About the band
Lift Ticket weaves together traditional tunes and new compositions into music that inspires and infuses dancers with a rare energy. The band is usually made up of:
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Rex Blazer's exuberant presence has been energizing dancers nationwide for over 25 years. Rex's powerful and irreverent fiddling blends tradition with a big dose of improvisation based on modern musical motifs. From growling to "trad", blues to swing, it's always full of surprises. Rex ascribes to the theory that life should be a nonstop music and dance party, and is renowned for his knack of matching music to dance. In addition to his work with Lift Ticket, he plays recording and performance projects with singer-songwriters, cajun, zydeco, irish, country and rock bands, and solo work for receptions, weddings and other private engagements. |
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T.J. Johnson's irreverent style and high energy are notorious for inspiring dancers and musicians alike. As a sought after session musician, he has performed and recorded with many well known artists including Vassar Clements, John McCutcheon, Robin and Linda Williams, and Tom Paxton as well as many of the best contra dance bands in the country. Starting out as a teenager playing contemporary bluegrass, TJ has branched out over the years to enjoy all different styles from jazz to middle eastern. Of all music, he likes playing for dancers the best. TJ's popular workshops, such as "Fiddle Tune Improvisation", "Music Theory for Folk Musicians", or "Dance Band Cheap Tricks", leave participants delighted and eager to use what they've learned. |
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Seth Houston heats up the dance floor with his ultrakinetic dance grooves on the piano and guitar. While adept at traditional style of dance music accompaniment — Irish, New England, and Québécois — Seth infuses his playing with funk, pop, blues and swing. Seth taught high school and middle school choir for eight years and is currently pursuing a doctorate in choral music at the University of Southern California. Seth composes choral music and enjoys teaching singing workshops, a big hit at dance camps and festivals. |
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Russell S.'s approach to rhythm spans the continents. Russell has traveled to West Africa several times to study traditional drumming. He's a teacher of African and Afro Cuban drumming and performs in various musical settings, currently performing regularly with some great contra dance bands. He's toured with pop singer Sarah McLachlan. He's accompanied literally hundreds and hundreds of contemporary dance classes. Russell's approach to contradance drumming spans the world. While performing, Russell sits on a South American box drum. A West African hand drum rests in front of him. These drums are surrounded by a standard drum kit. When not drumming seductive dance grooves, Russell is standing behind a marimba, beating out melodies. Lift Ticket's percussionist is a bongo-meister for all seasons. |
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