At Tapestry, music goes hand-in-hand with the dance. Meet some of our regular bands!

  • The roots of Contra dance lie in the set dances of the British Isles popular 300 years ago. This ensemble plays monthly on second Sundays for English Country dance.  And every once and a while they like to kick it up for a Contra dance by busting out David’s saxophone and spicing the medleys with a few favorites from Playford-era yesteryear, as deliciously danceable today as they were centuries ago.  The Anytime English Players are Maura Goodin (fiddle), Ken Steffenson (fiddle/mandolin/percussion), David Edminster (recorders /bassoon/saxophone) and Lynn Dixon (piano/percussion).

Four musicians playing instruments outdoors, three men playing violins and a woman singing or listening, with a wooden structure in the background and trees with green leaves.
Four men standing in front of a red curtain, each holding a musical instrument, smiling at the camera.
Collage of four photos of children and a dance scene with text that reads "Mayhaps: Together, they play groovin' medleys that will have you smiling from ear to ear."

  • Contratopia is a contra dance band composed of three musicians from Minnesota and one from northeast Iowa that has been surprising dancers and listeners since late 1999 with spontaneous, joyful and mostly original music. Members Erik Sessions (fiddle), Tim Reese (fiddle, nyckelharpa), Patrice Pakiz (piano, percussion) and Pat O'Loughlin (english concertina, banjo and cajon) continue the rock, jazz, classical and folk musical influences honoring original member John Goodin.

    The group has played frequently for dances in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, completed 2 decades of tours of the mid-Atlantic region and been the featured band at dance weekends from Florida to Montana. They have recorded four CD’s: Hands Four, Ballroom Echoes, Smitten and Riff City. 

     Contratopia anticipates sharing their enthusiasm for jigs, reels and waltzes with dancers for a long time to come.

  • The Flour City Doughboys are a 4 piece hybrid dance band crossing the stylistic boundaries of Old Time, Bluegrass, Celtic, Scandinavian and Swing. Art Bjorngjeld plays fiddle and accordion and is a local Scandinavian legend, Danny Hansen is a smooth and creative guitarist with Bluegrass and Gypsy Jazz roots, Doug Lohman plays bass and brings a Bluegrass and Cajun feel to the band. Pat O'Loughlin plays banjo, concertina and cajon and draws from a multitude of styles. We've even been known to include a vocal or two during a night of contra dancing. jigs, reels and waltzes with dancers for a long time to come.

  • ​Guiding Star is a fiddle/piano duo driven by Danielle Enblom's wealth of knowledge of Irish fiddle tunes. Accompanied by Mattie Rynkiewicz, these two will have you stomping your feet and hollering for more as they fill the hall with music. On rare occasions, they are joined by Evan Snoey on fiddle. This group will guide you to new levels of fun on the dance floor. 

Three men standing together in front of a colorful quilted backdrop, holding musical instruments including a harmonica, a fiddle, and an acoustic guitar.

  • There’s a fresh breeze blowing out on the prairie: Northern Aire combines the driving fiddle of Tim Reese (Pigs Eye Landing) with Pat O’Loughlin's banjo and concertina (Contratopia) plus guitar/piano/squeezebox from Bob Walser. Together they stretch the boundaries of Northern (Scots, Irish, Quebecois and Old Time) dance music with improvisation and creativity. For Northern Aire the fun is all about connecting with the dancers: their music is the invisible link that can unite a room into an explosion of joy.

  • ​When highly skilled, classically-trained violinists meet fiddle tunes, you get Speed Dial. Led by Mattie Rynkiewicz on piano, this band's primary focus is contemporary fiddle tunes. Their distinct, crisp sound is carried out by a rotating cast of fiddlers including David Carrillo, Liz Bergmann, Josiah Misselt, and Jennifer Lee. You'll want to have this band on your Speed Dial.

  • ​Father and son fiddle duo Tim Reese and Eli Hooker Reese along with their friends Mattie Rynkiewicz on piano and Jim Parker on mandolin are Tub o' Cookies. They play a variety of midwestern, old time, quebecois, and original tunes by Eli and Mattie that are sure to tantalize your ears. Make sure to look out for the cookies they're munching on in between sets. When Mattie and Eli play as a duo, they are known as Patch Notes. 

Band of seven musicians performing on stage with various instruments, including guitar, drums, accordion, and violin, under colorful stage lights.

  • An eclectic Irish-American band with members from varied facets of the rich Twin Cities music scene.  Members include Datta Hartman (accordion and vocals), Bill Lee (harmonica, whistles, bagpipes), Ric Lee (fiddle and mandolin), Shawn McBurnie (vocals and bodhrán), John Goolsby (upright bass), Sherry Taplin (clogging and autoharp), Michael Ries (guitar and vocals), and Sunil Bawa (percussion).

    Irish Diplomacy shines when playing original material you'd swear came from the tradition,  pulling Appalachian and Irish roots together, or adding a twist to an old chestnut.

  • Hailing from Downing, Wisconsin, fiddler Isaiah May is currently attending Berklee College of Music. Joined by Mattie Rynkiewicz on piano and Mason Lunneborg on percussion, this group is known as Mayhaps. Together, they play groovin' medleys that will have you smiling from ear to ear. 

  • We are a pick-up band that plays for the "Community Contradance" on 5th Saturdays at Tapestry which happens about 4 times a year. A core of “regulars” forms our backbone, but newcomers are always welcome, and we are never the same band twice. Instrumentation tends toward fiddles, flutes, mandolins, guitars, accordions, and keyboards, but we are open to anything! One practice session is offered before each dance, and our tune book in PDF format is available on request. Participation is voluntary and musicians get in free. The real reward is, of course, playing “live music" for joyful dancers. Interested in joining? To inquire email Ken Steffenson or Erin Walsh.

  • Come take a ride with Tunebuggy. This band started as an offshoot of the Patchwork Players in 2018 and plays an evolving assortment of time-honored tunes spiced with original compositions by Ken Steffenson and Mattie Rynkiewicz. Hear the creative piano stylings of Mattie Rynkiewicz back Maura Goodin on fiddle, Mia Burgstede on button box, and Ken Steffenson on assortment of stringed instruments as they explore their repertoire.

    Click here to inquire.

Group of four smiling adults, two men and two women, posing together indoors.

  • Compass Rose String Band

    This home-grown band formed to play for contras 12 years ago, and has become a Tapestry favorite. Known for their musical variety, they bring a convergence of tunes from the 4 points of the compass, borrowing from Scottish, Irish, Quebecois, English, and Appalachian fiddle traditions, with some original tunes thrown in for good measure.

    CRSB is:
    Ken Steffenson (fiddle, banjo)
    Anne Benson (hammered dulcimer, flute),
    Erin Walsh (upright bass, cello)
    Joel Petersen (guitar)