Bella's Bartok, Ellis Dyson & The Shambles

To understand Bella’s Bartok, imagine what you would get if Salvador Dali and Toulouse Lautrec were fronting the Moulin Rouge’s house band, and you have the exuberant spectacle that is Bella’s Bartok. Described as “about as much fun as you can have with your pants on” (Dan Wolovick, Two Way Monologues), this 7-piece powerhouse melds Bohemian Klezmer Punk with pop sensibilities into an eminently danceable party. The diversity of musicians that make up Bella’s Bartok, combined with their boundless energy on stage, has been known to break a dancefloor, or two (or three, but who’s counting?). Their sound moves way beyond labels, pushing the envelope towards the darker side of Eastern European music, referencing vaudeville and 20th century eclecticism.

The Bella’s Bartok line-up includes: Asher Putnam (Vocals and all-around entertainer), Dan Niederhauser (Bass and Vocals), Amory Drennan (Trombone/Banjo and Vocals), Crisco (Drums/Percussion and Trumpet), Alex Kogut (Accordion/Keyboard), and Gershon Rosen (trumpet). The band has shared the stage with musicians and acts such as Rubblebucket, Red Baraat, The Indigo Girls, Larry & His Flask, The Suitcase Junket, Parsonsfield, And the Kids, Kanye, Rough Francis, Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan, West End Blend, Adam Ezra Group, Meat Puppets, World Inferno/Friendship Society, Rupa & the April Fishes, Arc Iris, and many more.

With multiple awards under their belts, including The Valley Advocate’s Best Band in the Valley 2014 and The Deli Magazine’s Best of New England (twice!), this eclectic group of guys have carefully crafted a sound that is part strange and creepy, part pop gold. With an aura of theatricality, Bella’s Bartok shows not only entertain, but they invite you to partake in the wild party they are having on stage, to involve yourself in the spectacle. Quite simply put- this is the band you should never miss, ever.


Ellis Dyson & the Shambles expertly blends old-time influences ranging from Piedmont murder ballads, to Dixieland, to big band swing. The result: whiskey-soaked, foot-stompin’ songs that bring party music of departed eras to crowds both young and old. The Shambles have made waves with their theatrical and explosive live shows and masterful musicianship that electrifies every audience. Bursting with exuberance and effortless expertise, this playfully hootin’ and hollerin’ act is guaranteed to bring the ruckus.

Ellis Dyson & the Shambles consists of Ellis Dyson (banjo, vocals), Nathan Huvard (acoustic guitar), Jonathan Ng (fiddle), Adam Maloney (upright bass) Danny Abrams (soprano/alto/baritone saxophones, vocals), and Matt Hall (trumpet, vocals). The band has come together through a series of fortuitous meetings in Chapel Hill, N.C. Beginning as a saxophone and banjo duo, the band has grown into a freight train string band with a flashy horn section.