The Faux Paws Live at Art’s Cafe in Springville: Folk, Bluegrass & Jazz Fusion Concert
Genre-blending trio delivers a high-energy night of rhythm-driven folk music at Springville Center for the Arts
SPRINGVILLE - On Saturday, May 16, The Faux Paws will be performing at Art’s Cafe for a night of “style, flare, and soul” (Brian Carroll, Red Line Roots). The group is known for their strong background in dance music, basing much of their sound on rhythm and groove. They’ve been described as a mix of bluegrass, jazz, folk, and roots music, with their instrumentation consisting of guitar, fiddle, mandolin, saxophone, and tight three part harmonies.
Brothers Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand grew up playing contra dance music with their musician mother in the band, Great Bear. Chris Miller grew up in Florida with strong influences in bluegrass and jazz, previously playing with GRAMMY nominated Cajun-country band, The Revelers. The trio met in 2012 while on the road performing in different configurations prior to honing in their group, The Faux Paws. They struggled to pin their music down to one genre, but found it best described as a “feel-good melting pot of folk music… that transcends any stylistic limitation.” (Andy Crump, No Depression).
It took The Faux Paws ten years to make their first debut album together due to their prior commitments with other bands and musical projects. A decade went by before they shifted their focus on making the trio’s combined talent a priority. In an interview with Bluegrass Pride, Noah said, “I love super glossy pop music… Chris is always pushing more of a jazz influence, but we all have a strong background in dance music,” which is how they initially bonded and connected.
Their EP, The Backburner, was released in April 2023 and reached Billboard’s Top 10 Bluegrass Albums Chart. They returned to the studio in 2024 and released their second full-length record, No Bad Ideas, which most reflects their unique musicality.
See The Faux Paws at Art’s Cafe, located at 5 E. Main Street, Springville, NY on Saturday, May 16 at 7:00pm. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door, and can be found at SpringvilleArts.org or by calling the box office at 716-592-9038. Springville Center for the Arts is a nonprofit multi-arts center with theater, concert, gallery, and workshop programs.