Best Country/Western entertainer of the year!  Thanks to everyone who voted and helped make it happen.  The ceremony was a blast (and unbelievable swanky).  The bands performance went over really well and some great connections were made.   

The Prowlers nearly found themselves stranded this weekend.  Our battery light came on about 70 miles shy of Kalamazoo on Saturday. We nervously watched the battery slowly drain and crossed our fingers in hopes that it would hold out.

The van rolled into the lot with a shot alternator and no lights or blinkers.  Alas, within 30 minutes the fine folks at the brewery had located a humble handy-man.

“If you can find the part, I can fix it.” said our new friend Ryan Kramer.

We got a ride from his equally awesome girlfriend to the auto parts store and he worked in the freezing cold on our van while we played.   Near the end of the show he came in and quietly declared it fixed.

We rejoiced.

The moral of the story?  Drink Bells Beer.  They’re good people that make excellent beer.

Check them out here:  www.bellsbeer.com

Hot off the digital press, folks! Download the full album for $9.99. The link is below.

http://itunes.apple.com/album/a-dark-rumor/id343345267?v0=9989&ign-mpt=uo=1

This is a nice surprise.  We just got word that we’re on the ballot for the “Country Music” portion of the Chicago Music Awards.  Right next to The Hoyle Brothers (our favorites) and Wilco! Voting is open to the public and goes through December 31st.  Click on the link below to vote!

http://www.martinsinterculture.com/cmapoll

Not much more needs to be said about this.  The band is honored and excited to be the opener for both shows at the Old Town School of Folk Music.   This is the best place in Chicago for acoustic music.  The sound is incredible and the room doesn’t have a single bad seat.  There are a few seats left @ www.oldtownschool.org.   Do NOT miss this guy.  He is a living legend.  The show is this Saturday, Nov 7th.  7pm and 10pm

If you’ve come out to see the Prowlers recently you may have noticed a new face on stage.  The man behind the mandolin is Steve Haberichter.  Steve is a veteran bluegrass picker who has been lending his talents to the Henhouse Prowlers since he joined the group for the group’s inaugural tour of Colorado tour in late spring.  Prior to joining the Prowlers, Steve was a member of the popular and talented Chicago based “Leadfoot String Band.”  In addition to his lightning fast mandolin, Steve has already introduced several new tunes to the bands repertoire.  You can hear Steve sing on the Mississippi Sheiks’ classic folk blues tune, “Sittin on top of the World” or enjoy his mandolin stylings on his original compositions like “Heavy Schtettle”

When Steve isn’t onstage you can find him at his store. Stop in and say hi at Down Home Guitars in Frankfort Illinois.  Steve is the co-founder of  Down Home Guitars which specializes in fine acoustic instruments.  www.downhomeguitars.com

You can catch Steve and the Henhouse Prowlers this weekend at the Barnes Family Bluegrass Festival in Aledo, Illinois.