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Bear Hat grows local following with gritty brand of bluegrass
After paying his dues along the Front Range, Charlie White has the world-weary look of a drifter who just stepped off a train he hopped — eager to share songs he wrote, or maybe stole, along the way.
In reality, White is a Berklee College of Music alum who prizes sincerity. During the two years his band Bear Hat has been on the local scene, the bluegrass outfit has played nearly every stage in the Boulder area — from free shows at Jamestown Mercantile to packed gigs at the Fox Theatre. Whatever the setting, the Baltimore native says earnestness is the name of the game.
“Authenticity is what we’re aiming for,” he says. “Grit is a good word for it. Grunge is something that’s come up, too.”
The effort it takes to maintain that grungy spirit is part of why the band has yet to release a debut album. Bear Hat is building buzz through live shows and performance videos on social media.
“It’s very raw,” says mandolin player David Stuhlemmer, who performs under the stage name JD Songs. “I’ve recorded a fair amount over the past 15 years. I have a sense of when the energy is there, when it’s captured and when it’s not there.”
“We have absolutely no deadline,” White adds. “There’s no rush on anything. It’s not going to come out until we all really think it sounds the way it needs to.”
Rounding out Bear Hat’s lineup is bassist Clay Bedell and flutist Josh Wexler, who cut their teeth in beloved local acts like The Alcapones and Poorfree. The pair have also befriended locals in Jamestown, Ward and Gold Hill — communities where genuineness isn’t just a plus: It’s a rule.
The band’s gritty vibes are juxtaposed by the clean proficiency of banjo player Josy Rosales and CU Boulder grad Jonathan Galle on the fiddle. With all the pieces in place, the ensemble draws from influences like Kansas alt-bluegrass outfit Split Lip Rayfield and icons like the Grateful Dead for a singular mix incorporating swing, blues and Americana.
Bear Hat was originally just White and Stuhlemmer, whose paths first crossed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic at the Illegal Pete’s bluegrass jam in Boulder. White writes most of the band’s songs, and Stuhlemmer says his creative partner’s deep understanding of music pushes the band to new heights.
“When he orchestrates things, he sometimes tells me just to play certain notes, not even a chord structure I’ve ever even seen before,” says Stuhlemmer. “It’s pretty awesome just to watch him create these types of scenarios, thinking through each instrument and how he actually wants it to sound.”
This holistic attention to each player’s role is an essential part of the Bear Hat formula. With their down-home swirl of bass, flute, banjo, guitar, fiddle and mandolin, you might not even notice that the band produces all this commotion without drums.
“I’ve always played in electric bands growing up, and this is kind of a new genre of music to me,” White says. “Not having a drummer forces us to have better timing, and I like that pressure because it forces me to be a better rhythm player, which is something I’m always working on.”
Front Range roots music fans will have their next chance to catch this local rising act Sept. 28, when the band opens for Shawn James at the historic Boulder Theater.
Ultimately, White says that the outfit is “striving for something [that] feels communal.” But in the meantime, it’s about a simpler goal: “We’re just really having fun and enjoying each other.”
ON THE BILL: Shawn James with Bear Hat and Cole Scheifele. 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $35
Past issue archives: starting with most recent, back to late 2009
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© Copyright Boulder Weekly – 2025
Designed and Developed by Opie Productions – a Colorado Company
Due to severe weather this past week, Boulder Weekly is currently experiencing phone outages. We have contacted our phone providers and repair technicians and hope to have this resolved soon. In the meantime, you can contact us via email at [email protected].
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Bear Hat grows local following with gritty brand of bluegrass
After paying his dues along the Front Range, Charlie White has the world-weary look of a drifter who just stepped off a train he hopped — eager to share songs he wrote, or maybe stole, along the way.
In reality, White is a Berklee College of Music alum who prizes sincerity. During the two years his band Bear Hat has been on the local scene, the bluegrass outfit has played nearly every stage in the Boulder area — from free shows at Jamestown Mercantile to packed gigs at the Fox Theatre. Whatever the setting, the Baltimore native says earnestness is the name of the game.
