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KEYSTONE - You can probably guess where her psychedelic name, Carolyn Wonderland, came from, but it's more difficult to size up her music.
Her diverse songwriting, soulful vocals and guitar riffs range from country to cumbia, blues to zydeco, swing to soul.
"I draw adventurous music lovers," Wonderland said. "I play for crowds from kids to biker rallies. It's all the same as long as they're dancing and having a good time."
Good old rock 'n' roll is the genre that comes most naturally to Wonderland, but she thrives on variety.
"It's hard to favor one over the other," she said. "It's like having a bunch of kids."
Wonderland has been playing in bars since she was 16. She has had a band for 10 years, though the current lineup has existed for only a handful of years.
Guitarist, vocalist and mandolin player Scott Daniels has played with Wonderland for five years. He and Wonderland seem made for each other, as neither can settle into a particular genre.
"I've found that too many times I've said "I'm a (insert genre) guitar player,' and then I end up doing something very different," Daniels said.
So the pair attempts to transcend labels and make what they call "beautiful music."
Bassist Bob Perkins, drummer Michael "Lefty" Lefkowitz and keyboardist Cole El-Saleh add a bit of magic to the Wonderland experience by mixing country be-bop with 1960s and '70s rock and beyond.
NBC's "Homicide" and Fox's "Time of Your Life" have featured Wonderland's songs.
The Austin, Texas-based musician has toured with acts from Buddy Guy and Johnny Winter to Robert Earl Keen and Los Lobos. She even sang the National Anthem at Sturgis Bike Week this year before Robbie Kneivel's record-breaking jump over 100 Harleys.
Last summer, Bob Dylan asked her to jam in Houston, where he listened to her latest release, "Bloodless Revolution," and picked "Annie's Scarlet Letter" as a favorite song. Tunes from the album have made it into regular rotation in Texas, and she has won plenty of awards in the Houston music scene.
She moved to Austin from Houston four years ago for creative inspiration.
"I needed to write songs, and it's the land of free guitar lessons," Wonderland said. "Everywhere you go, there's just so many great players. Living in one spot, you run out of steam. You need to move around."
Her move gave her a new perspective and helped her write more universal themes.
"I'm trying to be not so much "Woe is me' as I am "Woah, here's the world,'" she said.
While her music's exciting and eclectic, she says her regular life is pretty boring.
"While everyone's skiing, I'll be crocheting," she said. "Music is my last bastion of being able to be wild, silly and 12 years old."
Wonderland comes to The Goat in Keystone Sunday and Monday night.
Kimberly Nicoletti can be reached at (970) 668-3998, ext. 245, or by e-mail at
knicoletti@summitdaily.com.
Her diverse songwriting, soulful vocals and guitar riffs range from country to cumbia, blues to zydeco, swing to soul.
"I draw adventurous music lovers," Wonderland said. "I play for crowds from kids to biker rallies. It's all the same as long as they're dancing and having a good time."
Good old rock 'n' roll is the genre that comes most naturally to Wonderland, but she thrives on variety.
"It's hard to favor one over the other," she said. "It's like having a bunch of kids."
Wonderland has been playing in bars since she was 16. She has had a band for 10 years, though the current lineup has existed for only a handful of years.
Guitarist, vocalist and mandolin player Scott Daniels has played with Wonderland for five years. He and Wonderland seem made for each other, as neither can settle into a particular genre.
"I've found that too many times I've said "I'm a (insert genre) guitar player,' and then I end up doing something very different," Daniels said.
So the pair attempts to transcend labels and make what they call "beautiful music."
Bassist Bob Perkins, drummer Michael "Lefty" Lefkowitz and keyboardist Cole El-Saleh add a bit of magic to the Wonderland experience by mixing country be-bop with 1960s and '70s rock and beyond.
NBC's "Homicide" and Fox's "Time of Your Life" have featured Wonderland's songs.
The Austin, Texas-based musician has toured with acts from Buddy Guy and Johnny Winter to Robert Earl Keen and Los Lobos. She even sang the National Anthem at Sturgis Bike Week this year before Robbie Kneivel's record-breaking jump over 100 Harleys.
Last summer, Bob Dylan asked her to jam in Houston, where he listened to her latest release, "Bloodless Revolution," and picked "Annie's Scarlet Letter" as a favorite song. Tunes from the album have made it into regular rotation in Texas, and she has won plenty of awards in the Houston music scene.
She moved to Austin from Houston four years ago for creative inspiration.
"I needed to write songs, and it's the land of free guitar lessons," Wonderland said. "Everywhere you go, there's just so many great players. Living in one spot, you run out of steam. You need to move around."
Her move gave her a new perspective and helped her write more universal themes.
"I'm trying to be not so much "Woe is me' as I am "Woah, here's the world,'" she said.
While her music's exciting and eclectic, she says her regular life is pretty boring.
"While everyone's skiing, I'll be crocheting," she said. "Music is my last bastion of being able to be wild, silly and 12 years old."
Wonderland comes to The Goat in Keystone Sunday and Monday night.
Kimberly Nicoletti can be reached at (970) 668-3998, ext. 245, or by e-mail at
knicoletti@summitdaily.com.
