weren’t mine. Another highlight
  was a new Schulte song built on
  a weird, ominous groove and featuring
  a wicked Largent drum
  solo, like old-time music meets
  heavy metal. A genre was born
  just then, I think: doomgrass.
  We also got a raucous cover of
  the old Stealers Wheel hit “Stuck
  In The Middle,” a perfectly plaintive
  version of “Restless,” and
  what may be the Ramblers’ new
  signature tune, “Let It All Be
  Good.” In the latter, when Schulte
  sang “You’re dancing to our music
  till your toes start to bleed,”
  I scanned the wiggly bunch up
  front to get a glimpse of life imitating
  art.
  The two-song encore, with the
  whole band unplugged and gathered
  around one microphone,
  was a particularly fun way to end
  a wonderful show.
  Indeed, the music was great.
  But the best part of the whole
  night, for me, was the overwhelming
  joy I felt in the Tower
  that night.
  You could see it in the band’s
  wide smiles. You could hear it in
  the cheer that went up when the
  Ramblers were introduced. You could feel it in a room full
  of folks happy to see a talented
  band of locals sell out Bend’s
  most prominent indoor stage, in a
  room that has rarely hosted local
  bands. It was triumphant, if I may
  be so bold. It felt like a celebration
  not only of the Moon Mountain
  Ramblers and their new album,
  but also of the potential and possibility
  of our local music scene.
  There’s a lot of that here. There
  are a handful of bands in Bend
  that could make a Tower show
  work, but I got the sense that a
  trail needed blazing, and the right
  band had to do it.
  It feels a bit like a new door has
  opened for local musicians. And I
  think only the Ramblers had the key.
  Ben Salmon can be reached
  at 541-383-0377 or bsalmon@
  bendbulletin.com

Setlist

Club Venues: 2 sets, 80 minutes each, 20 minute break. Originals, bluegrass, some gypsy, country rock, and classic rock covers.

Basic Requirements

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