Blue grass band to make Island debut

The Town of Shelter Island Recreation Department will present an evening of bluegrass music with Rounder Records recording artist Josh Williams and his band on Saturday, January 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Shelter island School auditorium.
Winner of the 2010 International Bluegrass Music Association’s “Emerging Artist of the Year,” the Josh Williams Band has secured its place as one of the genre’s rising acts. Josh also took home the Guitar Player of the Year award as well, in the fast company of monster players Tony Rice and Bryan Sutton. The band’s version of “Cherokee Shuffle” was also nominated for the 2010 best instrumental.
Close harmonies and fiery instrumentals have thrilled sold-out audiences nationwide. Josh’s vocals pay tribute to some of country music’s greats, and the on-stage chemistry of the quartet has earned them encore performances at some of the most prestigious venues in the country.
The Josh Williams Band pays homage to the roots of country and bluegrass, with dynamic vocals and great picking, and won the hearts of the audience at this year’s Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival when the sound quit, and they played “unplugged” in front of the stage. If you’re looking for a great way to take the chill off the winter blues, look no further than a great night of bluegrass with a touch of “twang.”  
Doors open at 7 p.m.; the show begins at 7:30 p.m. Reserved seats cost $20, $25 and $30, and can be purchased online at: brownpapertickets.com/event/144248 (1-800-838-3006), or locally by calling the Shelter Island FIT Center at 749-0978 or Tom Hashagen at 749-2355 or 365-1979. Students who bring a purchased ticket and photo ID to the box office on the night of the show will receive a $10 cash rebate.