Join us as we welcome Lee Rolfes to Bert's on Thursdays, January 12!
- Gates open at 4pm.
- Tio's Taco Truck open 4-7:30pm. Live music starts at 6pm.
- $10 cover online or at the door. burlaproom.eventbrite.com
- Ages 18 & up. Pet friendly.
Don't forget your Burlap Room Sili Pint glass for $1 off your beverages at Bert's on Thursdays!
Lee Rolfes was born and raised in a small border town in southwestern Ohio. He developed a love for music early on and, like a lot of kids, played in a rock band in high school. But unlike a lot of kids, music became a vital part of his life as he reached adulthood.
Lee moved to Florida in 1991 and spent a few years playing solo shows around the Destin/Ft. Walton Beach area and sometimes gigged with his pal and highly-respected guitarist Mark Gillespie. During this time Lee began writing and recording songs, releasing his first solo record, the self-titled Lee Rolfes & Friends.
Lee hit the road in 1994, living for a time in Maggie Valley, NC., where he continued to write and perform. In the late ‘90s he moved back to Ohio. Lee settled for a time in Cincinnati where he hooked up with area legends Bam Powell and Bob Nyswonger to form Bucket, an Americana-style band that still does occasional shows today.
In 2000 Lee moved to Nashville where he continued to hone his skills, making frequent trips back to Cincinnati to record and perform with Bucket. Along the way, he released another solo record, Further Down the Line, and two records with Bucket, This Here’s Bucket and Hunch Dancer. Lee’s song 'Deep Freeze' from Further Down the Line played an integral part in the 2001 film, Escanaba in da Moonlight, starring Jeff Daniels. Through the years Lee has shared billings with Ralph Stanley, Norman Blake, Gillian Welch, Leon Russell and others.
Matrimony and child-rearing entered Lee’s life after his move to Tennessee but he has continued to write and perform along with operating a successful landscaping company that employs up-and-coming Nashville musicians. Through the years he has connected with esteemed bluegrass and country musicians in and around Nashville. Those connections shine brightly on Lee’s latest recording, a solo effort entitled A Far Cry From Your Troubles.
The record reveals a diverse batch of Americana songs ranging from bluegrass to rock ‘n roll with some folk- and soul-tinged tunes to round things out. The songs cover a diverse range of topics including misery, love, leaving, lullabies, flying girls and a 40-foot Jesus. Players on the record include the likes of Mike Bub (former member of The Del McCoury Band and five-time I.B.M.A. bass player of the year), Jason Carter (Del McCoury Band and five-time I.B.M.A. fiddle player of the year), Jimmy Lester (drummer for Webb Wilder, Los Straight Jackets, Billy Joe Shaver) and Terry Eldredge (Dolly Parton, Larry Cordle, The Grascals) to name a few.
A Far Cry From Your Troubles is available on iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon etc., or by contacting Lee Rolfes on Facebook. Lee’s newest release is receiving a great response and he is currently playing shows in support of it.