Age ain’t nothin’ but a number when it comes to the music presented by the band Allegheny Uprising.
The Martinsburg Journal News

BRUNSWICK, Md. —The current lineup of Allegheny Uprising is as varied in age, background and experience as their music.

Allegheny Uprising is made up of veteran members Washington journalist Jay Votel of Sterling, Va., on guitar, harmonica and mandolin and The Home Depot millwork specialist Barry Bryan of Harpers Ferry on bass. New members are graduate student Nick Kinney of Hamilton, Va., on banjo; and 17-year-old Melissa Wright of Round Hill, Va., on vocals and guitar.

Allegheny Uprising will perform at 7 p.m. March 26 at Beans in the Belfry. The band regularly performs there the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.

And when it comes to their music, members like not to be categorized. “We try not to be describable when it comes to genre or give our music a label,” Votel says in a telephone interview.

If Allegheny Uprising must be forced into a category, Votel says it would most likely be called Americana, which is a combination of bluegrass, folk and pop. “Pop in the sense of what was popular in the 60’s,” he says with a laugh.

Votel remains the only original member left of the band, which can trace its roots back to the 1970s at then-named Shepherd College.

Over the years, members have come and gone. With each changing of the guard brings a new experience to Votel as he gets to experience working with new musicians.

Votel and Bryan met the two new members at the Round Hill Arts Center in Loudoun County, Va. There on the last Friday of every month, the center hosts bluegrass jam sessions.

He says there are usually two sessions going on. Upstairs, Votel says there is usually some serious Celtic music playing, while downstairs is a little more carefree. But only serious musicians should venture out, Votel says.

“You certainly have to check your ego at the door,” he says.

It’s something Votel says he doesn’t have a hard time doing. “You have to be willing to improve,” he says.

Last summer, Votel and Bryan were at the center actually scouting for some new band members. There they first met twentysomething Kinney, a grad student at George Mason University, playing banjo. “For someone who’s only been playing a year to two years, he’s very good,” Votel says. “ ... He also loves chess, too.”

While chatting with Kinney, they heard a voice that carried over the room of people. It belonged to Wright, a high school student whose voice was wise beyond her years. Votel says she also has a natural stage presence.

“It was like divine providence,” Votel says of meeting the young players.

Votel says he wasn’t sure if Kinney and Wright would want to “hang out with some old dudes,” but found quickly that when it comes to music, age is only a number.

The group plays as often as it can with the members’ busy schedules. They have their regular gig at Beans in the Belfry as well as many other appearances in the area including the upcoming Arts in the Park in Hagerstown, Md., and the Songwriters Association of Washington.

When it comes to their musical selections, Votel says the group plays “The Beatles to Ralph Stanley and a lot of stuff in between.”

He says Wright loves classic blues such as Bessie Smith, but can also do a killer Janis Joplin.

He says as a group, their job is to “keep people entertained.”

In addition to the classics, the band also performs original music. Votel, who has been playing guitar since the age of 11, says when it comes to songwriting he looks outward. “I don’t do so much navel gazing. I don’t think my life is all that interesting,” he says.

Instead, he works on the belief that what he and the rest of the members of Allegheny Uprising’s job is to do is to simply help the audience have a good time. “I think we entertain. And that’s what a lot of acts are missing,” he says.

Music is about taking chances, he says. “Our approach to music is Dare to Suck. You need to be willing to try, and try new things all the time,” he says.

Votel says the group doesn’t do many ballads, so their music is usually high-energy. “Or as high-energy as people in their later middle ages can be,” he says of him and Bryan.

Regardless of their age, Votel says they can still bring the house down. “When we have people stick around all night — then we know we’ve had a good night,” he says.

With more than 30 years of performing, it has always been about the music for Votel. “Music is kind of like my alter ego. It’s the way I relate to my surroundings. And I hope that I can bring a little bit of peace and joy to others. That’s really what it’s all about.”
 

Allegheny Uprising performs music in the “old-time tradition” as well as  incorporating the old-time style into more contemporary music.  The result is a fresh approach to a sound which has stood the test of time, sure to be pleasing to the audience with an appetite for something a little different.