An evening with Flea Bitten Dawgs
📅 Saturday, August 1, 20226
📍 Onondaga Cave State Park, The Big Room
This August, escape the summer heat and step into the cool, 57°F depths of Onondaga Cave for a concert experience like no other. We are thrilled to welcome St. Louis, Missouri’s own Flea Bitten Dawgs!
Formed in 2010, this dynamic ukulele-driven folk duo, David and Thom, who have toured across ten states, featured in a PBS mini-documentary, and captured hearts with their soulful rhythms and viral covers. Bring your favorite folding chair, layer up for the crisp cave air, and join us deep underground for an evening of incredible music and unmatched acoustics!
Schedule & Timeline
To protect the cave environment and ensure an uninterrupted experience, we adhere to a strict timeline:
- 5:30 PM: Doors Open
- 6:00 PM: Hors d’oeuvres
- 6:20 PM: Seating Begins
- 6:55 PM: Cave Doors Locked (Strictly no late entry)
- 7:00 PM: Performance Begins
- 7:45 PM: Intermission with Hors d’oeuvres
- 8:30 PM: Intermission ends, Seating
- 8:45 PM: Second set begins
Important Guest Information & What to Bring
Because this event is held deep inside a natural cave system, please review these guidelines carefully to ensure your comfort and safety:
- Bring Your Own Chair: Please bring a folding chair that you can easily carry. The cave floor is hard, wet, and cold.
- Dress Warmly & Wear Layers: The cave is a damp 57°F year-round. We strongly recommend wearing comfortable clothing layers, a hat, gloves, and bringing a blanket for your lap.
- Footwear: Wear sturdy, good walking shoes. The cave trails are occasionally hilly and can be slippery.
- The Walk In: The performance takes place in the Big Room, which is approximately an 8-minute walk from the Visitor Center entrance. Ushers will be present to assist patrons into and out of the cave as needed.
- Food & Drink: No food or drink is permitted inside the cave. However, light refreshments will be available in the Visitor Center before and after the show.
- Restrooms: Restrooms are located inside the Visitor Center (no facilities are available inside the cave).
🎫 Tickets
All proceeds stay in Onondaga Cave State Park to benefit the Park’s interpretive and conservation mission.
ABOUT THE BAND
The Original Duo – David and Thom
The Flea Bitten Dawgs came together as a group after recording a video promotion to benefit KDHX 88.1 Community Radio in St. Louis, Missouri, February 2010. The rendition performed was Irving Berlin’s Russian Lullaby, done with a couple days of rehearsal and David playing a ukulele he borrowed from Thom, as he didn’t own or play one at that time! The video has had over 11,000 hits on YouTube! Since the band came together, they have played in ten states, have had radio airplay on seven stations, including one on the big island of Hawaii, released three CDs and have had over 40,000 views on YouTube as well as fans’ videos.
A mini-documentary has been filmed by a PBS station on Thom and the Flea Bitten Dawgs’ involvement with ukulele in St. Louis, plus they were also featured in the doucumentry “UWC V: A Field Guide” about the Ukulele World Congress. In 2015 Michael “Supe” Granda of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils recorded one of Thom’s original songs “My Dog Bob”. The Dawgs have shared the stage with Gerald Ross, Victoria Vox, Brook Adams, Cali Rose, Donna Frost, Peter Moss and Stuart Fuch. They have played with Gerald Ross, Brook Adams and David Ganz from the Grateful Dead Hour.
Riley the Bat says “Thank You!”