The Red Bike has scheduled four straight evenings of free musical entertainment, with several club favorites set to return to the stage.
At 8 p.m. Thursday Feb. 26, the spotlight will shine on local talent during an acoustic open mic hosted by Glenn Rukwid. The event is for all ages until 9 p.m., when it will be for ages 21 and older only.
At 9:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, Ian McFeron and his band will take the stage.
McFeron first made his mark on the Seattle music scene in 2003 with the release of his band’s debut album, “Don’t Look Back.” The album got heavy airplay from “The Mountain” (103.7 FM) in Seattle. Within months, the first single, “Love Me Twice,” edged out songs by Modest Mouse, Bob Schneider, The Bo Deans and Ray LaMontagne in The Mountain’s “New Music Throwdown,” a weekly competition where listeners voted for their favorite of two new songs.
The band has gone on to share the spotlight with international and national artists such as Patty Griffin, Nanci Griffith, Shawn Mullins, Amos Lee, Sister Hazel, Carbon Leaf, The Hothouse Flowers and Jars of Clay.
“Let It Ride” is the band’s most recent album, released in 2007.
In live performance, McFeron, on vocals, guitars and piano, is joined by the Texas fiddle of Alisa Milner and the backbeat rhythms of Jon Markel and Mark Bateman.
The band shifts through a wide range of styles, traveling from acoustic folk rock to alt-country blues, soulful ballads and danceable grooves.
Another popular Seattle band, Handful of Luvin,’ will play at the Bike at 9:30 p.m. Saturday Feb. 28.
Pete Welch, who books music at the Red Bicycle, said the band “leaves everyone wanting more.”
Welch isn’t alone in his admiration for the band — the group’s combination of rock, folk and blues music has earned praise from a wide array of music critics. To read what critics are saying and sample the band’s music, visit www.myspace.com/handfulofluvin.
Both McFeron’s show and the Handful of Luvin’ concert are for ages 21 and older only.
Welch will continue his Sunday night tradition of presenting local bands with Riverbend scheduled to play an all-ages show at 7 p.m. Sunday March 1.
Band members include Paul Colwell, Chuck Roehm, Peter Larsen, Shelly Frankel, Dave Lang and Randy Bruce.
Roehm, Larsen and Frankel played for many years as part of the Island band, The Garage Boys.
Colwell is known for playing with the The Colwell Brothers and the Up with People as well as the Island band Bob’s Your Uncle. Lang is a member of two Cajun bands, and Bruce is well known on the Island and has played many venues and styles of music. This band has a wide breadth of musical experience and talent.
With instrumentation that includes guitars, banjos, mandolins, fiddles, accordions, harmonicas, autoharps and an upright bass, the band plays traditional old-time country favorites, folk songs, Cajun, rock and original songs.
