|
|
Watch out for The Hackensaw Boys in town this week — and not just on the concert stage. The ten-member Bluegrass string band are notorious for unpacking their acoustic instruments on populated street corners before shows to help draw the masses, and the band members (a roving group of carpenters) are also known to participate in the Habitat for Humanity project in the cities they play. The Boys got their start as a quartet jamming on the streets of their Charlottesville hometown in 1999. Growing eventually to their 10-man core, the group’s backporch hoe-down vibe caught the attention of Pop/Rock weirdoes Cake, who took the band on the road, including the current Unlimited Sunshine trek, which also features Modest Mouse, Flaming Lips and De La Soul (that tour hits Columbus’ PromoWest Pavilion on Aug. 29). The band have transferred their spirited sound onto two CDs, including the highly enjoyable new release, Keep It Simple. The band admits they’re no virtuosos on their instruments, but few contemporary Bluegrass acts have captured the joyful mountain vibe as energetically as these fellas.
At the Mad Frog on Wednesday with Cincinnati’s Comet Bluegrass All-Stars.
— M.B.
This article appears in Aug 21-27, 2002.