March 2, 2020 at 4:28 p.m.
Nicolet series spotlights 'locally grown' talent
Nicolet series spotlights 'locally grown' talent
By Stephanie Kuski-
Local group Hand-Picked Bluegrass had those in attendance at Nicolet College's Lakeside Center Feb. 18 bobbing their heads and tapping their feet to the beat.
Director of Theatre at Nicolet College Jim Nuttall said Hand-Picked Bluegrass was featured as part of the school's "Locally Grown Series" meant to spotlight local artists.
Nuttall said that when he started this series roughly 20 years ago, he booked mostly national or regional acts but found there was plenty of local talent as well, which prompted him to start a local series.
"What I really wanted to do when I first started this sub-series was to feature musicians that don't play or maybe have never played in front of a sitting audience before," Nuttall explained. "We give them the whole theatre and it becomes a 'sit down and listen' kind of experience rather than playing in the background."
Nuttall said it can be difficult for up-and-coming artists to find affordable venues at which to perform, so featuring local artists through this series provides a special opportunity to local groups.
"It's a pretty good theatre with a good-sized sound system, and it's hard to find that somewhere without paying a lot of money to rent one," Nuttall said. "It usually works out as a really good opportunity for the artists and it's always a great thing for us because we get to feature more local people."
But this series also comes at a time in which various organizations within the community, such as ArtStart, WXPR and Nicolet College, are promoting local artists as a means to stimulate tourism and economic development in the Northwoods.
"I don't think it was really a concerted effort at first, but now that it's starting to get momentum we have organizations out there like Project North and people who are really dedicated to increasing the arts activities in the area," Nuttall said.
Performing at local venues such as Nicolet College and Project North is also helpful in supporting local groups like Hand-Picked Bluegrass, whose members come from across the state.
Sue and Joe Cronick, who started the band decades ago with different members, live in Tomahawk while their bass player Bruce Royal lives in Wauwatosa and banjo player Gabe Dettinger lives in Eau Claire.
Joe Cronick said that since their members span the state, they play at various music festivals throughout the summer across Wisconsin. But when they play locally, the band is also able to satisfy their fan base closer to home.
"I've been playing music for quite a while now, and there are now more festivals in the Midwest than we can actually play," Cronick said. "There are a lot of opportunities and I'm glad the communities are getting involved."
He said there are many local venues that embrace the bluegrass band.
"Bluegrass is the kind of music that all age groups like," Cronick said. "It's a matter of loving the music, having fun and surrounding yourself with good people."
Cronick said he and his wife have been performing together since the '80s and have had various band members come and go to form their current collective. He described their sound as a mix between contemporary and traditional bluegrass.
"We play a more progressive bluegrass, so it's not real traditional," Cronick said. "I write a lot of songs so we do a bunch of original music."
During their performance at Nicolet, the local bluegrass band featured songs from their new full-length album "Hand-Picked V," as well as original music from their previous four albums and fan-favorite covers from Bill Monroe and other bluegrass greats.
They kicked off the night with "I Can't Wait Much Longer," a catchy tune from their new album which featured shared vocals between Joe and Sue Cronick and bass/vocalist Royal.
"Oh Tell Me Why," "Beautiful Brown Eyes," "Next To Nothing" and "The Letter" were also featured from their newest album and spotlights original music written by Joe Cronick.
"Tolkien Creek" was a song Cronick said he wrote when he was in Florida visiting his daughter. The ballad was inspired by a small creek near Sun Prairie, and featured Joe Cronick on the mandolin and Dettinger on the banjo.
Although meek on stage, Dettinger played the banjo with such a commanding presence it was surprising to learn he had just graduated from high school.
Joe Cronick told the audience of Dettinger's plans to move to Nashville in the fall to pursue a professional career. After his performance at Nicolet, Dettinger's potential as an aspiring banjo player was quite evident.
Although difficult to stand out alongside Dettinger, Royal also delivered a stunning dual performance on the bass and vocals. His voice had a dominating presence and was fun to listen to throughout the evening.
The Cronicks also worked well on stage together, seamlessly rotating lead vocals with Royal. The trio harmonized well together and moved effortlessly on stage, showing off the group's seemingly effortless cohesiveness.
The band even featured a surprise guest, local sensation Tuck Pence. Joe Cronick said Pence has played with Hand-Picked Bluegrass for many years and is featured on their new album.
Pence performed two emotional songs on the guitar. His raw grit and powerful lyrics had many of his fans in attendance clapping along. He performed "Buddy Archer" - a song he wrote for his late father- for the first time live, which received a heartfelt reaction from the audience.
After Pence's solo performance, Hand-Picked Bluegrass invited him to play a couple songs together with the band on stage, which received a standing ovation from the crowd.
The band continued into the night with a variety of original music as well as covers, including fan-favorites "Ashland Breakdown" and "The Chain Gang," which had the audience clapping along to the beat.
Hand-Picked Bluegrass also featured some of their older music, including songs from their albums "Lonesome Moonshine Man" and "Sweet Virginia."
A request for "Duluth" came from the audience, which Sue Cronick sang with a smooth voice and impressive range.
Between sets, the band was comfortable on stage joking with the audience and telling insider stories about the band.
The intimacy of the Nicolet theatre stage made the setting feel more like a private jam session than a large gathering.
The local band finished the night with the Cronicks handing off the fiddle, which had the audience begging for more. After concluding with a standing ovation, Hand-Picked Bluegrass sent the crowd off with a mellow Hank Williams cover.
Audience member Dr. Judy Pagano said she enjoyed the performance as well as the Nicolet stage.
"The show was great," Pagano said. "The energy, the variety and the fact that they brought in Tuck Pence."
Pagano said she enjoyed Hand-Picked Bluegrass's harmonizations and stage presence.
"I love coming to plays here, they're awesome," Pagano said. "We've been coming here since the '80s and it's been a blessing since the get-go."
While Pagano and her husband have been coming to the Nicolet stage for many years, spectator Barbara Faber said Tuesday was her first time in attendance.
"This is my first time at this theatre, so this is really fun for me to see what talent we have in the area," Farber said. "It was an excellent performance and I will be back again and again!"
Local spectators Brett and Waunita Shotwell also said they enjoyed the performance by Hand-Picked Bluegrass.
"The banjo was outstanding and I really liked the bass player," Brett Shotwell said. "The harmonies were great."
"It was really well done," his wife Waunita added.
For more information up upcoming performances at Nicolet College, visit Nicolet Live's website.
To listen to Hand-Picked Bluegrass's newest album, visit their website.
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