Anvil Blasters to play The Barn

The Anvil Blasters will kick off spring with a show at The Barn on Saturday evening, April 25.

"The Barn is probably our favorite place to play," says band member Jim Cornelius. "The sound is great in there and we love the atmosphere. It suits our music."

The songs of The Anvil Blasters are peopled with border renegades and desert dreamers, poets, pirates and ghosts of the old, weird America. It's a rollicking recipe of gunpowder, twang and tequila that has earned The Anvil Blasters a loyal following across Central Oregon.

The Anvil Blasters are Jim Cornelius (vocals, guitar), Mike Biggers (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Lynn Woodward (vocals, mandolin, fiddle) and guest Jeff Wester (banjo, vocals).

"Jeff's an original Anvil Blaster," Cornelius said. "He's a blacksmith and he named the band back many years ago. It's great to have him playing with us again."

Wester named the band for an old-time holiday celebration known as "blasting the anvil" (also "blowing" or "shooting" the anvil). Celebrants would stack a pair of anvils on top of each other, the bottom one upside down so that cavity at the bottom of each anvil met. The resulting opening was packed with black powder and lit off to blast the top anvil into the air.

The band will be joined for this show by the Central Oregon folk duo NTT (Kevin Tanski and Deb Black).

"We've been wanting to do a show with Kevin and Deb for a long time," Cornelius said. "Their harmonies are so sweet."

The Barn is located at 68467 Three Creek Rd., about three-quarters of a mile south on Elm Street from downtown Sisters. Bring your own picnic; $10 suggested donation. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; music starts at 7 p.m.

For more information call 541-390-6973.