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Amped-up and ramped-up, Infamous Stringdusters take every song full throttle. (Courtesy photo)
ROCHESTER - The Rochester Opera House will be the nexus of the bluegrass world when it presents the celebrated bluegrass and folk music quintet The Infamous Stringdusters on Jan. 25.
"We're thrilled to have the Stringdusters here at the Opera House," Rochester Opera House Executive Director Anthony Ejarque said recently. "It's always great to host a national touring act. They also happen to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album of the year."
Unlike rock 'n' roll, bluegrass music's boundaries are often defined in very narrow terms and that has caused some bands to carefully consider their place within the genre. But, in order to survive, everything must evolve... even bluegrass. Enter the Infamous Stringdusters, the very model of a major modern bluegrass band.
"At a certain point in our career, there was hesitation in calling us a bluegrass band," guitarist Andy Falco admits. "These days, we're much more comfortable with that label."
Banjo man Chris Pandolfi echoes the point: "We love bluegrass, but we have been influenced by other genres as much, if not more. When it comes to making music, we always try to be a blank slate and give new songs whatever they need to come to life. We just try to make something good, something that is true to who we are."
The Infamous Stringdusters feature Andy Hall (dobro), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), and Travis Book (double bass), in addition to Falco and Pandolfi.
Letting the past inform and the present propel, the Stringdusters' style and substance are uniquely Infamous. Since 2007, the band's ever-evolving artistry and boldly creative collaborations -- including Ryan Adams, Joss Stone, Bruce Hornsby, Joan Osborne, and Lee Ann Womack -- have pushed them past the edges of traditional acoustic music and carved out a musical niche all their own in the hearts of fans and critics, alike. Over the past couple of years, they released 2015's "Undercover," a covers EP, followed by 2016's "Ladies & Gentlemen," an album featuring multiple female guest vocalists.
Falco adds, "We love playing together and that's the reason we've been doing it for as long as we have. We want to able to do this until we're old and grey. That's really it -- making music together and continuing to evolve our brand of bluegrass music."
PARTICULARS - Opening for The Infamous Stringdusters is Horseshoes & Handgrenades. The show starts at 8pm (doors open at 7pm) on Thursday, January 25. Tickets start at $22. Reserve tickets online or call the box office (603) 335-1992, M/W/F from 10-5pm and 2-hours before the show. Infamous Stringdusters concerts are fully standing. Some seating is available in the balcony. Handicapped access in the balcony only.
The Rochester Opera House is sponsored by TD Bank North, Eastern Propane, Shaheen & Gordon P.A., and Norm Vetter Foundations. The Rochester Opera House is located in City Hall, 31 Wakefield Street, Rochester NH. Visit www.RochesterOperaHouse.com for more information.
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