Band Bio
Playing their own blend of Bluegrass, Country, Blues, Folk, and Americana Roots music, the Old Town Tradition is a band based in the Washington DC Metro Area. Performing at local venues, regional festivals and other events, the group is sure to please Bluegrass and “Newgrass” lovers everywhere. The band met in Alexandria, VA at the Tiffany Tavern, a venerable Bluegrass staple in the Old Town area….hence Old Town Tradition was born. Members of the band range in both age and geography, and each brings their own flavor to the mix.
Klaus Christoph has been playing banjo for 20 years and has lived in the DC area for most of his life. He was a founding member of The Pluckers from which the Old Town Tradition grew. No stranger to live performance, Klaus has played bass and guitar in many local bands for over 40 years, settling finally on the 5-string banjo after a chance gift led him the way of the high lonesome sound!
Marlo Lewis has been tearing up the Mandolin for over seven years. Also a singer and avid guitar player, Marlo is originally from Scarsdale, NY, and is a fan of most every genre of music under the sun. Some of his favorite influences come from the Grateful Dead and Peter Rowan, to Sam Bush, Bill Kirchin, The Byrds, Jorma Kaukonen, and Mark Knopfler. Marlo is committed to the music and loves to entertain.
Brian Renzella is originally from near Wheeling, WV, a small town in the Northern Panhandle of the Mountain State. Brian is a self-taught singer and guitarist with a love for Pickin’ and Grinnin’. From Rock to Bluegrass, the style is eclectic and influences run from Taj Mahal and Bob Dylan, to Old Crow Medicine Show, Neil Young, and Leftover Salmon.
John Werntz hails from the Philadelphia area where he learned to play the upright and electric bass. He learned bluegrass music playing with Whetstone Run in State College, PA. John’s musical influences include Nothin’ Fancy, The Steel Wheels, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, John Prine, Iris Dement, and Steve Earle.
Joy Schmidt, fiddle