Lift Ticket weaves together traditional tunes and new compositions into music that inspires and infuses dancers with a rare energy. The band is made up of :
REX | SETH | TJ | CW | MARK | STEFAN
Rex Blazer's exuberant presence has been energizing dancers nationwide for over 25 years. Rex’s powerful and irreverent fiddling blends tradition with a big dose of improvisation based on modern musical motifs. From growling to “trad,” blues to swing, it’s always full of surprises. Rex ascribes to the theory that life should be a nonstop music and dance party, and is renowned for his knack of matching music to dance. In addition to his work with Lift Ticket, he plays recording and performance projects with singer-songwriters, fiddle in country and rock bands, and solo work for receptions, weddings, and other private engagements. Find out more cool things about Rex at www.rexblazer.com.
Seth Houston heats up the dance floor with his ultrakinetic dance grooves on the piano and guitar. While adept at traditional style of dance music accompaniment — Irish, New England, and Québécois —Seth infuses his playing with funk, pop, blues and swing. And the dancers go wild! In addition to Lift Ticket, Seth also plays dance music with Sandra Wong, and--less often these days--with Nat Hewitt and Adam Broome in Honk the Moose, and Ethan Hazzard-Watkins and Anna Patton in Firetruck. Seth also teaches middle and high school choir at Shining Mountain Waldorf School, studies choral conducting at the University of Colorado, and composes choral music. Seth enjoys teaching singing workshops, a big hit at dance camps and festivals. In between music projects, you can probably find Seth skiing at Vail, backpacking in the Indian Peaks, or gardening in the back yard. Find out more cool stuff about Seth at www.sethhouston.com.
T.J. Johnson's irreverent style and high energy are notorious for inspiring dancers and musicians alike. He has toured with the Hillbillies From Mars and with the Rodney Miller Band. As a sought after session musician, he has performed and recorded with many well known artists including Vassar Clements, John McCutcheon, Robin and Linda Williams, and Tom Paxton. Starting out as a teenager playing contemporary bluegrass, TJ has branched out over the years to enjoy all different styles from jazz to middle eastern. Of all music, he likes playing for dancers the best. Influential among east coast neo-timey contra dance bands, TJ has played with The Rocket Boys, The Squirrelly Germs, the Velcro Monkeys, and the String Beings. TJ's popular workshops, such as "Fiddle Tune Improvisation," "Music Theory for Folk Musicians," or "Dance Band Cheap Tricks," leave participants delighted and eager to use what they've learned.
C.W. Abbott is Mr. Groove, Mr. Melody-weaver, and Mr. Jam Mayhem all in one. Steeped in the southern Old-time tradition, C.W. also embraces French Canadian reels and Irish jigs with abandon. In addition to mandolin, he plays guitar, bass, fiddle, pedal steel, and jug. And, lest we forget, the wa-wa pedal and the distortion box. C.W. also plays in The Groovemongers (with Rebecca McCallum, Jane Knoeck, and Mark Hellenberg) and The Percolators (with Joe Herrmann, Joe Fallon, Larry Edelman, and David Cahn). C.W. enjoys checking out Monro Muffler franchises and photographing fish.
Mark Hellenberg, percussionist extraordinaire, lays it down with many of the leading bands in contra-dance music, including Hotpoint Stringband, the Groovemmongers, the Sevens, and Wild Asparagus. Combining world percussion instruments and a trap set, Mark makes dancers howl with delight. Mark also plays a mean banjo uke, and is the lead singer and drummer for the popular rock band Stella. A veteran of Celtic music, Mark played for many years with The House Band. Mark currently produces the eclectic music shows Audiosyncrasies and Crossing Boundaries on WOUB public radio. Mark lives in Athens, Ohio.
Percussionist Stefan Amidon, equally extraordinaire, is best known for his rocking underpinning to the band Assembly (with Sam Amidon, Thomas Bartlett, and Keith Murphy, formerly known as Popcorn Behavior). The band’s five albums, most recently “Other Side of the Tracks,” set the standard for contemporary high-octane contra-dance groove music. Originally from Brattleboro, Vermont, Stefan is now a jazz percussion major at Oberlin Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio.
