SPRAY — The bluegrass band Fog Holler formed in 2018 in San Francisco. Since then, the trio has turned into a quartet and the band moved to Portland.

In May, they will travel east to give workshops and a concert at the Spray General Store.

Fog Holler, with bass guitar, banjo and fiddle, first played songs from the 1940s and ‘50s, said Casey Holmberg.

“Over time we started incorporating original music,” he said.

Now they play mostly originals in a style they call “a new shade of grass.”

Bluegrass, the band members said, was popular in the San Francisco area in the 1970s.

“There was a lot of music and bluegrass history in the region,” Holmberg said. “That was a fun place to work and get started.”

He said they mostly played near the city.

“You could drive a couple hours and be in front of a new audience,” he said.

The original three members — Holmberg, Tommy Schulz and Noa — met at UCLA. They met the band’s fourth member, fiddler Lillian Sawyer, in early 2023 at a Portland jam.

“I was looking to join a project,” Sawyer said. “It came to me at the perfect time.”

Fog Holler toured Europe for two months in the summer of 2023. Most years they tour during the summer, including festivals.

“In the summer we travel far and wide,” Holmberg said.

East of Portland, Fog Holler has played in Spray and the Hood River area, and at Terminal Gravity in Enterprise.

All of the band members grew up with music.

“I grew up going to bluegrass and roots music festivals,” Sawyer said.

Noa, who grew up in Buffalo, New York, played music in school but didn’t discover bluegrass until later.

Holmberg played the saxophone in school. Then he discovered the banjo.

“I got one and there was no looking back,” he said. “There’s no other instrument quite like it.”

Spray concert

For their May trip to Spray, the band members will give workshops (those spaces are already full) and a full performance on May 5 at 6 p.m. For information about tickets, call 503-381-6398.

The workshop participants, who will join the band for a song, are from Wheeler and Grant counties: Peach Stebbins, Steve Dewey, Jody Foss, Patrick Farrell, Lorraine Smith, Miranda Hoodenpyl, Aaron Opsahl, Matt Allen and Matt Davis.

This event is funded by Oregon Community Foundation’s Creative Heights grant.

Events

The Spray General Store, 208 Main St., has a full schedule of music, workshops and more in the coming months.

May 5: Cinco de Mayo Mexican potluck, 5 p.m.; Fog Holler, 6 p.m.

May 22: Daniel Adam Maltz forte piano concert, 6-8 p.m. Admission by donation.

May 30-31: Bailey Lefever rock polishing jewelry workshop, 1-5 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday

May 30: Muddy Souls Americana concert, 6-8 p.m.

June 8: Tuesday String Band concert, 6-8 p.m. Admission by donation.

June 22: Ethiopian community dinner by Seattle chef David Boyd, noon-6 p.m.

June 26: Rich Swanger country/folk concert, 6-8 p.m. Admission by donation.

For updates and information, visit spraygeneralstore.com.