Multi-award-winning bluegrass band, the Grascals, will perform at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian on Monday, January 21st, at 7:00 p.m., for a celebration of the Inauguration of the President of the United States, Barack Obama.
The Native Nations Inaugural Ball will feature music, dancing and native cuisine. Funds raised will support the educational programs of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). The cost of tickets starts at $1,000 each.
Located on the National Mall in Washington D.C., the museum is one of three facilities operated by the NMAI. It offers exhibition galleries and spaces for performances, lectures and symposia, research, and education.
Master of Ceremonies for the event is Native American actor, Chaske Spencer, who has appeared in numerous films including The Twilight Saga, as werewolf Sam Uley. Other performers include Yaqui classical guitarist Gabriel Ayala, Winnipeg comedian and Aboriginal Elvis impersonator Gerry Barrett, blues group the Murray Porter Band, neo-soul singer/songwriter Martha Redbone and Canadian country music singer Crystal Shawanda.
Jamie Johnson, a founding member of The Grascals, is also a proud member of the Aamjiwnaang (Chippewa) First Nation of Sarnia, Ontario, where his cousin, Christopher Plain, serves as tribal chief.
“I am proud of my Native American ancestry and so honored for the Grascals to be a part of the Inaugural events. Native communities, past and present, are rich in cultural history and diversity. It is poignant for Native Nations to join together in celebrating the inauguration of our 44th President.”
The band is also scheduled to perform on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Friday, January 25 airing on the NBC television network at 11:35 p.m. (ET/PT).
The Grascals are nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album for Life Finds A Way (Mountain Home Music). The Grammy Awards show is broadcast on CBS, on February 10.
