Gypsy Dave and the Stumpjumpers @ Coffee East

After attending the St. Michaels Wine & Food Festival, I forced myself to see Gypsy Dave and the Stumpjumpers play at Easton's Coffee East. I had read about this group and was told by the venue's booking agent not to miss the act, so I dragged my queasy and tired soul to the coffee shop. I arrived just as they were finishing their first act which gave me time to rejuvenate slightly with some type of power mixture slushy.

Gypsy Dave and the Stumpjumpers are based out of the northwestern section of Pennsylvania and their name comes from a local term that describes the people of the region. The trio play a combination of folk and bluegrass - Americana music. Their debut CD, As the Stars Gather Light is currently in the number 34 in the Roots Country Music Report. Theband's current lineup is David Washousky (Gypsy Dave - guitar), Ryan Nageotte (upright bass) and Kevin Carducci (banjo). Carducci just recently joined the group - let's hope he remains because the trio are tight with great instrumentals and harmonies - even when they introduced a new song in which they had not practiced. Their music are all original, either written by Gypsy Dave or Carducci and the combination of instruments are pure Americana - how can you go wrong with a banjo and upright bass.

For their second set, they opened with Hey Mama, a tribute to David's mother while she recovered from a stroke and is now part of a Stroke Victims support CD. Sometime during the night they played another song that I continue to listen to from their myspace site: "Burn On". Their site also has a few songs that they picked up the pace for the rest of the show. One, "Home" - a semi gospel tune - really displays the great harmonies of the band and a message that many can relate. They finished in a frenzy - playing train and other rockin' songs, which made me start looking for the dance floor.

By the end of the night, I was completely rejuvenated and ready to hit the town - any band that can resuscitate like that is definitely worth a look. Gypsy Dave and the Stumpjumpers has a heavy summer tour schedule - from the northeast to the midwest - so there's no excuse not to hear them. We'll be looking for them in our neighborhood.