Jamgrass band Armchair Boogie to play Sandpoint Summer Music Series
August 21, 2025
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Whether you call it jamgrass, newgrass, funkgrass or progressive bluegrass, Wisconsin-based quartet Armchair Boogie plays it.
The band will play the Sandpoint Summer Music Series on Thursday, Aug. 21 at Farmin Park in downtown Sandpoint. The show is free and open to all, with gates open at 5 p.m. and music from 6-8 p.m.
Armchair Boogie is gaining fans across the country with powerful harmonies, timeless original songs, choice covers and unforgettable live performances.
The band was listed as a “Must-See Roots Artists at Bourbon & Beyond” by The Bluegrass Situation, which wrote, “We recently caught this jammy Wisconsin outfit at Earl Scruggs Music Festival, where they burnt down their late-night set.”
Armchair Boogie is Augie Dougherty, Ben Majeska, Eli Frieders and Denzel Connor. Courtesy photo
Featuring Augie Dougherty on banjo, Ben Majeska on acoustic and electric guitars, Eli Frieders on electric bass and Denzel Connor on drums, Armchair Boogie has an unconventional sound that occupies the liminal space between lightning-fast bluegrass, funk and alt-country. The result is a live performance that is downright fun to experience, as these four jambadours continue their trek around the stages of America.
The band released a fourth studio recording, Hard Times & Deadlines, in 2024 after composing the songs around the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Life comes with highs and lows, and Hard Times & Deadlines captures the fleeting emotions that come with it,” said Majeska.
“Once the tunes were drafted, they were brought to the whole band for collaboration,” said Dougherty. “This is where the tune truly becomes a Boogie song — everyone adds their touch of creative input and we’re able to polish it up collectively pretty quickly.”
Mattox Farm Productions presents four free outdoor shows every year for its Sandpoint Summer Music Series either at Farmin Park or outside the Heartwood Center (615 Oak St., in Sandpoint).
Eichardt’s Pub will be on hand to serve drinks while Mandala Pizza and Mountain Food Company will have food trucks on-site. Molly’s Ice Cream Truck will serve cool treats and face painting will be offered for the kids.
Mattox Farm’s Robb Talbott announced that the Summer Music Series was entering the public voting phase of the Levitt Foundation grant process. The foundation offers the grant to facilitate free outdoor concerts across the country.
“This is a major step and, if we are awarded this grant, it would be a huge boost to the series for the next three years,” Talbott told the Reader. “We would go to seven shows each year in addition to increasing the budget, all while keeping the shows free.”
The voting period will be from Sept. 5-15, so keep an eye out for a story in an upcoming edition of the Reader for information on how to vote.
The Sandpoint Summer Music Series is made possible thanks to main sponsors Washington Trust Bank and Pend Oreille Arts Council. They also receive support from Cedar St. Hotel and Suites, the Heartwood Center, the Novas of Evergreen Realty, North Root Architecture, the Sandpoint Reader, Spruce Property Care, KPND, Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, Selle Design Group and Travis Harmon Construction.
Visit mattoxfarm.com for more information.
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