It's December already, and you haven't heard from us since September. Sorry we've been so silent. It has been a busy Fall (especially October) and now the Solstice, Winter, and Christmas are all right around the corner.
Did we mention October? We and our bandmates John King and Daniel Seabolt took a 20 day tour in southern France and the UK. Here's a link to some photos of the trip. We had a wonderful time and received many invitations for return engagements. The weekend after we got back from Europe (still October mind you) we headed right down to Sparta, IL for a two night stand and then straight over to Columbia, MO to play a concert there. We drove straight home on Halloween Day. Whew! What a lot of fun!
November was a little slower. We played a house concert as a duo, and two shows with the help of Dan Seabolt: a fun benefit event for the upcoming commemorative sculpture to the original Snurf Board (invented in Muskegon!) and a night at Muskegon's Hennessey's Irish Pub (always a good time).
Now let's talk about the near future. Here's a show where you can really help us to raise some money for the White Lake Giving Tree. Here's the Press Release:
Ruth and Max Bloomquist and Mike Struwin and the Holiday Ramblers will be “Putting Down Roots for the Holidays” with a Fundraising Concert at the Historic Howmet Playhouse
On Sunday, December 18th, the Historic Howmet Playhouse will be filled with the sound of traditional holiday hymns with a bluegrass twist as the Ruth and Max Bloomquist Band and Mike Struwin and the Holiday Ramblers celebrate the season. West Michigan folk and Americana favorites Ruth and Max Bloomquist will perform with their band mates Daniel Seabolt and John “Sky” King, and Kalamazoo-based Mike Struwin will perform with Josh Bolt on mandolin, Rick Willy on fiddle, Mark Alberts on upright bass, and Al Bates on Dobro and banjo. These musicians are ready to deck halls, bluegrass style.
Mike Struwin & The Holiday Ramblers will be performing songs from their album “Forgotten Hymns”, along with other holiday favorites throughout the month of December at select locations around West Michigan, delivering a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales to various local charities. Part of the proceeds of the December 18 concert will go to the local White Lake Giving Tree, an outreach program in the Whitehall and Montague area that provides food, gifts, and other assistance to families and residents in need. Providing support since 1981, the White Lake Giving Tree assisted over 350 families in 2010 and has used the time and talents of hundred of volunteers. For more information or to volunteer, contact St. James Catholic Church in Montague.
“Putting Down Roots for the Holidays” is sure to put you in the Christmas spirit and is the perfect way to celebrate with friends, family, and your favorite musicians. Join Ruth and Max and the Holiday Ramblers at 7:00 pm on December 18 at the Howmet Playhouse for an inspiring night of holiday cheer. Tickets are $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for students, and are available in advance at Whitehall City Hall and at the door. Call 231-894-4048 or visit www.howmetplayhouse.org for more information and to listen to the bands.
Links:
Ruth and Max Bloomquist: http://www.ruthbloomquist.com/
Mike Struwin: http://www.mikestruwinmusic.com/index.php
A video of a song from Stuwin’s album, “Forgotten Hymns”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOVV3_rUJgg
FaceBook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/264677993580557/
If you haven't visited our website recently, please do click on the link and stop by. It's all new and redesigned with steaming audio with read-along lyrics, photos, a link to our YouTube Channel, our show schedule, and lots more. We'll be adding and switching out content as time goes by, so visit often to see what's new. Look for some special Holiday content as soon as we can get Ruth's new Holiday song recorded.
Thank you so much for your continued friendship. We hope all your dreams for the Holidays come true.
All the best,
Ruth and Max
