Blue Octane Bluegrass Band
Blue Octane members are all professional musicians, offering today’s audiences a unique experience of expressive vocals, truthful harmonies and precision picking
– Danny Paisley, 2016 and 2020 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year
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Blue Octane had over 80 performances at festivals, concert venues and pubs in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020/2021, including:
- Charm City Bluegrass Festival, Baltimore, MD
- Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, Gettysburg, PA
- Picking in the Pasture, Lodi, NY
- Circa Blue Bluegrass Festival, Martinsburg, WVa
- IBMA Bluegrass Ramble, Raleigh, NC
- Wilmington Wintergrass, Wilmington, DE
- Upperco Music Festival, Upperco, MD
- Rob’s Bluegrass Barn, Westminster, MD
- Gordon Center for the Performing Arts, Owings Mills, MD
- Boordy Vineyards, Hydes, MD
- Weber Cider Mill Farm, Parkville, MD
- Highland Orchards, West Chester, PA
- Many more smaller venues
Blue Octane features Bluegrass-style powerhouse vocals as well as heartfelt ballad singing. Many of our songs include our carefully arranged and produced three and four part harmony singing.
When it comes time for a slow dance, there is none better than our lead singer John Brown to deliver an appropriate number.
Our instrumental lineup consists of Acoustic Guitar, Fiddle, Banjo, Mandolin, and Standup (NS “stick”) Bass. Bill Monroe thought they blended perfectly and we agree.
We cover many of the songs created and performed by traditional bluegrass greats such as Bill Monroe and Flatt and Scruggs as well as more contemporary numbers from sources such as Doyle Lawson and J.D. Crowe.
A few timeless melodies from classic country artists in the tradition of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard are always part of our performances. We also draw from classic rock sources as well.
We will frequently play a hot instrumental or two for those that like to clog or buck dance.