The Musical Box

It was quite a sight. Onstage, in the closing concert hour of last fall’s Christ the King Oktoberfest, was bluegrass beacon J.D. Crowe. Off to the stage right corner, soaking in every stringed note, were R.E.M. guitarists Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey, who had played as an abbreviated version of The Minus 5 that afternoon.

If you looked out into the crowd, it was pretty much business as usual for a Crowe show

There was a hearty mix of bluegrass die-hards that happily spun tales about seeing the banjo great 32 years earlier at the Holiday Inn North, an era when bluegrass packed local clubs and Crowe’s band was filled with such soon-to-be star players as Jerry Douglas, Tony Rice and Ricky Skaggs.

You could spot the more casual fans, too - revelers that were far more concerned with the music’s immediate, celebratory vibe than any historical particulars.

But when high profile out-of-towners like Buck and McCaughey took the time to soak up Crowe’s set, you were reminded of the obvious: that the reach of Crowe’s music extends far beyond Kentucky and way outside of bluegrass.

Tonight, we have Crowe back for the first of several regional performances this year. Sure, you can catch him at the Festival of the Bluegrass in June, at his own Wilmore festival in August or back at Oktoberfest in late September. But don’t let that for an instant keep you checking out Crowe in the great indoors tonight for a Best of the Bluegrass performance at Lexington Center.

One of bluegrass’ best for the Best of the Bluegrass? That certainly seems appropriate, especially in a year that has seen Crowe’s newest recording, Lefty’s Old Guitar, grab a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album (alas, it lost to Jim Lauderdale’s fine The Bluegrass Dairies) and Song of the Year award (for Lefty’s title tune) by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America.

Tonight also marks the first Lexington performance by Crowe’s newest New South lineup. Joining mainstay members Ricky Wasson (on guitar and vocals) and Dwight McCall (on mandolin and vocals) will be bassist John Bowman (who has worked with Alison Krauss and Union Station, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver and The Isaacs) and fiddler Steve Thomas (whose credits include Jim and Jessie, The Osborne Brothers and Lost and Found). 

J.D. Crowe and the New South performs at 7 tonight at the Bluegrass Ballroom of Lexington Center. Tickets are $15. Call (859) 233-3535.