The Queen Bees, an all-female bluegrass folk group local to the Roaring Fork Valley, will perform at Steve’s Guitars on Oct. 6 during First Friday as part of a fundraiser to support pollinators. This event, titled “The Pollen Party,” is being hosted in collaboration with The Cocoa Club, which will provide Pollinator Chocolate gift bags and information on organizations in and around the Valley dedicated to supporting pollinators in a myriad of ways.
All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to a pro-pollinators organization yet to be determined. They will also promote The Good of The Hive, a global mural project by Matt Willey with a recent installation at the Rifle Library.
“He [Matt] has taken the theme of bees and the importance of the hive. He ties that in with the importance of community and how bees know they are part of something bigger than themselves and act that way in everything they do,” Queen Bees founding member and bass player Pam Rosenthal told The Sopris Sun. “He tries to convey how we can take that and emulate that hive mentality in our own lives.”
The Queen Bees consists of five women including one recent addition, Suzanne Nadeau-Porter, joining the group earlier this year as the band’s fiddle player.
“This is our first real official publicized show with Suzanne,” Rosenthal stated. “She’s dropped in on a few shows over the last few months, but this is the first time we’re putting it out saying, ‘Hey, she’s here.’ She’s one of those gifted musicians who can just hear what’s going on and she throws in the perfect, amazing fiddle parts. We’re really super excited to have her.”
Other founding bandmates, Portia Rodgers (mandolin and guitar), Joey Ball (guitar) and Aundrea Ware, all bring their vocal talents to the group for “stunning melodies and harmonies.” For The Pollen Party, the band has teamed up with Alya Howe, who has taken on the role of “story-weaver” for a performance that transcends your typical concert.
“Alya is going to be weaving in information about the importance of pollinators throughout our performance,” Rosenthal explained. “All the ways that people can support them in general and the different species of bees and butterflies, things like that.”
Rosenthal is thrilled to play with her band at the iconic venue while working closely with a local business and giving back to nature’s pollinators. During the event, audiences can expect to hear new original music interspersed with iconic covers.
“We’re excited to try to think like a hive,” Rosenthal said. “We’re going to think outside of our personal boxes to try to promote and support something bigger than ourselves!”
She continued, “I get excited as a musician when I’m able to bring community together. When we do shows and I see people out, the audience singing along and just really getting into it, you can just see we’re bringing joy to the group. That’s what it’s all about for me.”
For updates on The Pollen Party, Oct. 6 at 7pm, visit the “Queen Bees” Facebook page. To purchase tickets visit www.stevesguitars.net or call (970)-963-3304