Camptown Shakers: Press

Biographical Info for Media

The Camptown Shakers recreate the early minstrel music that was wildly popular during the Civil War era playing instruments and styles that are truly accurate to the period.

Their repertoire includes songs from the minstrel stage including the works of Stephen Foster, Dan Emmett, and the other songwriters of the time; as well as fiddle tunes, reels, breakdowns, and jigs documented to antebellum times.

The Shakers lineup includes Dave Culgan on gut-strung fretless banjos, Renny Allgyer on fiddle, and King Bennett on tambourine and rhythm bones.

We formed the Camptown Shakers minstrel band to explore our interest in the popular music of mid-19th century America after meeting as Civil War reenactors.

As the soldiers did then, we entertain ourselves and our friends in camp, passing the time with music.

Our goal is to research and perform the early minstrel style of music in a way that is faithful to the original form.

The sound of the fiddle and banjo is a classic combination, but with the addition of percussion the more primitive rhythmic sound of the early minstrel band is heard.

We can be seen performing at reenactments, living history presentations, period dances, and other events.

The Camptown Shakers will be found entertaining and educating the public throughout the day as well as playing for the participants at a dance or around the campfire.

Visit www.camptownshakers.com for music downloads, videos, pictures, CD's and more.

Paw Paw Civil War Encampment - by Walter Loeb and Jesse Gonzales - 6/13/2007

A Civil War Living History Encampment jointly sponsored by the Town of Paw Paw and Avalon Resort was held in the Paw Paw town park on May 19. At the encampment, visitors learned about the way the Union and Confederate soldiers lived, their hopes and dreams, their loves and hardships, and the way they fought.

With the crack of rifles in the air and the booming orders of Union Officers, the participants reminded that West Virginia cast its lot with the Union and became inextricably linked with the bloodiest war in American history. The Civil War Living History Encampment consisted of men in uniform, pitched tents, music and the sound of horses’ hooves.

Many of the local citizens were given the opportunity to fire Civil War era rifles (blanks of course) and drill with the group. This was a special treat for the youngsters in the audience to interact with the soldiers.

The Camptown Shakers, a band performing civil war era songs and music, performed two sets to the audience. Members of the band have been in a variety of Civil War movies, such as Glory and Gettysburg.

Members of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Paw Paw Volunteer Fire Department prepared and sold food.

In the evening, a civil war dance was held at the Avalon resort. The Camptown Shakers played for the dance on authentic instruments of the Civil War era. Tracy Culgan taught and called the dances, including the Virginia Reel. The dance was open to non-members of Avalon, who participated in the dances of 150 years ago.

“Shakedown” CD

Resurgency of minstrelsy illustrated by one of the best bands.
Reviewer: Bob Clayton
The minstrel show began in 1842, as I recall, and lasted till 1900 or so. The early days had a vitality and ruggedness that the later music didn't, and that the traditional mountain stringband (the origin of the stringband has its roots in the minstrel show) often doesn't, either. Among the better minstrel bands in these days of new popularity of this old style is the Camptown Shakers, a quartet of enthusiasts who keep the original feel entirely out-front. Among the better songs and tunes are "Dandy Jim from Caroline," "Rose of Alabama," "Walk Jawbone," and "Lucy Long." All of these, and the rest, feature the true old-time banjo style (called "stroke" or "thimble" style in the 1850s instructions books for the style) as well as rough-hewn vocals and old-time fiddle playing. As an old-time banjo player, I'm always happy to find a way to hear what the real old-time banjo style really sounded like. I like this recording a whole lot; it has that rugged vitality that I feel was the real mark of old-time 19th Century music.

"Camptown Shakers" CD

First CD of a ruggedly authentic minstrel stringband.
Reviewer: Bob Clayton
Like their later CD, this set of minstrel songs is filled with the rugged ragged authenticity of the Camptown Shakers, a band devoted to re-creating the sounds and styles of the original American stringband, the minstrel show (1842 to around 1900). The minstrel show featured the banjo, fiddle, tambourine and bones, played in rhythmic styles that pre-date ragtime and jazz, but laid the foundation for those styles. I particularly liked Old Dan Tucker, Old Zip Coon (also called Turkey in the Straw with later words added), Angelina Baker (by Stephen Foster) and many others. A couple of numbers are less interesting, but on the whole, it's a wonderful set of songs. I liked this recitation, relating to another Foster song: "Hard times, hard times, and worse a-comin' Hard Times keeps through my old head keeps runnin'. I'd cotch the bugger made that song, to shake him would not be wrong, I'd shake him up, shake him down, shake him till good times come 'round." If you're interested in historical musical styles, you won't go wrong with this recording. Bob Clayton

Live Show

Whatta blast it was to end up at the East End this evening and find that the Camptown Shakers were playing...

I had never heard them before, but the music they were laying down struck straight to the soul in me and in most of the people there this evening. I saw 20 year old girls sporting dreadlocks tapping their tiny twenty year old toes to the tunes these guys were whippin' out. Why is that?

It's certainly not nostagia... this IS Sixties musics, but 1860's. 150 year old tunes [and probably then some] that drive the masses wild. Why is that? Luckily I had on hand this evening a couple buddies who knew a bit about music, so I asked them that question.

Joff was no help, naturally, but, Scott Birney happened to be there and we briefly discussed what we thought was going on. We agreed that it must be some sort of primal thing. Primal to Anglo Americans (I thought to myself). The beat was 2|4 or 4|4 ... toe tappin' stuff to us Anglos. The instruments were banjo, fiddle and percussion. Evocative of what came out of the British Isles way back in yon times of yore. Scotty had a story to tell about how he once was part of a wedding that had a bagpiper as part of it's gig and the procession followed the piper rather than the bride which really pissed her off. Again, we thought, that's the fancination we feel with this music. That's why, I suppose, even as late as the 1940's, the Brits would march onto the beaches of Normandy following the bagpipes. WHOA!

So, anyway, I think there's a real Mayflower mentality that goes into the playing and appreciation of this music. Sorry if that's less than politically correct, but what ya' gonna do? I didn't see alot of ethnic peoples there this evening, as a matter of fact, my people would probably be considered the most enthic of the lot, the down-trodden Welchmen. (When I hear bagpipes, I shoot first and ask questions later!)

To be fair, Scott did mention that there was a melding of the black influence, and I must admit that they played a Steven Foster tune that dealt with the trials of separation that slaves in the South had to deal with. They do, afterall, call it minstrel music.