Reunion Hill Band at Fritz Fries - Friday 12/16

Fritz Fries is a very pleasant restaurant on Main Street in Keene, NH  which has a lively and comfortable ambience serving a simple menu of delicious panini, salads, and hand-cut fries with a variety of sauces available.  Adding to the sauce of the location are weekly live music presentations on Friday evenings. We went to Fritz Fries on Friday to see the Reunion Hill Band in a full performance, having seen them compete at the Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival in August where they took second place to a professional touring band, no shame for a fresh, new, and delightful group.

Reunion Hill Band

Describing themselves as a band presenting bluegrass and roots music with a touch of folk and the sixties, they deliver exactly as advertised.  With three lead singers as well as three song writers, the band presents a varied and pleasing mix of bluegrass standards, bluegrassed soft rock and sixties folk, and original songs growing from these traditions. Here's a sample of a song written by Dave Ward:

Reunion Hill - Mary Baker - Video

 

Dave Ward - Bass

 Rick Horton on mandolin is the sixties guy. He brings a solid knowledge of sixties music as well as a good voice and solid mandolin. 

Rick Horton

Here's Rick singing lead on "Willin'."

Reunion Hill Band - Willin' - Video

 

 

Rick Schleckser

Rick Schleckser also sings lead, plays guitar and provides material for the band. Here's his song "Widow's Walk," which grew from a trip along the New England coast where he saw the roof-top porches and wondered why they were placed in such strange places. Listen to the song Rich wrote with Rick Lang:

Reunion Hill Band - Widow's Walk  - Video

 

Kevin O'Connor

Kevin O'Connor, on banjo, rounds out the group. Kevin has long been a mainstay in the band. He learned his banjo from the legendary Don Stover and toured with a number of regional bands. For many years he played lead guitar in a rock band before returning to his first love, the banjo.

Fritz Fries is a comfortable venue for both eating simple and tasty house specialties and listening to a range of good music on Friday evenings. The sound is good, and has improved with the decision to move the stage. The stage lighting leaves much to be desired, but otherwise, this is a good choice for a good solid lunch or an evening of music with light dinner food. Here's a look at the menu.

The Reunion Hill Band has recently released its first CD, which can be bought directly from the band through CD Baby on their web site or from Amazon through this blog.

The Reunion Hill band is likely to be heard with increasing frequency throughout New England in the months to come. Give this band a good look. Talk to your local bluegrass promoter to request that they booked at a festival or other venue near you.  You won't be sorry.

More songs from The Reunion Hill Band can be found on my YouTube channel.  Here's a rousing bar song of theirs to round out this entry.

Reunion Hill Band - Broccoli & Beer