After years of playing in orchestras in her hometown of Mendota Heights, Minnesota, and her college
town of Madison, Wisconsin, ANABEL'S violin sat her down and revealed to her that it was a fiddle
at heart whose true calling was to make people dance. Since that day she’s fallen head over heels
for the local folk community, especially old-time and Cajun music and dancing. Anabel is thrilled to
be playing for the Geese and is quickly learning to anticipate the stealthy sarcasm in Adam’s every
word, and the knee-slapping (and/or dumpster-tossing) answers to Rob’s banjo jokes.
ADAM started playing guitar around the age of 20, and was soon caught up in the
sounds of bluegrass and old acoustic blues. He didn't really know all that much
about old-time fiddle music, and first tried out for the Yard Buzzards on a whim
in the fall of 2002. He was very surprised to find out that they chose him,
and he spent the next two years playing with them. He then left the group, missed
playing for them, and tried out again when the Yard Buzzards held auditions for
a guitar player. He's glad to be back. In addition to playing for the cloggers,
Adam spends most of his time with a local old-time band,
The Mill City Grinders, and also plays bass in
Bayou Grenouille.
How can you identify an old-time banjo player with perfect pitch? ROB doesn't
have it, but he's been trying trying to answer the question for the 20
years he's been frailing, clawhammering, and drop-thumbing. He's been playing
banjo with the Yard Buzzards since November, 2001. After having told banjo jokes
to so many audiences, he's found the answer: It's the picker who can toss the banjo
into the dumpster without hitting the sides—and have it smash the accordion it hits.