[ad_1]
Frontman and guitarist Jim Rea of progressive bluegrass band Hillbenders cites the band’s 2016 performance at the Manship Theater as a highlight of the band’s 15-year career.
“We’ve been trying to get back for a while because it’s a beautiful place,” Rea said ahead of the Hillbenders’ return to the Manship Theater on Friday. “We like 250 to 400 seats, and the way the Manship seats wrap around the edge of the stage and rise to the balcony is great.”
The Hillbenders made their Baton Rouge debut following their 2015 album “Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry.” The popularity of the bluegrass rendition of the Who classic rock opera has fueled Hillbenders shows around the world, including a sold-out show in Baton Rouge.
Formed in 2008, Hillbenders features original member Jim Rea; his brother Gary on bass; Nolan Lawrence, on mandolin; and Mark Cassidy on banjo, and Dobro and lap steel guitarist Chad ‘Gravy’ Graves.
Rea is forever grateful to the late Louis Jay Meyers, Hillbenders manager, for encouraging the band to make “Tommy.”
“Louis has been playing these songs on his banjo during the sound check,” Rea said in the Hillbenders’ hometown of Springfield, Missouri. “It’s something he’s been wanting to do for years.”
Miles, co-founder of the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas, and former director of the International Folk Union, is a multi-instrumentalist, but his music business responsibilities prevent him from making much music himself, Rhea Say. When the Hillbenders became aware of Meyers’ bluegrass vision for “Tommy,” the band got a life-saving shot in the arm.
“We were at a fork in the road,” Rhea recalls. “We needed something to keep the band going. ‘Tommy’ fell right into that place.”
Meyers produced the Hillbenders’ “Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry,” recording the song on the same vintage equipment that Who originally used. The resulting album attracted an international audience, in part because of the respect Meyers had earned in the music industry.
“Everyone wants a piece of the action,” Rea said. “We went coast to coast to Australia, Europe and here. It took us from festivals and clubs to beautiful performing arts centers and theaters. It was a big deal for a young band who weren’t sure where we were going. stepping stone.”
Meyers died a year after the release of “Tommy: Big Bluegrass Theater.” The Yamamotos were in Australia when they learned of his death at the age of 60.
“It was so overwhelming,” Rhea said. “He’s a strong guy, a great producer and visionary. He’s helped a lot of bands do a lot of things. I’m not sure I’d be doing it if it wasn’t for him.”
Buoyed by the momentum of “Tommy,” the Hillbenders released an original album of the same name after “A Bluegrass Opry,” and collaborated with jam band musician Keller Williams, who played Tom Petty’s bluegrass style.
The Hillbenders met Williams in 2016 at DelFest in Cumberland, Maryland.
“We had a lot of fun singing impromptu backstage,” Rea said. “It felt friendly right away. He’s that kind of guy anyway, but it’s more than that.”
After Petty’s death shocked the music world in 2017, Rea started playing his songs.
“I wasn’t trying to take advantage of his death,” he said. “I was sad, but I realized his songs could work in bluegrass.”
Rea also noticed that Williams sang the Petty song at a fundraiser for his local SPCA in 2015. Williams and the Hillbenders followed with a PettyGrass concert and a Grateful Dead-inspired show called Grateful Grass.
“We also love the Grateful Dead,” Rea said.
Formed in 2008, Hillbenders features original member Rea; his brother Gary on bass; Nolan Lawrence, mandolin; and Mark Cassidy on banjo. Dobro and lap steel guitarist Chad “Gravy” Graves joined in 2009 and drummer John Anderson in 2021. Everyone in the band is singing.
According to Rea, the key to keeping a band going for 15 years is simple — a single hotel room. And this: “We do enjoy doing this, and we’ve had some good luck and opportunities.”
mountain people
Friday night at 7:30
Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St.
$40-$50
[ad_2]
Source link