Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

Viper Central can rip it up bluegrass style with sweet n' crunchy harmonies and tight melodic breaks that'll make your heart soar, your feet shuffle and your blood curdle! Canadian roots and the traditions of American bluegrass, Métis, country, rockabilly and old-time have influenced their ever evolving style. The songs reflect Canadian landscape and experiences and the result is entirely natural, effortless and delightfully original. Viper Central is an acoustic string-band that takes that 'high lonesome sound' to new places.

Over the past four years, Viper Central has toured North America and Europe, performing at festivals such as the San Francisco Bluegrass and Old-Time Festival, the Southwell Folk Festival (UK), and the Willisau Bluegrass Festival (Switzerland).

At the forefront of a rising wave of new local talent in the bluegrass and old-time music genres, Viper Central has managed to create an original niche in an otherwise traditional style and yet simultaneously appeal to audiences both young and old. Hailing from the Republic of East Vancouver, they approach their music with the sense of creativity and adventure found in the earliest bluegrass and old time recordings. While all members contribute original songs, the band won't hesitate to deliver their take on an ages-old mournful waltz or bring the house down with a barn-burning bluegrass standard.

Their new album ‘The Spirit of God and Madness’ takes a few steps away from Viper Central's bluegrass beginnings and delves further into country, western swing and modern Canadian folk traditions, all contributing to their ever-evolving style. Still featuring their stringband lineup of Kathleen Nisbet (fiddle), Steve Charles (guitars, banjo), Tim Tweedale (dobro, steel guitar) and Patrick Metzger (bass, guitar), there is additional instrumentation from a roster of special guests including Mark Vaughn, John Raham, Andrew Millar, John Reischman, CR Avery, Miles Black, Tyson Naylor, Bonnie Northgraves, Ellen Marple, and Chris Suen. The songs reflect Canadian landscape and experiences and the result is entirely natural, effortless and delightfully original.