Videos and music from La La Bones are featured at. Rooted in Durango with a vocal arsenal shared by two women and three men, La La Bones is said to deliver a diverse, original, and dynamic bluegrass sound. The ensemble features Tommy Frederico (banjo), Jimi Giles (bass), Kathy Hilimire (fiddle), Scott Roberts (mandolin), and Kyle Siesser (guitar). Special guest La La Bones is a five-piece bluegrass band that draws inspiration from the wild landscape and western history of southwestern Colorado. View The HillBenders performing “Pinball Wizard” in its entirety at.
![the hillbenders pinball wizard the hillbenders pinball wizard](http://alloveralbany.com/images/pinball_pinball_wizard_nh.jpg)
Originally from Springfield, Missouri, The HillBenders are Nolan Lawrence (mandolin/vocals), Jimmy Rea (guitar/vocals), Gary Rea (bass/vocals), Mark Cassidy (banjo/vocals) and Chad “Gravy Boat” Graves (dobro/vocals). The string quartet features rich harmonies, intricate arrangements and skilled instrumentation, as well as energetic, infectious and radiant performances. The HillBenders are considered one of the hottest bluegrass bands on today’s circuit. Wrote the Lonesome Road Review, “The HillBenders’ re-telling of The Who’s Tommy, the first great rock opera, shows that bluegrass music is not only capable of doing this sort of thing, but that it is uniquely suited for it.” The live performance is a 75-minute show covering the original album from start to finish, with audience participation.
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Originally composed by guitarist Pete Townshend as a rock opera, Tommy tells the story of a “deaf, dumb and blind boy.” With the mix of virtuoso musicianship and rock star vocals, The HillBenders presents Townshend’s original version in a new and exciting way with banjo, dobro, mandolin, bass and guitar, bringing the same energy and vision to Tommy as The Who did with a full rock band and orchestra. Conceived and produced by SXSW co-founder and longtime musician/producer Louis Jay Meyers, this bluegrass opry brings a new perspective to Tommy, while honoring its creators. More than 45 years after its original release, The Who’s Tommy, the classic of classic rock, is now realized as a full-length bluegrass tribute featuring The HillBenders. Local bluegrass band La La Bones will open the show at 7:30 p.m. – The HillBenders present The Who’s Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry, on stage at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, Thursday, April 13, 2017. Unique show features a bluegrass version of the classic rock opera TommyĭURANGO, Colo.
![the hillbenders pinball wizard the hillbenders pinball wizard](http://oldtowncenter.org/images/event%20photos/2017/Hillbenders.jpg)
![the hillbenders pinball wizard the hillbenders pinball wizard](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/63/11/e5/6311e5deab0022b6ad97fb48678d6f6d.jpg)
Rather, the quintet plays it straight, clearly taking pains to work out arrangements and vocals to best reflect the serious, somewhat murky intent of the expansive, unique rock opera epic and avoid the novelty status that is all but built into the concept.Īs you might expect, some songs work better than others. It helps that the Hillbenders are an established, unusually talented group that, unlike Hayseed Dixie, isn’t approaching this project with a sly wink and elbow prod. But this reinvention of the Who’s Tommy is one of the most ambitious since it rearranges the entire album (minus one key track), in order, for a back country banjo, guitar, dobro, mandolin and bass setup.
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Heck, Hayseed Dixie crafted a moderately successful, nearly decade long career on it and the “Pickin’ On.” series runs the music of everyone from Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd to Gov’t Mule and the Black Keys through the hillbilly grinder. The concept of bluegrass bands covering rock classics is nothing new.