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The Infamous Stringdusters are the new face of bluegrass for the Millennials. Charismatic, energetic, and highly talented, this band has everything it takes to carry bluegrass to a new generation.
Folk, roots and blues are gaining a foothold within the imagination of the American youth, leaving the door wide open for other forms of traditional acoustic music like bluegrass. There is a backlash against the artificial, overproduced sound in music today as people search for art that has substance and authenticity.
The turn-out at Brooklyn Bowl for the Infamous Stringdusters was respectable, and there was a wide range of ages in the crowd. Brooklyn Bowl is something of a mythical venue with the hype and attention it has received - at one point the band announced to the crowd that they were expecting the place to be as big as a stadium.
Bluegrass first emerged in Post World War II America with Bill Monroe’s band the Blue Grass Boys. The band’s sound was solidified with the addition of Earl Scruggs who popularized the three finger banjo picking style known today as “Scruggs Style” picking. The Infamous Stringdusters have a unique approach to a bluegrass performance, a genre that draws from old time American roots music as well as the improvisational music of jazz where each instrument is showcased with a solo. The band moves around the stage in different configurations in order to showcase each different instrument. The physical spacing of each musician is vital to the sound, as bluegrass is often performed around a single microphone. Different members took the spotlight on a solo and at times went back and forth trading licks. Other arrangements featured one instrument soloing while another player was the primary accompaniment sound. The Infamous Stringdusters’ stage presence is top notch with enthusiastic facial expressions and smiles turning up the energy of the performance; it is qualities like this that add the extra flare a band needs to get its signal heard these days in the noise that is modern music.
you can read the rest of my review when it comes out on Relix, hey check the cover they got Keef!
