Fall River Pulling Braids The Man Below

Zak Borden and the Lizzies are four Seattle based musicians with a mutual love of American music with roots. They play stark country tinged originals with teeth, good ol' standards and firebrand instrumentals that bounce and drive. They are solid in their ability with traditional sounds of bluegrass, old-time and swing, all the while pushing the possibilities of interpretation. The rhythms churn with a cutting mandolin, growling bowed bass, freight train fiddle and a sassy slinking dobro giving the audience plenty to listen to. The Lizzies are the only band where if somebody's been "given the axe" it means they've been hired. "Borden's Lizzies have chops to spare!" The Willamette Week, Portland, OR Meet the band: ZAK BORDEN -- Lead vocal, mandolin, guitar (FULL BIO) Wielding his 'axe' (guitar) and his 'hatchet' (mandolin), Zak croons the pining country lead and writes most of the tunes, but it's his experience as a sideman that allows him to both pull the band into the spotlight and play as one of a team. His versatility has gained him work with artists as varied as rocker Casey Neill, Celtic fiddle heroes Johnny Cunningham & Martin Hayes, Bluegrass Grammy Nominee Kate MacKenzie and the jazz bass legend Buell Neidlinger (Cecil Taylor, David Grisman). If you ain't heard him, give him a whack. MATT WEINER -- Bass Matt can convince an upright bass to do just about anything but brew him coffee. When he's not holding it down for the Lizzies, you can catch him playing with the Yes Yes Boys, Casey MacGill's Blue 4, Holotradband, Miles and Karina, and the Seattle Musette Trio. His infectious grooves have walked from the Grand Ol' Opry to the Roskilde Festival in Denmark. He has played bass with the Hot Club of Cowtown, the Asylum Street Spankers, Rani Arbo, David Hamburger, Brock Mumford, The Flying Neutrinos and Danny Barnes to name a few. He's never been convicted of a felony. PAUL ELLIOT -- Fiddle Paul's fiddle playing has the kind of explosive energy that grabs you and won't let go. One of the most versatile and respected fiddle players on the west coast, he has performed with The Good Old Persons, John Reischmann, Michelle Shocked, Allison Brown and others. His recording credits span film, television, radio and a long list of Cds including Scott Nygaard's No Hurry on the Rounder label. MIKE GRIGONI -- Dobro, Lap Steel, Harmony Vocals At 25, Mike has shown a soul and musical maturity on the resophonic slide guitar that is way beyond his years. Steadily gaining a reputation as both a sensitive and daring sideman, He's been seen in the last year performing with Peter Rowan, Chris Stewart and Backcountry, Mike is an ethnomusicologist, guitar teacher, he studied the pipes in Ireland, and oft entertained throngs of youth with the bluegrassy sounds of The Barbed Wire Cutters. If he were convicted of a felony he'd be acquitted to be sure.