MOSES LAKE — It’s called “newgrass.” 

That’s how the members of Molly in the Mineshaft describe the mixture of folk, bluegrass, blues, jazz, Celtic and rock they’ll be bringing to the Wallenstien Theater on Oct. 17. The show is the second in the Central Basin Community Concert Association’s 2024-25 season. 

“They’re fun. They kind of play off each other,” said Patti Blagg, vice president of the Mid-Columbia Community Concert Association, CBCCA’s sister organization in The Dalles, Ore., which hosted Molly in the Mineshaft last year. “They’re just so versatile. It’s contemporary music for contemporary folks.” 

Molly in the Mineshaft comes from Provo, Utah, and among the seven musicians there’s a range of instruments: mandolin, accordion, two fiddles and trumpet, along with several guitars and three singers — two female, one male — who weave tight, interactive harmonies. Most of the percussion is on the cajon, a South American box-shaped drum played by hand. 

Newgrass apparently has a very broad appeal, Blagg said. 

“We have a lot of (classical music lovers) in our audience,” Blagg said. “Their reaction to them just amazed me, because they got into it. We have kind of a dance floor (in our venue) that people go to. There were a couple of ladies who actually didn’t want to go up in front of everybody, so they stood in the aisle in the back and did a little jig.” 

Molly in the Mineshaft was selected as the showcase winner at the Arts Northwest conference in 2019, according to their website, with an 11-1/2-minute after-hours that they weren’t aware was eligible for the award. Video of the winning performance can be seen on the website. 

None of the band members is actually named Molly, according to the band’s online bio. Rather, the name stems from a 2015 incident when a cow named Molly fell into a 30-foot mine and had to be hauled out using a tow truck fitted with a special lift. Molly the cow does not tour with the band. 

Part of what CBCCA does in its concert series is arrange for the musicians to do an outreach at a local school, said CBCCA President Frances Irwin. 

“It’s such an opportunity for these students who don’t have the opportunity to visit with and interact with national and international artists,” Irwin said. Which schools they’ll visit is still being determined, she added. 

Molly in the Mineshaft did a similar outreach in The Dalles, Blagg said, and was a hit with the school children. 

“They would allow the kids to come up and try their instruments,” she said. “Especially the (cajon) player. That was one of the most fascinating things the kids did, because he beats on wood.” 

Molly in the Mineshaft 

www.mollyinthemineshaft.com
Wallenstien Theater,
Big Bend Community College
6989 College Parkway NE,
Moses Lake.
Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.
Adults $30
Students $10
Special group rates for families
Tickets and information: communityconcertsml.com