About Pat Donohue:

From swing to jazz to bottleneck blues to folk, Grammy-winning acoustic guitarist Pat Donohue plays it all with a flourish of artistry and melodic inspiration. Chet Atkins called Pat one of the greatest finger pickers in the world today; Leo Kottke called his playing “haunting.”

Pat is certainly one of the most listened to finger pickers in the world. As the guitarist for the Guys All-Star Shoe Band of Minnesota Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion, Pat gets to show off his savvy licks and distinctive original songs to millions of listeners each week. Besides the weekly radio broadcasts, Pat plays about 30 concert a year nationwide and teaches at such popular music camps as Augusta Heritage Center and Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp.

Honors include a 2005 Grammy for his participation on Pink Guitar, a compilation of Henry Mancini tunes on acoustic guitar, several Minnesota Music Awards, and the title of 1983 National Finger Picking Guitar Champion. His original tunes have been recorded by Chet Atkins, Suzy Bogguss and Kenny Rogers. Pat has also been a featured performer at major music festivals including the Newport, Telluride and Philadelphia Folk Festivals. Pat joins a legendary list of notables, as The Martin Guitar Company recently introduced a Custom Signature Edition Series OM-30DB guitar designed to his specifications.

About Justin Roth:

Raised in Minnesota on rock and roll, singer-songwriter Justin Roth picked up the guitar in 8th grade, taking lessons from a heavy metal guitarist.  As his teacher started playing with an acoustic trio, Justin became more interested in playing unplugged.  His path to acoustic music was solidified at 17, when he saw innovative guitarist Michael Hedges open for Crosby, Stills & Nash.  He had gone to see the famed headliners, it was Hedges’ music that truly spoke to him.  Justin was enthralled by Hedges’ expressive playing and inventive compositions, and from that moment on, he knew that acoustic guitar music would be the root of his musical world.  He began experimenting with alternate tunings and exploring the two-handed tapping technique he learned from acclaimed finger-style guitarist and composer Billy McLaughlin.  From there, Justin added more layers to his playing, using partial capos to create more flexibility to his compositions and live performances.

"Fans of Leo Kottke or Michael Hedges will find themselves right at home with the intricate guitar work...beautifully written lyrics."
-  San Francisco Art Magazine

Inspired by the singer-songwriters he saw perform in his college home of Duluth, Justin began honing his craft as a writer, marrying his accomplished guitar playing with his already strong singing voice.  By his senior year, he had recorded his first album Up Until Now.  Not really intending to pursue a musical career, Justin thought he would go on to get a regular day job.  But, following graduation, he was encouraged by his friend Chris Cunningham (of acoustic/pop duo Storyhill) to drive out to Colorado to attend the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest.  Keeping company with other musicians and swapping songs around late-night campfires, Justin realized that being a touring musician and recording songwriter was really all he wanted to do.  An epic moment in his young life, it would later inspire the title track of his 2003 release Shine.

White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church
328 Maple Street
Mahtomedi, MN 55115

Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 7:30 PM (CT)