Betty and the Boy
Eugene quartet Betty and the Boy count an upright bassist and viola player in its ranks, alongside a rather traditional string band. Those low-range instruments allow the ensemble to open up compositions like "To Sleep Alone," with sprightly plucked mandolin, violin and guitar. Overtop the whole thing floats Montana native Betty Jaeger's crooning voice, minstrel-like and somber. (DJC)
Sat., May 17 | 7:30 pm.
Tower Theater, 835 NW Wall St. | $20.
Rainbow Girls and Cold River City
The Rainbow Girls are praised for their developed four-part harmonies and the varied talents of the band's multi-instrumentalist ladies who seamlessly transition from accordion, to ukulele to melodica (that's the mouth piano) and more their hippie-folk tunes. Each girl each takes on a color persona, which together creates the effervescent, barn burning Rainbow Girls. With vocals comparable to a folk-fueled Jason Mraz rapping, warbling and crooning, Boulder, Colo., band Cold River City crank danceable soulful funk. (BB)
Tue., May 20 | 9 pm.
Volcanic Theatre Pub, 70 SW Century Dr. | $5.
Hot Buttered Rum
This five-piece backyard buddy string band is nowhere near cloying as its namesake. Starting with years of experience jamming around campfires and eventually taking the show on the road in a vegetable oil powered van, the band now embodies newgrass. Where the guys play best is at the dozens of outdoor festivals they frequent each summer from San Francisco's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass to Central Oregon's very own 4 Peaks Music Festival, but the Belfry's intimate indoor venue serves them just as well, allowing for a close up look at the crew's skillful picking. (BB)
Sat., May 17 | 8 pm.
The Belfry, 302 N Main St. Sisters | $18.
