Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club to host "Middle Bridge Music Jam" fund raiser Dec. 6 at Orpheum Theater

HANCOCK -- Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club will hold a "Middle Bridge Music Jam" from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Orpheum Theater in Hancock.

The event is a fund raiser to help with the cost of replacing the middle bridge in the Swedetown gorge on Maasto Hiihto Trails. The replacement is estimated to cost $30,000.

Mark Roberts, who volunteers for bridge repair at Maasto Hiihto, inspects damage to the middle bridge over Swedetown Creek. (Photo courtesy Arlyn Aronson)*

The following bands will provide music for listening and dancing:

Realtime Jazz with Mike Irish (bass), Charles White (piano), Kirsten White (trumpet and vocals) and Adam Johnson (percussion).

Keweenaw Brewgrass featuring Doug Oppliger (guitar, vocals), Bogue Sandberg (dobro), Marshall Weathersby (mandolin, guitar, vocals), Craig Kurtz (banjo, bass, vocals), Jim Hertel (bass, banjo, vocals) and special guest Libby Meyer (fiddle).

PasiCats -- "arguably the third best Finnish dance band in the whole Copper Country" -- including Pasi Lautala (accordion and lead vocals), Bob (Paris) Hiltunen (guitar), Belinda Mattfolk (bass) and Shawn Badanjek, with special guest Oren Tikkanen.

Tickets for the event: General admission -- $15 in advance, $20 at the door; students, $10; preteen kids, $5. Advance tickets are available at the Orpheum Theater, Downwind Sports or any Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club board/club member.

* For details on the middle bridge and more photos, click here.

For more information on the Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club, visit their Web site.