The Porch Bottom Boys' music is based in bluegrass, seasoned with the diverse backgrounds of the band members in jazz, blues, rock, and other styles. Come here them showcase some new material — tons of great original instrumentals and vocal numbers — along with classic PBB favorites thrown in!
Opening the show are Chattanooga's Megan Saunders and the Driftless whose "plaintive original melodies ... take you to an earthy, vintage, dream-like setting."
$8 Adv – $12 Door
Doors @ 7 PM
The Porch Bottom Boys proudly hail from Decatur, Georgia. Their music is based in bluegrass, seasoned with the diverse backgrounds of the band members in jazz, blues, rock, and other styles.
Steve Gorbatkin was born on the south side of Chicago and his years in the Windy City left an indelible blues-inflected mark on his singing.
Jim Thompson an Atlanta native who also spent time living and working in the coal towns of Virginia, gives the band its deep bluegrass roots. Jim’s style draws on his experiences as a founding member of the Poetown Ramblers near Grundy, Virginia, and playing with bluegrass groups in Nashville.
Mandolinist and Vocalist Denis Gainty has played various instruments with groups in Boston, New York, and Osaka before joining the Boys. His mandolin style reflects his eclectic musical influences and misspent youth.
When he’s not appearing with the Todd Prusin Experience or other projects, Todd Prusin brings his distinctive punch and energy to the band on the electric bass guitar.Charles O’Neill rounds out the Boys with his tasty licks on the five-string banjo. Charlie’s front porch in Decatur gives the band their name and serves as their home base.
The Porch Bottom Boys play in a variety of local venues and have been featured multiple times on WRFG radio. They have also appeared in many of the Decatur-based festivals, including the BBQ-Blues-Bluegrass Festival, the Decatur Arts Festival, and the Oakhurst Arts Festival. Committed to the Decatur community, they frequently play for local fundraisers, especially those devoted to Decatur Public Schools.
The Driftless area of the American Midwest escaped damage by glaciers during the last glaciation. It was a refuge, allowing resident flora and fauna to thrive while those in surrounding areas were decimated by large-scale upheaval. This is what music is for Chattanooga based band Megan Saunders and The Driftless; a sanctuary from the sometimes rough waters of every day life. Together with Jason Reed (guitar) and Ashley Cofield (violin), Megan’s songs build a sense of story and place, with a sound that spans playful and luminous to sultry and haunting, all the while keeping a foot in American roots music. Together they create a joyous space, a refuge that you can share. As Tom Miller (concert programmer) explains, “The plaintive original melodies of Megan Saunders and The Driftless can take you to an earthy, vintage, dreamlike setting. They will hold you there like a feast of comfort food with no bones to pick or rinds to peel or bitter tastes to distract - seamless pleasure.”