Buddy Merriam shows once again how to deliver a show on the stage of the historic Vail-Leavit Music Hall, an exact replica of the Ford Theater in Washington DC. Bandmates Ernie Sykes on upright bass & vocals, flatpicking champion Bob Harris on guitar, Jerry Oland on banjo, Gary Oleyar (Kenny Loggins) on fiddle and special guests Kathy DeVIne & Lucy Clark make for a show that takes you out on a musical journey and back. For three decades Buddy Merriam & Back Roads have been bringing hard driving bluegrass music to Long Island, the northeast and beyond. After being struck by lightning in 1976- and living to tell- at his first bluegrass festival in upstate New York, Buddy Merriam made a special connection with the mandolin and the man who is called “the father of bluegrass”, Bill Monroe. He mentored Buddy for many years until his passing in 1996. Out of his love for the music, Buddy formed his band Back Roads in 1980 & performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville & Lincoln Center; featured in CMT’s “Bluegrass Sound” and the “Bluegrass Journey” documentary, performed at numerous colleges, concert venues, fairs & festivals and have made two tours of Ireland, England and Scotland-just to name a few. Buddy Merriam and Back Roads perform his brand of hard core, traditional high energy bluegrass entertainment with lots of original mandolin music from his new CD, "Back Roads Mandolin", hard driving banjo and some of the finest bluegrass singing you’ll ever hear. You can find out more by going to their website: www.BuddyMerriam.com “For over 30 years, Buddy Merriam and his band Back Roads have been bringing the edgy, hard-driving sound of traditional bluegrass to audiences throughout the country. Buddy's powerhouse Monroe-style mandolin propels the band ever forward, together with Jerry Oland's rock-solid banjo and the strong, emotional singing of Ernie Sykes and Kathy DeVine. Buddy has long been a favorite of the Emelin Theatre's audience, and for good reason. As Mr. Monroe himself might have said, "Mighty fine!" ~Arnie Fleischer, Emelin Theater, Mamaronek, NY 12/10/2010