The Collegio Pittsburg's student voice since 1916
The Vogts sisters, Abigail Vogts and Maggie Cook, are a duo of local performers. The Vogts sisters are from Erie, Kansas and started performing in 2012. The Vogts sisters performed Tuesday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bicknell Center for the Arts.
“It was in 2012 and it was because of, I think it’s called KATY Days, it’s a festival in Parsons. It’s a little town thing that they do and we entered their singing competition and we didn’t do well but the sound man really liked us and asked if we’d ever thought about recording an album and we said no absolutely not and we had just started singing and we ended up recording our first album and our second album with him,” said Abigail Vogts, performer.
The Vogts sisters talked about their lives and made comments throughout the performance about their music and told stories between songs. They told stories of how they got into music as well as stories of their niece’s favorite songs that they sing.
“[They’re] wonderful, their harmonies and the spot-on performances,” said Larry Dunekack, Pittsburg community member. “I was amazed. It’s very professional and plus their personalities, they’re just such sweet girls.”
They talked about how they got into music and started taking lessons when they got their first guitar as a gift, which sparked their interest in learning other instruments.
“We started playing with our voices and harmonizing and we didn’t hate the result,” Cook said. “We had fun with it so we just kind of went from there,”
The Vogts sisters performed a variety of bluegrass music. They played a variety of covers of their favorite bluegrass songs as well as some of their own songs.
“I love bluegrass music,” Said Evelyn Williamson, Pittsburg community member. “I have heard these girls before in Carl Junction last fall and I think it’s really cool that they’re local and so I like to support them…”
Williamson enjoyed the Vogts sisters so much that she wanted to hear them again and attended their performance in Pittsburg.
“…I love them,” Williamson said. “I’ve heard them before, so I’d wanted to hear them again. They’re really good and they’re interesting. In the bluegrass arena there are a lot of people that are real showy and they’re pretty laid back and I like that.”
The Vogts sister’s performance was one of many that were a part of the Summer Music Festival Pittsburg State University’s music department put on.
“We had watched all of the presentations this week and knew that there were several of them and we were kind of busy and this was one we could make,” Dunekack said. “Plus, we were familiar with the girls, we know their husbands.”
The Vogts sisters travel to different states for performances and have just released their fourth album.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a tour, more like it’s a vacation, more in the summer time we take like a week or two, closer to ten days where we go out and sing,” Vogts said. “Last year we went to Michigan and Wisconsin, that area, and before we’ve gone to Colorado, we’re hoping that we’ll go east probably in 2020.”
The Vogts sisters started playing bluegrass music after Maggie became interested in the genre.
“We just like it [bluegrass music],” Cook said. “When I started going to Pittsburg (State), I was staying in the dorms and I missed home a lot, so I was looking up really sad songs and for some reason that’s kind of the type of music that I went to.”