Carleton’s Regional Carls Program

An Evening of Bluegrass!

Friday, July 13, 2012

6:30 - Happy Hour with Pete Mathison '80
8 p.m. - 12 a.m. - Music by Cousin Dad

Dulono's Pizza
607 West Lake Street
(Uptown: Lyndale and Lake)
Minneapolis MN 55408
612-827-1726  

Join Carleton alums, students, families, and friends at Dulono's for an evening of bluegrass music! Pete Mathison '80 will join us for happy hour starting at 6:30. He'll talk about his journey from a religion major to playing upright bass with a variety of bluegrass bands. Then treat yourself to dinner while you enjoy music by Cousin Dad.

About Pete (from the website of Ruby Magpie, one of Pete's other bands):

Pete Mathison holds down the low end of the music and the high end of the age range for Ruby Magpie. He loves to play bass and sing, he believes that music should be good and fun, and he has been one of the best known bass players in Minnesota for a ridiculously long time.  

In addition to Ruby Magpie, Pete plays with Cousin Dad, The New Distractions, Def Lester and The Chris Silver Band. His credits include many local and regional bands, including Farm Accident, String Theory, The Rivertown Ramblers, Blue Light Special, Big Skyota, The Shandersons, Bricktop, The Red Sea Squirrels, and The Karen Mueller Trio (to name a few).

He has played in Garrison Keillor's living room but has never been on A Prairie Home Companion.  

He's not bitter at all.

About Cousin Dad: 

Cousin Dad appears at first to be a typical bluegrass band, but when the music begins you'll be greeted with a very atypical joy and animation in performing. There are no stiff-jointed, glazed-eyed bluegrass purists, but a loose and limber romp into Latin country blues, jazz, fiddle tunes, bluegrass, Motown, and old-timey. They play the songs they love and they love to play together: that is the great fun of a Cousin Dad performance.

What other string band would combine the "Good Bad and Ugly" theme with Lead Belly's "When I Was a Cowboy" or play the fiddle tune "Whiskey Before Breakfast" in Latin jazz beat? You will hear great originals and clever arrangements of familiar tunes that will set your ear on its ear. They will rock out; they will pick a driving bluegrass song with soulful harmonics or fiddle a sweet waltz. How many bass players can play the lead on fiddle tunes? Pete Mathison can and he plays it on an upright bass.

Finally, a Cousin Dad performance has an easy warmth like a late night jam session after all the music prudes have gone to bed - the joyful music that erupts from a group of friends at 4 a.m. around the camp fire.

Please let Ann Iijima '72 know you plan to come, so she can reserve enough room.  (Free parking; no cover; family friendly!)

Ann Iijima '72
Emily Muirhead McAdams '08