Steep Canyon Rangers
January 15, 2016
Bijou Theatre – Knoxville, TN
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Photo by Randy Patterson |
Sometimes, we just have to break out of our self-imposed confines of tastes and interests to experience something new. Whether it’s trying new foods, new activities, or a new hair style, our world is often expanded by trying something different.
Friday night at the Bijou, I did exactly that. I tried going to a kind of concert that I don’t typically attend: a bluegrass show. Not just any kind of bluegrass show but one put on by Steep Canyon Rangers.
I’d heard of SCR because of their work with Steve Martin (one of my favorite actors and comedians) but, I have to admit, I’d never really paid any attention to their work.
I do now.
These guys put on a show that kept us spellbound for two hours (less a very short intermission). If bluegrass can rock, then Steep Canyon Rangers do it to perfection.
With front man, Woody Platt (guitar), the band cooks with gas with the likes of classically trained Nicky
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Photo by Randy Patterson |
Sanders who often stole the show with his Jimmy Page-esque playing and maneuvers on fiddle; banjoist extraordinaire, Graham Sharp; Mike Guggino on mandolin; Charles R. Humphrey III (upright bass); and Mike Ashworth on drums. Watching each and every one of these gentlemen perform their art is a treat all to itself.
If you’ve never experienced a live bluegrass show – or, maybe you have and you were less than impressed – I strongly recommend catching a Steep Canyon Rangers show. They will give you a higher appreciation of the genre – if not make you a diehard fan of the band.
They’ve made one out of me.
Follow SRC at their website: www.steepcanyon.com
