This is the solo debut from the lead singer and songstress of The Ragbirds and it is a real departure from the percussive upbeat sound of Zindle’s heavily touring band. It’s an 8-song journal of a feathered traveler. The songs are private moments scooped up with two small hands and spread out in layers of strings, voices, piano and words. Zindle, who is known for her creative energy and endless smiles, has taken the listener into a smaller quieter world where pain slips through the cracks and the raw edges are left to show. The songs speak of strange experiences, loss, internal wrestling, forgiveness, family, nature and despair. With the exception of a guest bassoon and bagpiper all the instruments are performed by Erin herself. “Scenes From The Fragile Agile Avian World” is full of imagery and feminine musical textures without drums, bass and guitar.

Erin Zindle Scenes From the Fragile Agile Avian World Music Folk

Chris Bathgate, one of the amazing artists playing at Wayfarer

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Wayfarer Roots and Bluegrass Festival Detroit Magic Stick Folk Bluegrass Americana Music

Ragbirds aim to fly at Columbus concert

By Sara Bradley

bradley.249@osu.edu

Published: Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Updated: Wednesday, May 4, 2011 23:05

Inside of an eco-friendly, vegetable-oil-fueled tour bus are five band members with the ability to use eight different instruments, and they’re headed for Columbus.

The Ragbirds will play at Woodlands Tavern in Grandview Heights at 11 p.m.

The Ragbirds combine influences of folk, pop and rock with a Celtic feel. Frontwoman Erin Zindle said in an email she was inspired by artists such as Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel and Rusted Root.

Zindle leads the band, providing vocals and playing the violin, mandolin, banjo, accordion and percussion. Zindle’s husband Randall Moore provides percussion and her brother T.J. Zindle plays guitar. In addition to Erin, T.J. and Moore, the band has Brian Crist on bass and Loren Kranz on drums.

Since their start as just Moore and Erin in 2005, the lineup has changed and so has their sound, thanks to their time on the road.

The major transition in their music came when T.J. joined in 2008. Erin said his influences brought more electric guitar causing the sound to gain a little edge, shifting toward a rock-and-roll feel.

“The road has been the major catalyst for change. As we have been touring for the last few years, we play between 150-200 shows a year, we have been able to experience how the music relates to many different audiences,” Erin said in the email.

The show at Woodlands Tavern will include songs from their fourth studio album, 2009’s “Finally Almost Ready.”

Audience members can expect a folk rock sound infused with a little bit of rock-and-roll. The songs are “fun, danceable and diverse,” Erin said in an email.

The five band members travel around the country in a Ford E-350 diesel bus that they converted to run on recycled waste vegetable oil in 2008. The bus is named “Cecilia” after the patron saint of music.

In an email, Erin said it has always been important to the band to reduce its impact on the Earth. In the course of a year with 200 tour stops, the band travels more than 100,000 miles.

“We’re able to drastically cut our dependence on gas while at the same time helping our pocket book,” Joe Choma, band manager, said in an email.

The band also avoids using plastic water bottles and made each of their albums with recycled materials.

The Ragbirds raise money to fund their albums and tours through Kickstarter.com, a website that connects artists, musicians and others with potential donors to fund projects. This year, the band has received $14,000 from fans to continue their tours.

The Ragbirds attempt to have their audiences “laugh, smile, dance, and enjoy a high-energy show featuring diverse sounds from around the world,” Choma said in the email.

Woodlands Tavern patrons must be at least 18 years old. The tavern is located at 1200 W. 3rd Ave and tickets for the show, starting at 11 p.m., are $10 at the door.

The Ragbirds Columbus Woodlands Tavern The Lantern World beat folk music

Ragbirds fly to Finn’s

Written by Vincent Scebbi | | vscebbi@toledofreepress.com

From her teenage days of listening to Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel and Sting, worldly instruments have been a major influence in Erin Zindle’s music career.

“My love for world music started around then, as a teenager. I started writing songs around then and as I’ve grown over the years, these sounds I’m so emerged in and in love with have kind of found their own way into my songs and my writing in one way or another,” she said.

