MAC BASH – Bluegrass & Roots Music Festival

The Moonrise Cartel is an American folk rock band blending folk, classic rock and Americana with a touch of gospel. The band features soaring harmonies, introspective lyrics, and a vintage sound profile that is reminiscent of the Laurel Canyon music scene balanced with a modern touch to be equal parts timeless, and for the time.

Fueled by songwriter Al Pascarelli’s deeply personal writings of a lifelong battle with mental illness, alcoholism and eventual emergence out of the darker shades of the human experience, this is a band with several gears and one that takes you on an incredible journey. His voice is coupled upfront by Stephanie Harrison who wows with striking vocal prowess, bobbing effortlessly between stunning power and heartbreakingly delicate delivery. Gorgeous layers of ambient color come through Sean O’reilly with his piano and harp arrangements, often at the same time. Finally, it is all held together on the rock solid backdrop of Benj LeFevre and Steve Tobey on the low end of bass and drums.