Tonight concert features Coal County Express. After years of playing on Pat and Rosemary’s porch, at festival jams, and the occasional gig, Jillian tried to convince Pat to cave in and put a band together. That didn’t work until Dave came along and twisted his arm (it’s healed up now, and seems to have improved his banjo playing!). CCE spends their band time together picking at Pat’s house, mostly because his wife Rosemary is an awesome hostess and pretty much a goddess in the kitchen.
Over the last few years, CCE has performed a steady number of festivals, concerts, private events, and fund raisers. Some recent engagements include opening for Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Claire Lynch. Some festivals played by the band include Musikfest, Hickory Fest, Out Among The Stars Bluegrass Festival, AFBA Bluegrass Festival, NEPA Bluegrass Festival, Pocono Mountain Bluegrass Festival, Lehigh Valley Bluegrass Festival, Carbon County Bluegrass & Anthracite Heritage Festival, the Summit Hill Hootenanny, and the Harvest Jam. Coal County has also played at fund raisers for local bluegrass organizations and the Cancer Telethon at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA.
CCE has recorded two CD projects. Welcome To Coal County was released in 2011, and Old Coal Town in January of 2017.
Band Members: Pat comes from Summit Hill, PA, and began playing musical instruments when he was just a boy. As one of 8 children in a musical family, he took up the banjo first and later also learned to play guitar, harmonica, mandolin, and bass. Pat has played in many configurations, but mainly as a solo performer.
Located in Reading, PA, Dave also began playing guitar as a youngster. He has worked in country, rock, and bluegrass bands, and also played as a solo performer for many years. Over time, Dave has added dobro and upright bass to his repertoire, and fools with the banjo and mandolin when nobody is listening.
Jillian also lives in Reading, PA, and started her musical career singing Bonnie Raitt tunes with her sisters into a hairbrush. Jillian has been playing bass since 1996, and has two children; Chelsea (guitar) and Mason (drums, bass, mandolin).
Opening the evening will be Juliana Parker. With addictive basslines and poignant, witty lyrics, Juliana’s music is sure to keep you spellbound. On the piano she combines the sounds of pop and rock to create connections with strangers and younger versions of herself. Born the youngest of 3 in 1996, she craved an outlet for expression. In sixth grade she begged for piano lessons and learned from a thick Billy Joel volume until it was all under her fingers. In Autumn of 2014 she started at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, eventually majoring in Songwriting and minoring in Musical Theater Writing. She has been working closely with Livingston Taylor to perfect her songwriting and performance techniques. Her first EP, Every Detail, is due this spring. Her song “Waiting on the Line” featuring Miss Beltran was awarded runner-up in the Radio Airplay Love Song 2017 Contest. After graduating this May, she plans to work in New York and keep climbing from there.
The Perkasie Patchwork Coffeehouse is a ministry of the Perkasie Mennonite Church. The coffeehouse is warm and cozy, with lots of atmosphere. It is a place where people can enjoy fellowship and see some of the best performers available up close and personal, in an intimate setting. Perkasie Patchwork Coffeehouse is located in the church fellowship hall, which is air conditioned and handicap accessible.
Admission: $12 for adults; $10 for adults 65 and over; students 13 and up, $6; 12 and under free. All ticket sales at door, no advance sales, no reservations. Delicious desserts and drinks are available. The doors open at 7:00 and performances begin at 7:30.
A portion of our proceeds at each concert will be donated to a local or international social cause. This month’s benefit is Pennridge FISH (Fellowship In Serving Humanity), our local non-profit food pantry and clothing outlet here in Perkasie. You can also drop off donations of non-perishable food at Patchwork for Pennridge FISH at all our concerts.
May concert flyer.