KASU's Bluegrass Monday to Feature Monroe Crossing
Monroe Crossing
JONESBORO – Monroe Crossing will perform a concert of bluegrass music on Monday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m. at Collins Theatre located at 120 West Emerson Street in downtown Paragould. The concert is part of the Bluegrass Monday concert series presented by KASU 91.9 FM.
Named in honor of Bill Monroe, known as the creator of bluegrass music, Monroe Crossing plays traditional bluegrass music, gospel songs, original melodies and their own unique arrangements that originated in a style of music other than bluegrass such as classic country music or rock-and-roll.
Over the past 20 years, the group has performed over 2,000 shows at bluegrass festivals, churches and venues across the country. In addition to touring across the United States, they have also toured through Canada, Europe and Southeast Asia.
Monroe Crossing has recorded 17 CDs and produced a concert DVD. The band released a CD in 2015 that included music recorded live at past Bluegrass Monday performances.
Based in Minnesota, Monroe Crossing is the only bluegrass band to be named Artist of the Year by the Minnesota Music Academy. The group has also been inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame and has received numerous awards from the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA).
In 2007 and in 2014, the band received the prestigious invitation to appear at the official showcase concert at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s annual convention.
Lisa Fuglie is a founding member of Monroe Crossing. She plays fiddle, guitar and mandolin and is a featured lead vocalist for the group. She was raised in Nigeria and she first discovered bluegrass music through Bill Monroe records.
Fugile has also performed with the groups The Hers, The Outskirts and The Deadly Nightshade Family Singers. In addition, she received a folk arts apprenticeship grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board to study fiddle with Bill Hinkley, an acclaimed musician from Minnesota.
Matt Thompson of Mankato, Minn., plays the mandolin and fiddle and is a founding member of the group. He is a past Mandolin Player of the Year award winner given by the MBOTMA. Thompson has played bluegrass music many bands over the past 30 years, including True Blue, a group that appeared on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” nationally-syndicated public radio program.
Mark Anderson plays bass in the group. His first musical experience was playing in alternative rock bands, but his musical tastes changed dramatically after being introduced to bluegrass music in 1995. Anderson is known for the energy and the humor he brings to Monroe Crossing’s live performances. Another founding member of the band, Anderson has written original songs for the band which appear on their CDs.
Derek Johnson sings and plays guitar. Similar to Anderson, his first musical experiences were in rock-and-roll bands, but he too discovered a love for bluegrass music. Prior to joining Monroe Crossing in 2011, Johnson co-founded the High 48s Bluegrass Band, a group which released four CDs, toured nationwide and won the prestigious Rocky Grass Bluegrass Band Competition in 2008.
Graham Sones plays banjo for the band. He’s played Earl Scruggs-style banjo licks for over four decades. In addition to multiple stints playing in Monroe Crossing, he has also worked with the bands DriveTime, No Grass Limit and the Tony Rook Band.
The admission fee is $10 per person, payable by cash at the door the night of the concert. Everyone aged 18 and under will be admitted for free. Advance tickets can be purchased at www.kasu.org/tickets. Bluegrass Mondays are a non-profit event, and 100% of ticket proceeds go to the performers.
Bluegrass Monday concerts are held on the fourth Monday night of each month. These concerts are presented with support from sponsors including the Paragould Advertising & Promotion Commission, Bibb Chiropractic Center, Gardner-Milner Law Firm, the Posey Peddler, Hyde Park Café, Holiday Inn Express and Suites of Paragould, and KASU.
KASU is the public media service of Arkansas State University broadcasting at 91.9 FM and streaming on a variety of online platforms. For more information, contact Marty Scarbrough, KASU program director, mscarbro@AState.edu or 870-972-2367. Additional information is also available on the Bluegrass Monday Facebook page.
