Bridges Home Trio sets Panida reunion

By Reader Staff

Great music joins forces with a great cause when local favorite the Bridges Home Trio takes the stage for a reunion concert on Friday, April 26, at the Panida Theater. The show is being staged as a benefit for Food For Our Children, with all proceeds going to support its nonprofit work to feed hungry kids in the community. 

From left to right: Paul Gunter, Tammy Belzer-Gunter and Dave Gunter.

This night of entertainment celebrates the first time all three band members have held a public performance since the spring of 2020. After playing one Celtic music show in March of that year, the group was forced to cancel more than 100 already booked concert dates for 2020-’21 as they followed COVID-related guidelines. 

“We didn’t want to be responsible for pulling a big crowd of people together during that crucial time,” said Tamara Belzer-Gunter, one of the three lead vocalists and multi-instrumentalists in the band. “But for this upcoming Panida concert, we’re hoping for a packed house to enjoy our music and raise money to help local kids at the same time.”     

Tamara performs in a duo format with husband Dave Gunter, who pointed out that this reunion offers the audience a one-of-a-kind musical experience with the addition of son Paul Gunter to the mix.

“When Paul brings his magic to our sound, it really is next-level stuff,” Dave said. “We all take turns singing lead vocals and we have the ability to lay soaring, three-part vocal harmonies over a richly textured musical background.” 

The concert will feature a wide array of instruments, including Celtic harp, old-time banjo, fiddle, accordion, ukulele, cigar box guitar, foot percussion and bass. 

Another treat for concert goers will be the addition of violinist extraordinaire Arvid Lundin to the stage to add his unmistakable flair to songs ranging from straight-ahead bluegrass to Irish and Americana selections.

“As we were going over numbers for the show, we realized how many of the songs from our albums highlight the playing of some wonderfully talented regional fiddlers,” Belzer-Gunter said. “In Arvid, we have a musician who excels in a variety of styles and genres. Plus, we’ve all been fans of his for years, so we’re honored to have him onstage with us.”

Local music lovers know that a Bridges Home concert features an engaging blend ranging from upbeat numbers that make you feel like you’ve just walked into the world’s friendliest pub, to funky Delta Blues, foot-stomping old-time and hauntingly beautiful ballads. 

The April 26 concert date is no coincidence — it’s also Dave’s 70th birthday, and the community is invited to join in as he celebrates four decades of entertaining local audiences.

“Tamara asked me if we should take a trip or do something else special on my birthday,” he said. “I told her, ‘I’d love to be onstage at our downtown treasure of a theater making music for friends as I turn 70.’

“Sandpoint welcomed me as a musician when I arrived here 46 years ago and I’ve been blessed to be able to perform in my own hometown non-stop ever since,” he added. “I see this as a chance to say thanks for all those sweet memories — and make another big one by ‘getting the band back together’ for this concert.”