“Authenticity is what we’re aiming for,” he says. “Grit is a good word for it. Grunge is something that’s come up, too.”
The effort it takes to maintain that grungy spirit is part of why the band has yet to release a debut album. Bear Hat is building buzz through live shows and performance videos on social media.
“It’s very raw,” says mandolin player David Stuhlemmer, who performs under the stage name JD Songs. “I’ve recorded a fair amount over the past 15 years. I have a sense of when the energy is there, when it’s captured and when it’s not there.”
“We have absolutely no deadline,” White adds. “There’s no rush on anything. It’s not going to come out until we all really think it sounds the way it needs to.”
Rounding out Bear Hat’s lineup is bassist Clay Bedell and flutist Josh Wexler, who cut their teeth in beloved local acts like The Alcapones and Poorfree. The pair have also befriended locals in Jamestown, Ward and Gold Hill — communities where genuineness isn’t just a plus: It’s a rule.
The band’s gritty vibes are juxtaposed by the clean proficiency of banjo player Josy Rosales and CU Boulder grad Jonathan Galle on the fiddle. With all the pieces in place, the ensemble draws from influences like Kansas alt-bluegrass outfit Split Lip Rayfield and icons like the Grateful Dead for a singular mix incorporating swing, blues and Americana.
Bear Hat was originally just White and Stuhlemmer, whose paths first crossed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic at the Illegal Pete’s bluegrass jam in Boulder. White writes most of the band’s songs, and Stuhlemmer says his creative partner’s deep understanding of music pushes the band to new heights.
“When he orchestrates things, he sometimes tells me just to play certain notes, not even a chord structure I’ve ever even seen before,” says Stuhlemmer. “It’s pretty awesome just to watch him create these types of scenarios, thinking through each instrument and how he actually wants it to sound.”
This holistic attention to each player’s role is an essential part of the Bear Hat formula. With their down-home swirl of bass, flute, banjo, guitar, fiddle and mandolin, you might not even notice that the band produces all this commotion without drums.
“I’ve always played in electric bands growing up, and this is kind of a new genre of music to me,” White says. “Not having a drummer forces us to have better timing, and I like that pressure because it forces me to be a better rhythm player, which is something I’m always working on.”
Front Range roots music fans will have their next chance to catch this local rising act Sept. 28, when the band opens for Shawn James at the historic Boulder Theater.
Ultimately, White says that the outfit is “striving for something [that] feels communal.” But in the meantime, it’s about a simpler goal: “We’re just really having fun and enjoying each other.”
ON THE BILL: Shawn James with Bear Hat and Cole Scheifele. 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $35
Past issue archives: starting with most recent, back to late 2009
Our sponsors love Boulder
After 19 years together, my husband and I have finally managed to have a really good conversation about our desires;…
For a city once labeled “Tofu Town,” Boulder’s latest obsession is a far cry from vegetarian cuisine. These days, the soup…
Chrystia “Tia” Cabral’s immersion in the richness of Black culture showed her the depth of her own creativity. “Growing up around other Black people, it’s like there was the ability to…
ON THE BILL: Prolific Brooklyn rapper MIKE brings his lyrical prowess and off-kilter samples to Gothic Theatre in Englewood for a May 18 performance with support from Anysia Kim and Duendita. The 27-…
When May Kershaw stepped on stage at London’s Bush Hall a week before Christmas 2022, the ground was moving beneath the feet of the classically trained musician and her five bandmates in the shapes…
Adolescent cannabis use has decreased for…
So-called “dark money” has entered the…
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The term…
Welcome to our 2024 Primary Vote…
Picture in your mind’s eye the…
ON THE BILL: Following last week’s…
Movement Workshop6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13,…
© Copyright Boulder Weekly – 2025
Designed and Developed by Opie Productions – a Colorado Company
Due to severe weather this past week, Boulder Weekly is currently experiencing phone outages. We have contacted our phone providers and repair technicians and hope to have this resolved soon. In the meantime, you can contact us via email at [email protected].
source
