Steep Canyon Rangers

On Thursday night we headed to the Sierra Nevada Brewery just south of Asheville for a concert in their open-air amphitheater. After a rainy weekend at Princeton Reunions, and several days of intermittent rain in Asheville, it was now clear skies and 72℉ - perfect weather to sit outdoors. We felt so lucky!

The amphitheater was quite pretty, with grassy tiers and a backdrop of leafy trees. There was plenty of room to sit on the lawn right in front of the stage. We didn’t have a blanket, but my rain jacket worked just as well. We settled in for a wonderful evening of bluegrass and roots music, so fitting for this venue in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains.

The opening act was Unspoken Tradition, a local bluegrass quintet, with original songs that had our toes tapping. It was fun to see their mandolin and banjo players pick with lightning speed. They had great harmonies and connected with the audience. This is a band to watch!

The main act was the marvelous Steep Canyon Rangers, a Grammy-winning band from Asheville that recorded and toured with Steve Martin. Wow! The music was phenomenal, and they made it look so easy. It was clear they loved playing at Sierra Nevada for a home town crowd, and the crowd loved them right back.

For some numbers, the band gathered around a single microphone at the center of the stage, with the drummer switching to dobro (played like a slide guitar). They had just released their 15th album the previous week. One song from that album was Hard Times, about the 2024 flood and ensuing wildfires.

I loved this band’s catchy music and clever lyrics. My favorite songs were Next Act, Carolina Girls, and Can’t Get Home. I’ve added the Steep Canyon Rangers to my list of bands to see any time our paths cross.

We definitely want to return to Sierra Nevada Brewery for more live music. This marvelous musical evening outdoors will be one of our favorite memories of Asheville.