Janet Place - Lead and harmony vocals, guitar, mandolin, bazouki and diva
Greg Bower - Harmony and lead vocals, lead guitar and critical road munchies
Mitch Renkow  Guitar and Accordion
Steve Webster - Bass, hats and irony
Bryan Sodemann - Drums, percussion and beer

Great Big Gone is a group of Triangle music veterans brought together by a passion for the many facets of American roots music. They were all members of the recently disbanded Brown Mountain Lights, a band that played regularly around the Triangle and the Southeast. Great Big Gone continues in the same style. Their repertoire is a carefully-crafted amalgam of styles from electrified porch picking and honky tonk to blues to Western Swing to roots rock, consisting primarily of original compositions. The result is a tasty mix of sharp songwriting, three-part harmonies and a classic Americana musical palette. They have just released “Threadbare Heart” in July 2008.

Janet Place contributes the lead vocals and songwriting talents. She was a member of the seminal D.C. alt-country band, The Slim Jims, before moving to NC in 1995 and forming the bluesy roots band, The Kickbacks, and then the Brown Mountain Lights. No Depression magazine wrote that “Janet Place’s voice, reminiscent of a huskier Patsy Cline ... drips with country hard luck and hard-won wisdom.”

Greg Bower tosses in “high lonesome” harmonies and requisite guitar twang, and an increasing number of tasty original songs. Greg has played in several NC-based acts, including power popsters Bullwinkle Gandhi, the late lamented soul combo Balooka Roux, and the honky tonk Panther Branch Boys. He gushed enthusiastically about the nascent Triangle alt-country scene as a writer for the Independent in the mid-90s.

Mitch Renkow is the newest addition to our family. He plays regularly with many folks around the Triangle, most notibly with the Off the Road Band.

Bryan Sodemann’s tasteful drumming provides the heartbeat for the band, and he can also be found in Full Moon Pie.

Bass player extraordinaire Steve Webster rounds out the rhythm section, and he has also played in many bands including The Hanks and the legendary Day Room Monitors.