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Tad Robinson Band to play GSMF finale Wednesday
The Greencastle Summer Music Festival closes its 20th summer season at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Gobin Church with a free, indoor performance by the Tad Robinson Band.
Joining Robinson will be his friends and fellow musicians Kevin Anker (Hammond organ/piano), Paul Holdman (guitar and vocals) and Brian Yarde (drums).
“We have a wonderful tradition of Tad, a Greencastle resident with an international career, closing out the season for us. Not only are Tad and his band members sensational, world-class musicians, but they also exemplify our motto of ‘friends making music for friends,’” said Eric Edberg, the festival’s founding artistic director. “What a fantastic way to finish this 20th season of bringing a community together through shared musical experiences.”
“We cherish the opportunity to perform again at this year’s Greencastle Summer Music Festival,” Robinson said on behalf of his band.
Edberg notes that this season has seen the highest level of financial support from the community in the GSMF’s 20-year history, with more than $24,000 in donations from individuals and a number of new business sponsors. In addition to the Inn at DePauw, which provides rooms for the festival‘s out-of-town guests, business sponsors now include the Doc’s Inn, First National Bank, North Salem State Bank, Old National Bank, Tri-County Bank and Trust and Keystone Cooperative. The festival also receives funds from an endowment at the Putnam County Community Foundation.
This week’s concert is sponsored in part by Susan and Joe Crosby.
Singer and harmonica player Tad Robinson has caught the attention of the roots music scene with his 10 Blues Music Award nominations since 2006. Robinson tours widely in the U.S. and worldwide with performances in more than 20 countries. As described in a review in Living Blues magazine, “Robinson’s lyrics go for the soul, and his old-school balladry is lovely and lush ... a soulfulness plucked out of the anywhere airwaves of decades past.”
With a set list consisting of mostly original songs, a deep respect and reverence for blues tradition, harmonica chops influenced by Sonny Boy Williamson and Junior Parker and a vocal style inspired by greats such as Otis Redding, Al Green and O.V. Wright, Robinson stirs up his own blend of soul music.
In September, Robinson will spend a week as an “artist at large” at the Big Blues Bender in Las Vegas, one of the largest blues festivals in the U.S. After the Bender, Tad will return to Indiana and join the members of his side project, The Blue Side, in a performance at the Indy Jazz Fest.
On the morning of Sept. 23, you can listen to Tad and his band when they serve as “house band” on The Bob & Tom radio show. And in the fall of this year Tad will embark on a two-week tour in Scandinavia with performances at festivals and nightclubs in Stockholm, Helsinki and other cities.
Tad returned to his roots in 2024, recording a brand new album on the legendary Chicago blues record label, Delmark Records. Look for the release in late 2024 or early ’25.
“Robinson places near the top of the list of the finest living singers of soul blues.” – Downbeat magazine
“Robinson sings with a range and smoothness of delivery that are exquisitely evocative.” – Mojo magazine
The Band
Paul Holdman (guitar and vocals) has performed with Tad for 20 years and is featured on Tad’s upcoming Delmark Records release. Paul has recorded with Grammy-nominated blues guitarist, Ronnie Earl; written, performed and recorded with singer/songwriter, Jennie Devoe; and is a founding member of the popular Indianapolis-based band, The Woomblies Rock Orchestra. He is currently at work composing the score for the upcoming documentary, “Unfinished business, The Saga of River James”, directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker, Tom Alvarez. Paul has a diverse career as a soloist, bandleader, sideman, educator, and recording artist who is known for his command of blues, rock, country, rockabilly, and surf guitar styles.
Kevin Anker (Hammond organ/piano) has been an integral part of Tad’s last five albums, playing organ and piano, co-producing, and often co-writing the material, in addition to being in Tad’s touring band for 20 years. Kevin has broad experience playing blues, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, R&B, soul, funk, hip hop, reggae, and country among other styles. He has performed locally, nationally, and internationally with a variety of artists including 4x Grammy winner Delbert McClinton, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Darrell Nulisch, Lou Pride, the Severn Soul Revue, and Seth Walker. Kevin is also a music technology author, authoring Using Logic Pro’s Synthesizers, co-authoring “Logic Pro 8 Power!” , and contributing to Keyboard magazine.
Brian Yarde (drums) is the relative newbie in Tad’s orbit, having joined the group in 2018. Originally from Barbados, Brian moved to Indianapolis in 2007 and quickly became a go-to percussionist for a who’s who of the Indianapolis music scene. He has worked with the pianist and jazz arranger/composer Steve Allee, Jared Thompson & Premium Blend, The Tucker Brothers, Doug Henthorn, and the organist Steven Snyder, among others. Brian is a deep and polished instrumentalist playing in blues, jazz, progressive rock, reggae, R&B and Afro Cuban settings.