Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands World Music Band from Greensboro, NC

"Polished, breathtaking group with international influences." -Performer Magazine "a pleasant kind of bonkers" - BBC Radio Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands has an eclectic, carnivalesque world folk sound that is at times whimsically frenetic and at times hauntingly beautiful. The band is led by Crystal Bright, who sings and plays accordion, musical saw, concertina, piano, Taiko drum, adungu (Ugandan harp), and various others, leaving people captivated with her operatic & soulful vocals and virtuoso command of her exotic instruments. Combining elements from many different world styles, the group's sound has proved a challenge to describe, but here is Americana UK's description: "So where to begin? Words that come to mind listening to them are, (deep breath..) carnivals, mariachi, Kate Bush, musicals, Tim Burton, Goldfrapp, Calexico, Eastern Europe gypsies, Gogol Bordello, Jazz, Devotchka, old timey, cabaret, fables, fairytales and a hundred others, really. I could go on." Others often mentioned include Beirut, Decemberists, Toms Waits, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Yann Tiersen, Danny Elfman, & Dresden Dolls. 2012 was a busy year for Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands, with over 110 shows from Boston to New Orleans to Nashville in support of the latest release, "Muses & Bones." The album has received press and positive reviews in the US & Europe, as well as radio airplay in the US, UK, & Canada, including NPR and BBC appearances. The group plays a collection of songs from 2 original albums, new originals yet to be recorded, and depending on the type of show, select covers from a wide repertoire that includes tango, brazilian, spanish, & french music. The group can play whatever set length is necessary and adapt the live show to range anywhere from a lively stripped-down acoustic set to an intense cabaret gypsy rock show, or what it calls "kaleidophrenic cabaret." The group's performances have ranged from nightclubs, private house concerts, & weddings to a performance of an original song backed by the North Carolina Symphony at Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh, NC.