Wkndr, Wes Charlton & American Bittersweet, Handle at The Camel

Take 4 musicians with backgrounds in folk, classic rock, jazz, and classical music and put ’em together. Enter wkndr, best described as an “alternafolkrock” band, serving up covers and originals along the lines of The Lumineers, The Head and the Heart, and Ryan Adams. Jim Wright’s soaring lead vocals reflect his deep respect for the music of Neil Young, R.E.M., and Tom Petty, but show the influences of his modern-day heroes like Vance Joy, Glen Hansard, and Chris Martin. He also plays blistering rhythm guitar on a beat up Larrivée, a guitar he’s been kicking around for about 20 years now. Ali Shenk, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, supports Jim with gorgeous harmonies and takes the lead on some of her favorites. Ali is a classically trained flutist who has picked up a number of other instruments along the way, including ukulele, guitar, mandolin, bass guitar, and something called a “strumstick.” Adam Powell, a long-time Phish and Grateful Dead fan, backs it all up with percussion. Adam has been playing the drums since 6th grade and continued with marching and show band in high school. He briefly studied jazz drumming at VCU School of Music. Adam adds flourishes of percussion in just the right places to add a solid underpinning to wkndr.

Ethan Dunn, an undergrad at VCU, brings energetic, smooth lead guitar playing and supplements with bass guitar. Ethan is the newest member of the band! Jim and Ali also write original songs that evince their deep joy at being alive and the deep mysteries of being human.