Hello, Friends! Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the Internet. My name is Dan Mazer, aka “BanjerDan.” I’m an acoustic musician raised in Washington, DC now living near Santa Cruz, CA. I’m mostly a banjo player, along with a couple of other stringed instruments, and I like to sing songs and tell stories. My deepest musical love is Bluegrass, of course, but I also love other styles ranging from country and folk to jazz and classical music. I have a wide range of extra-musical interests as well, including science, especially evolution and paleontology; as well as art, film, environmentalism, and history.
Live Shows
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
((All shows are BanjerDan solo unless otherwise noted.)
Thursday, 7/3/25, 7:00 PM
Lucky Penny Living Room Concert, 313 Shepherd St. NW, Washington, DC 20011; 202 321-6160 • luckypennylivingroom.com/ • facebook.com/groups/149210405768343/
Friday, 7/4/25, 5:30 PM
Hank Dietle’s Tavern, 11010 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852; 240-512-3077 • hankdietles.net/
“Hank Dietle’s Tavern opened In 1950, in the Offutt’s General Store building dating to 1916. Being the first bar to reopen after prohibition, it had the honor of receiving Montgomery County’s beer and wine license #001. Customers still come in and reminisce about the good old days at Dietle’s. A classic dive bar in every sense of the word, Hank Dietle’s Tavern became a community mainstay on Rockville Pike, where generations of people had their first beer or stopped in for a six-pack to go on the way home.”
Saturday, 7/5/25, 1:00 PM
I’m excited and delighted to return to Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern! Jimmy Cirrito booked me at the Tavern a few times “back in the day,” for which I’m forever grateful.
Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern, 697 Spring St., Herndon, VA 20170; 703-435-5467 • http://jimmystavern.com/ • http://facebook.com/jimmystavern/
“The town of Hemdon sits on land that once belonged to Robert ‘King’ Carter Jr. and Thomas Barnes through King's grants…The building Jimmy's is in is believed to have been built in 1897, and was originally both a Tavern and a General Store… After countless hours of planning and renovating, proprietors Jimmy, Maureen, and Kelsey Cirrito opened Jimmy's doors on May 29,1997, and are happy to bring a bit of history back to downtown Herndon -- Jimmy's Old Town Tavern.”
Sunday, 7/6/25, 2:00 PM
Ploughman Cider Tasting Room, 14 Lincoln Square Gettysburg, PA 17325; (717) 420-2524 • ploughmancider.com/
“Telling the story of Adams County agriculture one glass at a time. Also hosting live, original music!”
Wednesday, 7/9/25, 8:30 PM
“BanjerDan’s DangerBand” at Nick-A-Nees, Providence, RI (with Jeffrey Horton, bass/Zeke Griffin, mandolin/Bill Henry, guitar)
I’ve assembled some of the best Bluegrass pickers in Rhode Island for this show at the legendary “Bluegrass Throedown” at Nic-A-Nees in downtown Providence!
Bill Henry
Bill Henry is an extremely accomplished guitarist, playing with New England’s Northern Lights for 28 years. He recorded 10 “albums” along the way, including a live album titled Three August Nights with Vassar Clements. He also recorded his own solo CD Red Sky in 2002. Vassar was a guest on that CD, as well as Sam Bush, Tim O’Brien, Jonathan Edwards and some of the members of Northern Lights.
Jeff Horton
Jeff Horton has played with top New England bluegrass bands, starting with The Neon Valley Boys and Northern Lights. Jeffrey was inducted into the RI Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 2018 and in 2023, The Neon Valley Boys were the first band to be inducted, making Jeff a two-timer. Jeff currently plays with Wide Open Spaces, The Jamblers, and The Jeff Horton Band. Widely known for his vocal range and ability, he has been teaching harmony, vocals, and bass for 20+ years at the Greyfox, Podunk, and Joe Val festivals.
Zeke Griffin
A recent transplant from Nevada, Zeke Griffin has played with many touring and regional bands out west, in many styles and genres. He also has been a guest player on over a dozen other artist’s albums & projects. A wall known luthier, he built over a 100 instruments and restored countless others. He plays mandolin in the BanjerDan band, but plays also mandola, Mando-cello & octave, along with guitar (both 6 string & resophonic) and teaches locally in Bristol.
Nick-A-Nees, 75 South St, Providence, RI 02903-4742; (401) 861-7290 • facebook.com/nickanees/
“Free live music, a jukebox & pool table draw fans to this classic, dog-friendly bar with a patio. 'Bluegrass Throedown' every Wednesday night!”
Friday, 7/11/25, 6:00 PM
Big Day Brewing, 20 Glen Rd., Gorham, NH 03581; (603) 915-9006 • bigdaybrewing.com/
“Big Day Brewing -- Beer + Food + Trails + Music + Art in downtown Gorham, New Hampshire”
--BanjerDan (Dan Mazer)
"Wow! Banjos ROCK!"