SEPTEMBER 9, 2010 ISSUE
Infamous Stringdusters Play Legends September 16
The Infamous Stringdusters return to Boone to play at Legends on Thursday, September 16, with opening act The New Familiars.Members of the Infamous Stringdusters aren’t too keen on being called a “jam band.” There are moments when the award-winning bluegrass group goes into an improvisational jam, but that isn’t what defines their music.
“It’s so exciting to be on stage and be open to play with whatever else is happening,” stand-up bass player Travis Book said in a phone interview. “That’s where the improv comes in.”
They’ll bring their style of bluegrass to Legends on the ASU campus on Thursday, September 16. The show begins at 9:30 p.m. with opening act The New Familiars and is $8 for students in advance and $10 for students and guests at the door.
Fans can expect a fun time with the Infamous Stringdusters on the stage. With their bluegrass and jazz backgrounds, there are times when the music gets a little rowdy and leans more toward Jerry Garcia than Jerry Douglas.
The difference between the Infamous Stringdusters and some other all-out jam bands is that their music still has a certain structure. They won’t go on long, dramatic musical odysseys where fans get lost. They pull fans in and keep you in the music.
The band—Book, fiddler Jeremy Garrett, dobro player Andy Hall, banjo player Chris Pandolfi and mandolin player Jesse Cobb—are fine with going out on a musical limb but are just as content playing within boundaries.
“We try to ride the line between enough freedom and enough structure that it’s comfortable,” Book said.
While the band members, who recently celebrated their fifth year together, look to each other on stage to see where the music is going, they will also look to the crowd. A crowd interested in dancing might get more rocking tunes than a group looking to pay attention to original music.
Just recently, Book said, it feels like the band has begun to solidify its sound. He can’t, though, pinpoint exactly when it happened.
“We’re having a good time, and the music is great and fans are enjoying it,” he said.
Book and his bandmates, who won three International Bluegrass Music Association awards in 2007, released their third album, Things That Fly, in April.
The group is doing between 120 and 130 dates a year and haven’t played Boone in two years, Book said.
For more information about the Infamous Stringdusters, click to www.thestringdusters.com, and to learn more about the upcoming show, call 828-262-3030.
Community Interest
News & Notes
Events
Arts & Entertainment
