Ladybugs IN the Spotlight: Bobtown

Bobtown IN Wilmington at the Ladybug Music Festival

Hailing from: New York City
Genre: Americana
RIYL: Wovenhand, Vic Chesnutt, Smithsonian Folkways, Mahalia Jackson, Anais Mitchell, Jay Munly
​Performing: Thursday, July 20th from 8:05pm-8:35pm at 207 N. Market St.

Bobtown is a five piece New York City-based Americana act comprised of KAREN DAHLSTROM (vocals and guitar), ALAN LEE BACKER (banjo, guitar, dobro, vocals), KATHERINE ETZEL (vocals, drums, accordion, ukulele), FRED STESNEY (vocals and bass) and JEN MCDEARMAN (vocals and percussion). Named for a particular blue-collar Iowa region, Bobtown’s folksy harmonies and lush arrangements harken to an ethereal, gospel-laden history of the country’s heartland, birthed in de facto leader Etzel’s admiration of Alan Lomax archival recordings and traditional field hollers of her cornhusker home. Since their formation, the group has evolved into a true musical and multi-instrumental exploration, INcorporating the collective’s other influences—rock, choir, show tunes and jazz, to name a mere few—and have released three full-length recordings, each a maturation from the previous; their collaborative, ambidextrous and utilitarian approach to Gothic roots music fully realized into a completely original and wistful showcase of their obvious depth and talent.

INterested? Check out more on Bobtown at the links below!

Website
INstagram
YouTube
Facebook

Vids:
Hell & Gone
Across the River
Rumble Seat

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