Astrograss

• Dennis Lichtman - mandolin/fiddle/vocals
• Jordan Shapiro - guitar/vocals
• Tim Kiah - bass/vocals
• Sarah Alden - fiddle/vocals
• Jonah Bruno - banjo

Astrograss, formed in 2003, performs high-energy bluegrass music for all occasions. Since its inception, Astrograss has moved to the forefront of New York's lively acoustic music and bluegrass scene. The band has also been recognized on a national level, performing at the legendary Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival for 2 years in a row. ('07 and '08), and also at the prestigious South by Southwest Festival in March 2009. The band's self-titled debut album, released in February 2005, showcases its unique sound: earthy, bluegrass-inspired yet decidedly un-twangy. Astrograss is equally passionate in its vocal harmonies and surging improvisations. In concert, Astrograss wows audiences with an eclectic yet solidly rooted mix of original material, choice covers ranging from Jimmy Webb to Guns n' Roses, and foot-stompin', "yee-haw"-inspiring fiddle hoedowns.

Astrograss has performed in New York venues such as BB King's Blues Club, The Mercury Lounge, The Living Room and the Rodeo Bar, in addition to regular gigs at New York's home of bluegrass, the Parkside Lounge. In June 2004, the band undertook a tour of the Midwest, culminating with two sets at the highly esteemed Appalachian Uprising bluegrass festival in Ohio. 2005 found the band collaborating with ex-Zappa mallet player Ed Mann on various gigs, resulting in rich new sounds. Most recently, the band has begun a highly successful series of childrens' music performances at theaters and parks throughout the NYC area. In early 2008, Astrograss released a kids album entitled "Let Me Stay Up All Night", featuring 16 original tracks of high-energy bluegrass, Celtic and folk music for kids of all ages. The band performed its kids-friendly set at the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in upstate NY in both 2007 and 2008. The band has also performed its family music set at sold out concerts at venues such as Joe's Pub (NYC), Symphony Space (NYC), World Cafe Live (Philly), Madison Square Park (NYC) and the Knitting Factory (NYC).

The band also takes on about 4-6 private events per month, ranging from weddings to private parties to school events and kid's birthday parties.
At weddings, the bands let the wedding couple pick out 6-8 specific song requests that they learn specifically for that wedding. Any song, any genre, no problem. For the rest of the performance, the band generally does a mix of uptempo bluegrass, the couple's requests, and past requests from the band's published songlist, which ranges from 80's pop tunes to standard wedding fare to Celtic music to classic rock/soul tunes. (all done in the high-energy 'newgrass' style.) Favorites include songs by Wilco, Old 97's, Grateful Dead, Flaming Lips, Madonna, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and The Pixies.

Astrograss is available as a 4, 5 or 6 piece ensemble, including any of the following instruments: Banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar and bass.

