Mr. Smalls to host hippie bluegrass legends

‘ ‘ ‘ Mention the term bluegrass to most people and you’ll get a few responses, including ‘I… ‘ ‘ ‘ Mention the term bluegrass to most people and you’ll get a few responses, including ‘I hate country music,’ and ‘You mean, like, the dueling banjoes from ‘Deliverance’?’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Unfortunately, neither response is quite fitting for the genre that’s seen such resurgence in recent years. ‘ ‘ ‘ While bluegrass is traditionally a music form that evokes thoughts of the Appalachian mountains and sitting on porches drinking whiskey because of its playful use of standup bass, banjoes and fiddles, the bluegrass of today is a far cry from some old dudes pickin’ away at homemade instruments. ‘ ‘ ‘ In fact, bluegrass today is, dare I say it, cool. ‘ ‘ ‘ And this weekend in Pittsburgh, two of the biggest contemporary bluegrass bands around will stop by Mr. Smalls: Railroad Earth on Saturday and Yonder Mountain String Band on Monday. ‘ ‘ ‘ But don’t worry about getting out a straw hat and overalls ‘mdash; just wear something you can dance in because these bands know how to party. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘There’s some sort of innate spirituality in these songs that make people comfortable to be in that space to really let loose,’ said Railroad Earth violinist Tim Carbone. ‘ ‘ ‘ It’s a feeling that Carbone’s been nursing for the better part of 30 years, too, as he’s been playing the fiddle since the days of the Grateful Dead’s first records. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘In my grade school, I decided that I’d take up the violin because there was a girl who I had a crush on doing the same thing. What better way to get around her more often than to take violin lessons,’ he said. ‘It didn’t work out, though. She was an Air Force brat and moved away during the summer, and I got stuck with the fiddle.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ But getting stuck with the fiddle wasn’t a bad thing at all for Carbone. Now with Railroad Earth, Carbone is in one of the most popular, genre-bending bluegrass bands around. ‘ ‘ ‘ The band’s latest record, Amen Corner, plays like a late-night farm party where the whole neighborhood’s getting in on the fun. Carbone’s fiddle and electric guitar trade off, while acoustic guitar, mandolin and acoustic bass playfully duel in the background. ‘ ‘ ‘ See the band live, though, and the party gets wilder. Railroad Earth is known best for its intense live shows, full of huge sections of improvisation and trippy instrumentals. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘When we play in front of a crowd, I’m trying to tune out and tune in at the same time. I’m detaching myself from the real world when I play solo ‘- I’m transported somewhere else,’ said Carbone. ‘I’m floating with the music.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Yonder Mountain String Band, an all-string, all-acoustic bluegrass act from Colorado, knows exactly what it’s like simply floating along. Playing live, the quartet extends its traditional bluegrass songs to form jams that come in waves of intensity, causing even the ‘I hate country music’ nonbeliever to tap his foot. ‘ ‘ ‘ For YMSB’s bassist Ben Kaufmann, the biggest draw of bluegrass in today’s musical landscape isn’t about the music at all ‘mdash; it’s about the community. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Our fans are sharing a common interest. They’re a group of individuals coming together, working to really feel what this music means in their hearts. That’s what people get in this scene. And it isn’t found in pop music,’ said Kaufmann. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Where else do such a widespread grouping of people find the same openmindedness? It’s probably not church. It’s definitely not politics. It’s probably not their jobs. Where else can they fit in like this and gather together? That’s one of the fundamental human experiences, and its completely missing in America today.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Kaufmann’s love for the musical community that surrounds him isn’t surprising (he’s in a band at the center of it all), but his passion isn’t unfounded. Check out a Yonder Mountain or a Railroad Earth show, and you’ll see friends come together, you’ll see musical debates and conversations spark out of nowhere, and you’ll see more dancing than a Saturday night at Boomerang’s. ‘ ‘ ‘ But the question of authenticity often plagues these bands. For any number of reasons, many say that contemporary bluegrass bands aren’t sticking to their roots. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Sometimes I can’t even describe our sound as bluegrass because we’ve got drums,’ said Carbone. ‘For any traditionalist bluegrass fan, the moment they see drums, they’re probably leaving the building.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ For Kaufmann, the problem of exposure outweighs that of authenticity. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘In terms of mainstream recognition, we’re still banging on those doors. We’re still trying to get people not interested in bluegrass to pay attention and see what the fans see, or even to half the degree of what the fans see, in our music,’ he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ So if your idea of bluegrass is more porch-sitting than party-throwing, this weekend might be the best primer you could ask for. Plus, as Kaufmann says, if you really dig music, this is the scene for you to join.