Steep Canyon Rangers coming to Penn's Peak

What started out as a group of college kids hanging out and jamming turned into one of the country's most successful bluegrass bands. Steep Canyon Rangers will bring its special blend of high energy and mad skills to Penn's Peak on Friday.

"We've been together around 15 years," says Woody Platt, guitar and lead vocals, "which is kind of hard to believe. It still feels so young. It feels like we're catching our momentum now."

Platt says the band came together while they were seniors at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

"Things felt good," he says, "and we were free enough in our schedules to make it happen. None of us were music majors. We were all studying different things. This just sort of happened."

Boy, did it happen.

With a traditional sound; tight, impressive harmonies; lively, musical dexterity; and high-energy performances, the Steep Canyon Rangers have built a wide fan base over the years. They often perform and have recorded with actor/comedian and banjo impresario Steve Martin, as well as actor/comedian Martin Short and singer/songwriter Edie Brickell. The band has won numerous awards, including a Grammy for Bluegrass Album of the Year and the International Bluegrass Music Association's Entertainers of the Year.

Based out of Asheville, North Carolina, Platt says they all live within 30 minutes of each other.

"It makes it easy to get together, travel. We have a pretty streamlined system. It's nice."

In addition to Platt, the band includes Graham Sharp on banjo, Charles Humphrey on upright bass, Mike Guggino on mandolin, Nicky Sanders on fiddle, and the newest addition, Mike Ashworth on the box kit.

When Steep Canyon Rangers comes to Penn's Peak, Platt says the band will perform many of the songs from their newest CD, "Radio," which is due out Aug. 28. While still steeped in the bands' traditional roots, the new album will be a bit of a departure for the group.

"For years we've been kind of a traditional bluegrass band," says Platt. "This is our first album with our new band member, Mike Ashworth, who is a drummer. This record has a different sound for us, a bigger sound. With the drums it allowed us to grow our sound and grow it out."

Ashworth plays a cajon drum, which is a hollow wooden box that is slapped to produce the sound of a brush hitting a tom drum. He also uses cymbals and a high hat.

Platt says he's proud of the collaboration between the band and Jerry Douglas, who served as the producer for "Radio."

"He's the greatest Dobro player in the world," says Platt, "and a skilled musician, a great producer."

Douglas, who performs on about half of the songs on "Radio," is a member of Alison Kraus and Union Station.

"He was the right guy for us to use at this time, because his background is based in traditional bluegrass, and he's been able to cross genres. We're stretching what bluegrass can be and is. Other groups are doing it, and we're glad to be a part of it," Platt says.

"He was the right guy for us to maintain our bluegrass roots, while at the same time stretch out and explore some other styles, other sounds."

All of the tunes on "Radio" are original, with the bulk of them written by Sharp and Humphrey.

When asked what his favorite tune is, Platt says that changes every week.

"I like the new stuff. It's still really being born. It's taking shape each night," he said. "If you record a song, it may be a year before its final shape. Still learning keeps us on our toes."

If you want to get up on your toes and keep them moving, you won't want to miss the Steep Canyon Rangers at Penn's Peak.

"We're just really excited to be there," says Platt. "We're playing with the Jeff Austin Band. He brings a lot of great musicians."

Doors open at 7 p.m. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $22 for general admission in advance and $27 the day of the show.

Tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets and at the Penn's Peak box office (walk-up only, no phone orders) during normal business hours: Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on event days. Box office hours vary. Call 866-605-7325 to ensure they are available. Tickets can also be purchased in person at Roadies Restaurant and Bar hostess stand during normal business hours.

Jeff Austin

Former Yonder Mountain String Band mandolinist and front-man Jeff Austin is unstoppable. He is celebrated for his fleet fingers and penchant for improvisation, but those qualities also speak volumes about how he chooses to live.

Austin has cultivated his natural musical abilities and allowed himself to be driven by his boldest instincts. In this way, he has been able to build positive, exciting momentum around his life's greatest passion. With his debut solo project, Austin's songwriting remains rooted in Americana inspiration and the frantic energy of the jam genre but also reaches even further, weaving in more mainstream themes, reminiscent of his co-write contribution "Fiddlin' Around," that was featured on the 2010 Grammy nominated Dierks Bentley album "Up on the Ridge."

Austin released his debut CD "The Simple Truth" in February with his band, featuring Danny Barnes, Eric Thorin and Ross Martin.

"I love writing a three-minute song with a hook that would grab a 500-pound marlin as much as I like writing something that goes, 'OK, after the bridge, it's going to open up and just go wide."

Indeed, "wide" is what Jeff Austin is all about. He wants new and different, complex and interesting. He wants everything the music world has to offer, and he's willing to work hard to get it.