Levitt’s Free Summer Series
Friday June 10th, 2022
All Ages | Rain or Shine
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Free RSVP Opens May 12th at 10am
Steep Canyon Rangers
Steep Canyon Rangers are Asheville, North Carolina’s GRAMMY winners, perennial Billboard chart-toppers, and frequent collaborators of the renowned banjoist (and occasional comedian) Steve Martin.
Steep Canyon Rangers re-signed with Yep Roc Records in 2019. “It feels like coming home,” says Sharp of the partnership. “The Yep Roc family was among the first to welcome Steep Canyon Rangers when we were just pups. As we’ve grown, so have they. We’re incredibly excited for the future and all the music it holds.”
Steep Canyon Rangers released three albums in 2020, all on Yep Roc Records. The Grammy-Nominated North Carolina Songbook is a recording of their live 2019 performance at Merlefest in Wilkesboro, NC, in which they performed a selection of songs by North Carolina songwriters (Ola Belle Reed, Doc Watson, James Taylor, Ben E. King, and others). Be Still Moses — perhaps their most singular musical partnership to date – has the band teaming with Philadelphia soul legends Boyz II Men and their hometown Asheville Symphony to completely overhaul the Rangers’ original “Be Still Moses,” which was first recorded on their 2007 breakout album Lovin’ Pretty Women. The album includes re-imagined versions of Steep Canyon’s previously released original songs performed with an orchestra. Their most recent release of all original music, Arm In Arm came out in October.
‘Every song on Arm in Arm captures the North Carolina group’s innovative spirit, weaving in jazz, gospel, folk, and even rock phrases, creating an intimate and intricate sound that challenges, cajoles, and comforts.’ -No Depression
The Rangers are made up of Woody Platt on guitar and vocals, Graham Sharp on banjo and vocals, Mike Guggino on mandolin/mandola and vocals, Nicky Sanders on fiddle and vocals, Mike Ashworth on drums and vocals, and Barrett Smith on bass and vocals.
Steep Canyon Rangers have been on a journey that is uniquely their own. The band started in college at UNC-Chapel Hill, then dove head first into bluegrass in its most traditional form, and over the years have risen to the top of the bluegrass genre headlining top festivals such as Merlefest and Grey Fox Bluegrass. Only to then be discovered by Steve Martin, famous actor and banjo player. Martin has taken the Rangers on a nearly decade long tour introducing them to hundreds of thousands of new fans and giving them prime time TV exposure. This has helped SCR become the most recognizable modern name in bluegrass music. The band has continued to tour extensively on their own, without Martin, and have expanded their genre into country and Americana with the addition of a drummer, alongside an incredibly versatile bassist – to accompany the original core band. The Rangers are big players in the bluegrass/country and Americana scene today. They are often compared to predecessors The Band, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and the modern Zac Brown Band.
Timber!
Timber!, a highly energetic bluegrass band from Boulder, CO, consists of Travis "Watermelon Hat Guy" on bass, Erik "Ginger McGee" Gustafson on guitar, Caitlin "Thanks, I like to play" Anderson on fiddle, and Chad "Sweet Hair" Martens on mandolin.
"We had nothing in common but the desire to play music, preferably in exchange for beer and whiskey. Oh and the fact that we all lived in Boulder."
-Caitlin Anderson
In the Spring of 2013, an unlikely trio decided to form a band. They were together at the Twisted Pine bluegrass pick and Travis Lawson stood with his bass and told Erik Gustafson, guitar player, that the best way to meet the ladies was to be in a band. And therefore the notion was born. Upon further discussion Travis suggested they add a fiddle player, and James agreed that "What's her face" could make a positive addition. Thus Caitlin Anderson, fiddle player, was invited to Timber!
While each member of Timber! had very different musical backgrounds, they found that they truly enjoyed the combination. Erik's songwriting and more jamgrassy history opened them to another style of song. Caitlin added a classical element, and tried to stop calling her fiddle a violin, and Travis brought pure style. They began performing around Boulder, mostly at BBQ venues, and built a strong repertoire.
However one thing was missing. A mandolin! Luckily, they convinced their friend Chad Martens to join the band, and then Timber! was five. With this combination of bass, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and fiddle, Timber! now plays everything from BBQ joints to breweries to beer festivals around the greater Boulder and Denver area. They have a propensity for fastass bluegrass and almost unnatural amounts of energy that will be sure to have you dancin' everywhere.