5 Weekender questions with Steve Crawford of the Tussey Mountain Moonshiners

Guitarist Steve Crawford of the Tussey Mountain Moonshiners recently answered five Weekender questions about the popular five-piece band. The “Moonshiners” play locally and even have an alter ego band.

Q: How long have you been playing?

A: The band’s been together since 2007. The lineup we have now has been together about two years.

Q: How do you describe your sound?

A: Progressive bluegrass/Americana. The Moonshiners feature dynamic songwriting, singing and strong improvisational musicianship from all five members, who play guitar, bass, mandolin, fiddle, banjo. We love live shows — the band creates energy and joy with audiences at every live show.

Q: Which musician — alive or dead — do you most wish you could share the stage with?

A: Everybody would have a different list! But I bet we could all agree on the “father of bluegrass” Bill Monroe.

Q: What’s your favorite song to play live?

A: We have a pretty large repertoire. These days, we’re mostly playing our original music. But inspiration always comes from the audience and what feels right. We often play the same songs differently at different shows, just for the fun of changing things up.

Q: Where can people hear your music?

A: Best way is to check out our website — tussey mountainmoonshiners.com — or Facebook page, where we list upcoming shows. We usually play locally at the Arts Festival, People’s Choice Festival and First Night. We also play a variety of regional festivals and music venues. We play as our alter ego band, Poe Valley Troubadours, at the Elk Creek Cafe in Millheim on the third the Thursday of every month.

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 11:15 AM with the headline "5 Weekender questions with Steve Crawford of the Tussey Mountain Moonshiners."