Zindle is the frontwoman, fiddler, banjo and mandolin player of the Ann Arbor based Ragbirds, who are set to play its 8:30 p.m. gig at Mickey Finn’s April 21.

The Ragbirds are defined by its website as a fusion of folk rock with some danceable beats along with Zindle’s Celtic style fiddle playing.

“[The audience] can expect to see a diverse range of music but there is also a common thread throughout, which mostly has to do with my vocal and violin parts,” Zindle said. “One may be a tango and the next is an African drum piece and the next is Latin. It keeps people interested and it’s a lot of fun for us.”

While studying her family’s roots and culture, Zindle learned more about Celtic music, another influence. Aside from its typical song list, the Ragbirds bring styles such as Latin dance and African drum pieces. Each member plays a drum and Zindle said it helps establish communication between the band mates during the set.

“The music is polyrhythmic and you have a whole bunch of people listening to each other really well to make the piece make sense,” she said. “It’s a good thing to learn. I found out the players change over the years, but every time we get a new player we teach them the African drum pieces and it’s just a good way to rehearse and tighten up as a band.”

Aside from Zindle, the Ragbirds is comprised of guitarist T.J. Zindle, brother of the frontwoman, Brian Crist on bass, Loren Kranz on drumset and Erin Zindle’s husband Randall Moore as a general percussionist.

The married couple met prior to the formation of the Ragbirds while traveling in similar musical circles. Moore was a guest performer in Zindle’s former band. When that group split, the duo played in a few different bands together as well as street performing in Ann Arbor.

“As we were dating we would perform in the street for tips in downtown Ann Arbor and get enough money for cocktails later in the night,” Moore said. “We definitely bonded over music.”

The band name, coined by Zindle, comes from an unexplainable childhood fascination with birds.

The band is raising funds for its fourth studio album, with help through the Kickstarter program. Kickstarter is the world’s largest fundraising project for artists ranging from literature to fine arts to performing musicians.

Moore said the artist sets a fundraising goal and fans, friends and family are able to make pledges to help fund the project.

“We used Kickstarter as a way to get our fans involved in the recording process and it also helped raise money to help us because we’re an independent band and we’re recording solely on our own is a very expensive process,” he said. “Instead of going into debt over it, we decided to use Kickstarter.”

The Ragbirds’ goal of $10,000 was met recently and as of April 19, more than $13,000 has been raised, according to the band’s website.

Moore said they were able to raise money quickly through an incentive program ranging from autographed albums to merchandise and the largest incentive being a private performance by the Ragbirds.

“We’re really blessed by the amount of supporters,” Moore said.

The Ragbirds Mickey Finns Toledo Folk World Beat Gypsy Roots

2011 Wayfarer Roots & Bluegrass Festival Initial Artist Announcement:

Frontier Ruckus
The Ragbirds
Chris Bathgate
…Rachael Davis Band
Doop and the Inside Outlaws
The Giving Tree Band
Black Jake & the Carnies
Dragon Wagon
Abigail Stauffer
***More to be announced soon!

It is with great excitement and anticipation that Grand Circus Media and the Majestic Theatre announce the sophomore incarnation of Wayfarer Roots & Bluegrass Festival. With 9 acts rounding out the initial artist announcement, Wayfarer will feature a rapid-fire evening of the regions most talented and engaging roots, bluegrass, and folk artists. With five minutes between sets on two stages, the festival aims to unite Michigan’s roots music scene for a single night to help celebrate Michigan’s musical diversity. The Majestic Theatre and Grand Circus Media are proud to present Wayfarer Roots & Bluegrass Festival at the Magic Stick on Saturday June 25th.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of the festival. Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or at the Majestic Theatre. Doors open at 4:00 PM and all ages are welcome. Additional artists will be announced in the coming weeks.

Wayfarer Roots and Bluegrass Festival Detroit Folk Bluegrass Americana Music Magic Stick