You know that guy Ed Helms? He likes bluegrass. He plays bluegrass. And he’s getting a lot of press for it.
Over the weekend, Ed and grass clippings best friend Amy Reitnouer (formerly of BluegrassLA) hosted the 3nd annual L.A. Bluegrass Situation at Largo. Four nights of music included The Watkins Family Hour, John C. Reilly & Friends, Ed Helms and the Lonesome Trio, Punch Brothers and Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers. I wasn’t able to make it, but Amy hooked me up with some commentary…
We had three phenomenal [sold-out] nights at Largo, but the real highlight was our final evening…. a benefit show for Tree People, an organization that runs a privately owned public park in the Santa Monica mountains above Los Angeles. We had Ed’s group, The Lonesome Trio, onstage with Sean and Sara Watkins, comedian and SNL alum Will Forte, and finally Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers. Under the full moon, in front of a sold out crowd of seven hundred fans, picking along to an encore of Foggy Mountain breakdown, it felt like a real festival. Even though this is the third year of the LA Bluegrass Situation, the night felt like something so exciting and alive and new. The music was amazing, and it was pretty obvious that bluegrass is alive and well and rapidly changing on the west coast.
…and a few pics (by Lincoln Andrew DeFer).
Congrats, Amy & Ed. This is amazing. Check out great content all year round on The Bluegrass Situation blog right here.
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