ContraForce LIVE @ Asheville Music Hall 9-7-2019
ContraForce has one goal, and that is to rock the sh*t out of some folk tunes. This four-piece powerhouse packs the frenzied bowing arm of Andrae Raffield, the Donkey Kong slammin’ palms of drummer and saxophone player Joey Dorwart, The ethereal vocals of Karin McQuade, and the acoustic and electric guitar onslaught of Jimi “Two Nails” Periano, into a hurricane of wild, energetic, kick-in-the-mouth contra music that will leave you gasping for breath and begging for more.
Andrae and Joey were old hands at the contra band scene, having vetted themselves in Anna’s Bananas, Shady Groove, and other arrangements for over fifteen years before they decided to strike out on their own to explore their new and exciting vision for contra music. But they knew that they needed one more member to complete the rockin’ trinity, and after months coaxing Jimi Two Nails, they began experimenting with “rocking out some fiddle tunes”—which quickly escalated to writing the bulk of their own material. Thus, a new band was born, merging traditional contra music with psychedelia, surf rock, and metal to create a new, exciting force: ContraForce. With these crazy jokers at the wheel, there’s no telling where the dance will end up, but you can be sure it’ll be a place filled with that happy, tired sweat we all crave.
Awards
charleston folk, river falls lodge, bug stomp,dance trance, contrathon,summer soiree, moon dance,glen echo halloween ,lake murray, and every single contra dance community we’ve encountered and their support
