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The Matchsellers embrace the goofy and absurd

The Midwest-based duo The Matchsellers bring their "vaudevillian" form of bluegrass to the Java House stage in this goofy episode of IPR Studio One's "Java Blend" with host Ben Kieffer. 

Download and listen to the free podcast below to hear about the group's German adventures, quirky songs, superb musicianship, and even some hamboning. 

The Matchsellers are Warsaw, Indiana native Andrew Morris and Julie Bates of Kansas City, Missouri. Their exciting, gritty, and often hilarious stage show has been developed over three years of relentless touring across the US and Europe. Though deeply rooted in bluegrass and old time tradition, the pair’s respective backgrounds in electric blues guitar and classical violin– as well as a penchant for the absurd– offers a refreshing point of view. The group has been featured on various NPR and international radio stations as well as blogs including The Bluegrass Situation, Dying For Bad Music and more.

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Bates and Morris met in 2012 while teaching abroad in Leipzig, Germany. They found common ground in the music of their homeland, and hobby turned to profession when they hit the road permanently a year later. Their second full-length album, Songs We Made Up,  features the duo’s excellent musicianship, tight vocal harmonies, and wacky world view, ranging from beautiful waltzes to stolen crackers. Notable performances include: Norman Music Fest, KC Fringe Fest, Central Ohio Folk Fest, Westport Roots Fest, Old Mill Fest, Kansas State Picking & Fiddling Championships among others.

Ben Kieffer is the host of IPR's River to River