Drew Tanner
Contributing Writer
The Pocahontas County Opera House welcomes The Bing Brothers featuring Jake Krack to its stage Saturday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m.
For more than 40 years, The Bing Brothers have played their hard-driving brand of string band music from Canada to Florida – from Spain to England, and from Australia, to Ireland and Scotland. Their sound has been formed in the West Virginia mountains, and they remain true to their roots. Yet, The Bing Brothers are highly versatile, playing selections in old-time and bluegrass, as well as traditional Irish songs and ragtime.
Banjo player Tim Bing is a 14-time West Virginia State Champion and Appalachian String Band winner. Fiddler Jake Krack has won the Galax Fiddler’s Convention Contest six times and is known as one of today’s top old-time fiddlers. Mandolin player and band leader Mike Bing has been the glue that has kept the band together for more than 40 years, and created The Allegheny Echoes Summer Workshops, which celebrate Pocahontas County and West Virginia music. Mike has developed his own style of Mandolin which blends a solid rhythm chop and unmatched melody playing into The Bing Brothers’ style. Because of their contributions to West Virginia music, Mike and Tim Bing were the 2012 recipients of the West Virginia Culture and History’s Vandalia Award.
The Bing Brothers Band has kept the powerful rhythm of the band cranking with the additions of guitarist Bob Lieving and bassist Tim Corbett in 2002. In 2010 fiddler Jake Krack joined the band as they began to reach new levels. Since that time, the band has won First Place in the Old-Time Band Contest at the Galax Fiddler’s Convention four times, at which Jake Krack was also awarded First Place Fiddler six times and Best All Around Performer five times.
In March 2011 the group began recording live performances for the release of their “LIVE from Pocahontas County WV” recording, which was released in March 2012 and received great reviews. The recording was the third release for The Bing Brothers Band. Also in 2012 the band toured Australia including performances at the 30th Yarra Junction Fiddler’s Convention in addition to their performances at festivals and venues here in the U. S.
In March 2015 the band was invited to perform on Broadway in New York City as part of The Irish Arts Center’s Celtic Appalachian Celebration. The band was part of two sold out performances of the event, and in June of 2015 they released the “Live from Broadway NYC” DVD featuring their portion of the show which again received great reviews.
In addition to performing, The Bing Brothers Band is involved personally with the Allegheny Echoes Workshops, held the last week of June in Marlinton, WV. All of the band members are staff instructors.
Tickets are $10 for adults. Youth 17 and younger are admitted free of charge. Tickets are available at the door and in advance at pocahontasoperahouse.org or at the 4th Avenue Gallery in Marlinton.
The Opera House Performance Series is presented with financial assistance through a grant from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. Support is also provided by Pocahontas County Dramas, Fairs and Festivals and the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau.