The first rivulets of Chester River Runoff oozed from the ground in December
of 2003, when Ben Armiger and Samuel Miles Guthridge were introduced over a bottle of Tequila in a barn in Crumpton, MD.
The two discovered a mutual interest in old timey and bluegrass music, and that they each played guitar and banjo. Over
the next 10 months Ben and Sam jammed occasionally, building enough of a repertoire to play the occasional open mic and on
the streets of Chestertown for first Friday art openings. The band's kickstart came at a party on Halloween night when,
joined by Marc Dykeman of Plans Plans on bass, they kept a whole slew of inebriates dancing for well over 10 minutes.
Sam swiftly contacted bassist Ian Trusheim, a former collaborator of his in the short lived but ground breaking psychedelic
garage rock band Seismic Sanchez, and Tim Parent, the lead guitarist of live-electronica act Astralyte, who had been secretly
woodshedding on his first mandolin. The quartet practiced daily in the same barn in Crumpton for the next month, and
made their debut at a pig roast for an audience who danced until the floor was beyond repair. Since then, Chester River
Runoff have continued to win audiences with their energy, humor, and music that melds traditional bluegrass drive and instrumentation
with the diverse musical backrounds of the bandmembers.
booking:
410-708-6355 (Ben)
The starting lineup:
Ben Armiger - guitar, banjo, vocals
Sam Guthridge - banjo, guitar, vocals
Tim Parent - mandolin, guitar, witticisms
Ian Trusheim - bass, vocals
The second string (past guest performers):
Ben Pitre - bass
Marc Dykeman - bass
Press Harding - fiddle
Denise Carlson - fiddle
Greg Parent - drums
Dale Trusheim - drums
Margaret the dog - vocals
Chet the dog - spilled beer bottles
That drunk Canadian - Lead vocals on "Man of Constant Sorrow" (during every song)
Psychopath lady with a can of mace - gig disruption, equipment destruction
and, last but not least:
Uncle Kent - sound, advice, hip-hop credibility
Thanks to:
Jasper, Marc, Abby, Tommy, Jordan Page, Ford, Carter & Fritz, Laurence, the Washington College
lacrosse team, Dale, Denise, Frank at O'Conners, Andy Goddard, Todd Gillespe, Dusty, Tom McHugh Owen and everyone at the Mainstay,
Bill Wright, Crooks, Kate Bennett, and everybody else. I got tired of scratching my head, if you deserve a thank you,
email the band.
