To say that Eddie From Ohio brings down the house would be an understatement. They are infectious fun onstage and consummate professionals in concert. Off-stage, they are just about the nicest folk in...er, folk. The Blue Moon Coffeehouse always enjoys playing host to these musicians.

Too energetic to be labeled just "folk", and not angry enough to be pegged "alternative", Eddie from Ohio continues to defy description with their unique blend of vocals and acoustic instrumentation. A bedrock foundation of hand percussion and a textural flavoring of acoustic guitar/bass/harmonica support the four-part harmonies and lyrically-driven original music. While this combination has drawn comparisons like the Grateful Dead meets Peter, Paul & Mary, or like Jewel fronts the Bare Naked Ladies, EFO fuses a multitude of musical influences to create their own trademark sound. Performing Songwriter writes, "The manic strumminess recalls Ani DiFranco or Dave Matthews, but there's also a deep undercurrent of high, lonesome mountain harmony that should appeal to fans of Alison Krauss and Union Station."

With this trademark sound, EFO has produced seven CDs (selling over 100,000 copies to date), toured from Maine to California, cultivated a mailing list of over 20,000 names, received air play from hundreds of radio stations worldwide, been invited to play the Main Stage at prestigious festivals like Philadelphia Folk, Telluride Bluegrass Festival (CO), Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (Hillsdale, NY), Folks Festival (Lyons, CO) and City Stages (Birmingham, AL), appeared on syndicated radio programs Mountain Stage and World Cafe, & were awarded "Best Contemporary Folk Group" by the Washington Area Music Association in 1998, 2000 and 2001. Washingtonian named EFO as "Best Local Group" in both 2001 and 2002.

Not bad for a Virginia-based band that began in 1991 playing covers in neighborhood bars when three James Madison University graduates (Robbie Schaefer, Eddie Hartness & Michael Clem) teamed up with Virginia Tech alumnae Julie Murphy (now Murphy Wells). After more than a decade, with the same four members in tact, EFO graduated from town taverns to renowned listening rooms and concert series throughout the country, where their tight harmonies and humorous lyrics, set against an eclectic array of musical forms, can be featured to best advantage. Since signing with a national booking agent in 1996, the band has covered the country, from The Bottom Line in New York City to The Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, CA - from selling out Wolf Trap's 7, 000-seat Filene Center in Vienna, VA to The Boulder Theatre in Colorado.

Unlike many of their contemporaries, EFO has opted to remain independent. Without the intervention of a major record label, the band manages to retain control of everything - and control they do! If EFO were to ever change their name, it could very well be to DIY. These do-it-yourselfers successfully split all the business responsibilities between the four members, truly making music a full-time profession. While Schaefer coordinates the tour schedule with the booking agent, Murphy Wells manages the accounts and merchandise, Clem maintains the publicity and enormous mailings, and Hartness keeps Harvey the RV (the band's tour vehicle) in good repair. Veteran Sound Engineer for EFO (since 1994), Bob McNichols, wears a variety of hats, as well, including Tour Manager.

The band will be the first ones to admit that they owe a great deal of their success to the fans (or Edheads) who have reached new fans by simple word of mouth. Whether it's due to Virginians who have moved to other parts of the country spreading the news, or friends and relatives of Edheads getting turned on to the music, club owners remain astonished at the loyal following EFO brings with them wherever they play. To learn more about Eddie From Ohio, check out their web site at : www.efohio.com/