Second Gear Bluegrass

Doors at 6:15 PM | Show at 7:00 PM

Second Gear brings multi-generational tradition to the stage, fueled by some of Denver’s finest pickers, delivering tight harmonies, great songs, and the authenticity that makes bluegrass timeless.

Based in Denver, they proudly carry the torch of classic bluegrass with skill, style, and a smile. They collectively have over 100 years of bluegrass performing experience between them, with some members having histories in Colorado bluegrass going back to the 1970s, carrying on the traditions of Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, and Larry Sparks.

The band members are a who’s who of Colorado bluegrass musicians:

• Fiddle player Doug Elricks is a pillar of the Colorado bluegrass community, having toured with bands such as High Plains Tradition. Doug carries an encyclopedic knowledge of bluegrass history and plays a fiddle built in 1934.

• Todd Lilienthal, on banjo, is originally from Northern California and brings a driving, traditional bluegrass sound to the band. Raised around funk, jazz, and rock in the Bay Area, he fell hard for bluegrass while attending college in Boulder. and is heavily influenced by Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, and J.D. Crowe.

• Multi-instrumentalist Ernie Martinez is no stranger to the Black Rose stage, having played most recently with Dakota Blonde. He has more than 50 years of experience in performance, recording, and teaching in the Denver area. Ernie’s versatile picking has appeared on over 300 albums and countless stages, and he is known for stepping in whenever needed—and elevating every band he joins.

• Mandolin player Neil McLinden hails from Milwaukee by way of a long stop in New York City, where he built a career in musical theater. Raised on Irish and bluegrass music and trained in piano performance, he brings precision, energy, and versatility to the band.

• Chuck Tinsley on guitar is the resident rhythm specialist, favoring feel, sustain, and groove over flashy breaks. A longtime Alabama native turned Colorado transplant, he discovered bluegrass later in life and never looked back. Chuck anchors the band with steady timing and taste.

• Bass player Dan Welch provides the foundation of the band’s rhythm section. He is a Colorado native who studied classical guitar in college, then set music aside to pursue a career that took him across six states. After moving back to the Rockies, Dan rediscovered music—and the transcendent joy of playing real with humans, for humans.

Website: www.secondgearbluegrass.com

Opening Acts: Don Hiser, Frank Moore