• Africa - Toto
• All I Want is You - Barry Lewis Polistar
• America - Simon & Garfunkel
• Baby Now That I've Found You - Allison Krauss/The Foundations
• Beauty of My Dreams - Del McCoury/Phish
• Beautiful Girl - INXS
• Bertha - Grateful Dead
• Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
• Big Brown Eyes - Old 97's
• Blue Suede Shoes - Elvis
• Box of Rain - Grateful Dead
• Bright Side of the Road - Van Morrison
• California Stars - Wilco/Billy Bragg
• Carry Me Ohio - Sun Kil Moon
• Catch The Wind - Donovan
• Chimbley Sweep - Decemberists
• Chinese Translation - M. Ward
• Close To Me - The Cure
• Comes a Time - Neil Young
• Come On Eileen - Dixie's Midnight Runners
• Could You Be Loved - Bob Marley
• Crazy - Patsy Cline
• Danny's Song - Loggins & Messina
• Dead Flowers - Rolling Stones
• Do You Realize? - Flaming Lips
• El Paso - Marty Robbins
• Enjoy the Silence - Depeche Mode
• Everybody Knows this is Nowhere - Neil Young
• Everyone - Van Morrison
• First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes
• Floating - Sun Kil Moon
• Fly - Nick Drake
• Freedom '90 - George Michael
• Friend of the Devil - Grateful Dead
• Get Me Through December - Alison Krauss
• Golden - My Morning Jacket
• Good Lovin' - Dead/The Rascals
• Happy Together - Turtles
• Harvest Moon - Neil Young
• Here Comes Your Man - The Pixies
• Hesitating Beauty - Wilco/Billy Bragg
• Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix
• Hey Ya - OutKast
• Hoodoo Voodoo - Wilco
• I Can't Get U Out of My Head - K. Minogue
• I Hope I Don't Fall in Love With You - Tom Waits
• I'm Looking Through You - Beatles
• I've Just Seen A Face - Beatles
• I Want To Hold Your Hand - Beatles
• Imagine - John Lennon
• In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
• In Spite of Ourselves - John Prine
• Isn't She Lovely - Stevie Wonder
• I'll Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab
• Just One Thing - My Morning Jacket
• Kiss - Prince
• Lady In Red - Chris DeBurgh
• Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
• Last Tide - Sun Kil Moon
• Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan
• Littlest Birds - Be Good Tanyas/Jolie Holland
• Live To Tell - Madonna
• Long Time Gone - Dixie Chicks
• Love Train - The O'Jays
• Lovin' In Your Baby's Eyes - Taj Mahal
• Look at Miss Ohio - Gillian Welch
• Material Girl - Madonna
• May This Be Love - Jimi Hendrix
• Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
• Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard - Paul Simon
• Northern Sky - Nick Dranke
• Mushaboom - Feist
• The Night Before - Beatles
• New Madrid - Uncle Tupelo
• New Morning - Bob Dylan
• No Expectations - Rolling Stones
• Ooh La La - The Faces
• Our House - CSNY
• Our Love - Rhett Miller
• Picture Book - The Kinks
• Rag Mama Rag - The Band
• Rain - Beatles
• Raspberry Beret - Prince
• Scarlet Begonias - Grateful Dead
• Shaking the Tree - Peter Gabriel
• She's Got the Look - Roxette
• Signed Sealed Delivered - Stevie Wonder
• Silent In the Morning - Phish
• So Lonely - The Police
• Soul Meets Body - Death Cab For Cutie
• Such Great Heights - Postal Service
• Sugaree - Grateful Dead
• Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
• Sweethearts - Camper Van Beethoven
• Sweet Child of Mine - Guns 'n Roses
• Sweet Thing - Van Morrison
• Sweetness - Dan Bern
• Swimming Song - Loudon Wainwright III
• Teen Angst/What The World Needs Now - Cracker
• They Love Each Other - Jerry Garcia
• This Must Be the Place - Talking Heads
• Thriller - Michael Jackson
• Umbrella - Rhianna
• Waiting on a Friend - Rolling Stones
• When the Stars Go Blue - Ryan Adams
• Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show
• White Wedding - Billy Idol
• When I Paint My Masterpiece - Bob Dylan
• With Or Without You - U2
• Wild Horses - Rolling Stones
• Yellow - Coldplay
• What the World Needs Now is Love - Burt Bacharach
• You Can Close Your Eyes - James Taylor

Anniversaries, Awards Nights, Bachelor Parties, Bachelorette Parties, Banquets, Birthday Parties, Children's Birthday Parties, Celebrations, Church Services, Clubs, Cocktail Parties, Community Events, Conventions, Corporate Functions, Country Clubs, Dinner Dances, Festivals, Graduation Parties, Grand Openings, Halloween Parties, Picnic, Private Parties, Proms, Restaurants, Reunions, School Assemblies, Weddings, Wedding Ceremonies, Wedding Cocktail Hours, Wedding Receptions...and more.

• What a fabulous, professional, talented group! They were the perfect band for my party of 60 people in my NYC garden. They came right on time, were willing to forgo their amplifiers to suit my small venue and played a delightful mix of bluegrass, blues and even some country folk. Lots of delightful banjo, mandolin and fiddle plus great guitar and bass. They played constantly or three hours with only a couple of short breaks playing their own stuff plus lots of requests including Ashokin Farewell, Tennessee Stud and several Johnny Cash tunes. They are a cheerful group who clearly love what they do and their enthusiasm and great sound-entirely acoustic!- were a wonderful addition to my party. I'd hire them again in a flash. -- Ms Jeffrey Z, New York, NY, 4/8/2006
• We were thrilled withtheir performance and even asked for their contact information afterwards -- Brewster S, West Chester, PA, 10/13/2007
• My experience with Astrograss was phenomenal. Their enormous talent aside, they are just wonderful people. A really cool group of guys and just as nice you'd want them to be. They are complete professionals, learned songs for the gig, and let my wife join them for some impromptu jamming (thanksfully my wife can sing). It was raining like hell for the party, but these guys soldiered on and made the day a huge success. If you are looking for a great bluegrass band (with some cool funky twists as well) and a great group of guys, don't think twice. Book Astrograss and you're going to have a great time, without any hassles, attitude or worries. Jon Renner -- Jon R, Hillsborough, NJ, 6/13/2009
• They were very accommodating, played songs we requested and allowed some of us to sing with them. Plus they sound great. -- Paul Y, Big Indian, NY, 10/1/2011

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