Firecloud combines the driving beats of techno music with live fiddle tunes and improvisation in a new sound that shows what happens when two versatile musicians decide that they want to do something…different. Julie Vallimont travels nationwide playing with the contra band Nor’easter and helped pioneer a new live form of techno contra as a founding member of the band Double Apex; Andy Reiner has played worldwide with heavy metal, folk, hip-hop, bluegrass, and Irish groups, and has also composed major works for string orchestra. Together, they blend immense technical skill with a mutual passion for experimentation and a thumping sound for hot dancing.

Andy Reiner, an award-winning fiddler from Lexington, MA, grew up in a musical family. Upon graduating from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2008 with a BM in Violin Performance, he continued touring with several bands - playing with the Reiner Family Band from an early age, Heavy Metal with Devil in the Kitchen, Folk/Hip-Hop with FiddleFoxx, Swedish/Old Time with Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers, touring Southeast Asia for The State Department as a cultural ambassador with The Earth Stringband and now with Firecloud he continues to innovate fiddle music in the electronic world.

Julie Vallimont’s compelling piano style draws on numerous influences from traditional dance music, along with elements of her roots in classical, folk, jazz, and rock. She anchors a band with driving rhythm and thoughtful harmonies. A former classical pianist and organist, she fell in love with dance music and now plays that full-time. Based in Somerville, MA, Julie performs nationwide with the band Nor'easter and several other collaborations, ranging from contra to English county dance to the livetronica project Firecloud. A skilled teacher, Julie loves leading music workshops at camps and festivals including Pinewoods, Flurry Dance Festival, NEFFA, DownEast Country Dance Festival, Catapult Weekend, and more.

The contra dance with Jean Gorrindo and Chopped Liver starts at 6:30 and continues to 9:00 p.m. This is a regular-price dance ($10/$8/$5) but that price remains until 10:00 p.m.

The techno-style contra dance begins at 9:15.

Techno Contra on YouTube