New Third Coast

May 30, 2007

Band seeks a crowd for their live recording in Leland

One of Northern Michigan’s top acoustic and vocal groups is looking for a hand this Saturday, June 2: The New Third Coast is recording a live CD at the Old Art Building in Leland and would like a lively crowd there to bear witness.
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., with tickets at $10 in advance and $12 at the door.
Since the inception on the original 3rd Coast band some 15 years ago, the Leelanau County based trio has morphed into the current line-up of original member Patrick Niemisto, John Kumjian, and newest member Bryan Poirier. Through the years, N3C has entertained countless people in venues locally, across the state, and beyond.
The band plays a blend of acoustic covers and originals and are frequent favorites at local music festivals as well as venues such as the Boone Docks in Glen Arbor, where they perform on deck throughout the summer, and at Sleder’s in TC in a concert setting. You’ll also find members of the band performing, engineering, doing graphic design, or otherwise involved in the recordings of other area musicians.

Who’s Who:
Patrick Niemisto hails from Pelkie near Baraga in the Upper Peninsula. He is a Northern Michigan University graduate. Niemisto moved to the Leelanau County area in the early 1980s, and has been a part of the music scene ever since, including his regular gig as a music teacher with Glen Lake Community Schools. He is the proprietor of the Holy Wah! Recording Studio and Brewery in Maple City and plays bass, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, percussion, piano, you name it - he probably plays it.
John Kumjian’s roots are in southeast Michigan, but he has spent enough time in the UP to be afforded the title of Honorary Yooper. He graduated from Northern Michigan University with a BA in music education and a Masters in educational leadership. Kumjian currently teaches band and general music at Glen Lake Community Schools. He is a highly sought-after session percussionist/drummer who can frequently be found “filling in” for area ensembles. He also plays guitar, bass, harmonica, accordion, piano, and has amazingly high vocals.
Bryan Poirier is the newest member. He grew up in Grand Rapids and earned his BA in music from Grand Valley State. He also did some teaching and grad work in music at Ohio University, and recieved his MBA from Michigan State University. His day gig is as a financial advisor with Raymond James in Traverse City. He worked in a popular area duo with David Cisco for a number of years. Their performances took them as far away as Bermuda. He plays guitar, keyboards, banjo and bass.

New directions
With last year’s release of “Somebody Lived Here,” an all-original CD with contributions from all three songwriters, the N3C sound has matured into a sonically strong palette, featuring three-part harmonies, and deft musicianship on a variety of instruments, including guitar, bass, mandolin, fiddle, harmonica, percussion, and on occasion, piano and banjo. Their songs tell vivid stories, create images, make you laugh, and let you know that you are in the midst of an honest heartland narrative.
The focus of the upcoming concert is to assemble a roomful of friends who enjoy good acoustic music, record the evening to multi-track, and then mix it into the N3C live CD entitled “It Is What It Is!” The completed CD should be done and ready for release by the end of June.
Participants are invited to come early and picnic in the park or catch dinner at the Bluebird. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door, and are available at Oryana Food Cooperative in Traverse City, Cedar City Market in Cedar, and Kejara’s Bridge in Lake Leelanau. For information call: 231-228-5524 or 941-8667, or check out www.newthirdcoast.com.