snOwFOAM 2018: The HillBenders Present The Who's TOMMY, A Bluegrass Opry

“Ever since I was a young boy I played the silver ball”
Maybe not your standard bluegrass lyric, but a line known by all the world from the biggest rock opera of all time, The Who’s Tommy. 45 years after its original release, this classic of classic rock has now been fully realized as a full length bluegrass tribute featuring Springfield, Missouri’s The HillBenders. Conceived and produced by SXSW co-founder and longtime musician/producer Louis Jay Meyers, this Bluegrass Opry brings a new perspective to Tommy while paying total respect to its creators. The live performance is a full 75 minute show covering the original album from start to finish, with special video accompaniment and audience participation. Tommy is appealing to music fans of all ages. This is truly a classic. Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry was released by Compass Records on June 2, 2015.

The HillBenders are one of the few bluegrass groups that recognize their ability to bridge the gap between the common music consumer and the bluegrass genre, selecting material that defies any hillbilly stigmas. With their widely varied influences, they are trying to bring to bluegrass songs that unify. “We wanted to pair bluegrass with the other music we grew up with —rock and roll!” says HillBender Nolan Lawrence.

OFOAM has presented The Hillbenders twice – once at the 2nd Annual Ogden Valley Roots & Blues Festival, and back by popular demand the following year at the 8th Annual Ogden Music Festival. They closed out the festival with a rollicking finale that had everyone on their feet while they jumped off stage and joined us in the field at Fort Buenaventura.