By Sam Shawver
The Marietta Times
Banjo-slinger Steven Moore is coming to Washington State Community College for what promises to be a unique performance, according to Tanya Wilder, chair of WSCC's Evergreen Arts and Humanities Series.
"Steven's music includes both traditional and progressive bluegrass-there's something for all ages," she said. "And he's assembled a group of five top-notch talented people for this performance."
Twenty-year-old Moore, a Marietta College biochemistry major from Bethesda, Ohio, already has an impressive musical resume, as well as an impressive collection of instruments to go along with it, according to his website, stevenmoorebanjo.com.
Fact Box
If you go
What: Steven Moore and Friends concert for the 13th Evergreen Arts and Humanities Series.
Where: Washington State Community College Graham Auditorium in the Arts and Sciences Building.
When: 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday (Art exhibit prior to concert at 7 p.m.)
Tickets: Free to the public. Reserve in advance by calling 374-8176.
In 2011 he entered-and won-the Rockygrass Banjo Championship in Lyons, Colo., bringing home the top prize, which was a Deering Eagle II banjo.
Three years earlier, at age 17, Moore also took first place in the National Bluegrass Banjo Championships in Winfield, Kansas, where he selected an Ome Gold Odyssey Megatone Bluegrass banjo as his prize.
And in 2006, when he was just 15 years old, Moore placed third in the Walnut Valley Festival, also in Winfield, earning himself a nice Deering Black Diamond banjo.
Shortly after winning the 2011 Rockygrass competition, Moore was asked to make a recording for the Ome Banjo company.
"In my time around Lyons, Colo., I spent a lot of time in Boulder at Ome Banjos. Since I was in the area, I knew that I would have to stop by," he wrote on the website.
"That visit led to a few more visits, and before long, Chuck (founder and owner of Ome banjos) had asked if I'd be willing to record for them," Moore wrote. "After making arrangements, I found myself in a studio where I recorded tracks for a small CD called Ome Banjo Sounds. The CD features about seven of Ome's banjo models with me playing two or three songs on each model."
Moore has also recorded at least three CDs of his own, beginning with "Almost Famous-One Small Step" in 2006, followed by "Almost Famous-Past the Point of Rescue" in 2008 and "Almost Famous-One Step Closer" in 2009.
"There's a really good chance that the Graham Auditorium will be packed for this performance," Wilder said. "And I think this is be something we'll be talking about for some time afterward."
The event is free but tickets are required and are going fast, so Wilder encourages everyone to call immediately to reserve a seat.
"The concert starts at 8 p.m. but there will also be an opening reception winter quarter art exhibit by Amy Johnson and John Rossi at 7 p.m., prior to the performance," she said.
