Live Music: Fair to Middlin'

Fair-to-Middlin' is a 6-piece string band out of the Durham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina featuring a mix of original and familiar tunes in the Americana, Bluegrass, Folk, and Old-Time traditions set to acoustic instruments and vocal harmonies. Nick Hutson provides vocals, mandolin, and clawhammer banjo.  Susan Johnson adds vocals, rhythm guitar, and percussion.  Jim Suiter contributes vocals and some great picking on the guitar.  Matt Velkey holds down the low-end, both vocally and on the upright bass, with a little harmonica mixed in.  Roy Smith gives us the unique sound that only an open-back banjo can provide, and John Krall brings the all-important fiddle to round out our sound.

"The band’s name comes from our common experiences growing up amongst folk for whom a job well done was what mattered most and “fair-to-middlin’” was how they might describe how they were doing or what they thought about something: more than just OK, but nothing over the top… pretty much just about right.  In the band, we all pull our share between lead vocals, blending harmonies, and holding down our end on our instruments.  What comes out is something that’s solidly fair-to-middlin’."

*There is no cover for music, but tips for the musicians are encouraged. Most events are rain or shine; if we are in a position of having to cancel, we will try to do so well in advance.*