Fresh off a successful first show in the COVID-19 era, the Bowlus Fine Arts Center will bring a rocking bluegrass band to Iola in January.
The Hillbenders will perform at 2 and 7 p.m. Jan. 30. Tickets are now available and can only be purchased by calling the Bowlus at 365-4765. Social distancing and masks are required, and seating is limited.
“Bluegrass meets rock ’n roll,” is how Bowlus Director Dan Kays describes The Hillbenders.
The band’s critically acclaimed 2015 album, “TOMMY: A Bluegrass Opry,” offered an acoustic take on The Who’s legendary rock opera.
They followed that up with “WhoGrass,” which takes on the entire collection from the classic rock-and-roll band. They’ve also delivered a collaboration, “Pettygrass,” which does the same for Tom Petty songs. They were named the National Single Microphone Champions, an award given for a particular style of bluegrass where all members gather around one microphone.
The Hillbenders will perform numbers from WhoGrass as well as original bluegrass tunes.
The performance will be the first time the band has taken the stage since February, when they were sidelined by the coronavirus pandemic.
“The Hillbenders are extremely excited. This is their first concert back,” Kays said.
The concert is made possible through the Pearman Trust, a new trust designated for bluegrass, country or gospel music.
Initially, Kays planned to bring a country music Christmas concert to the Bowlus through the Pearman Trust. Those plans fell apart because of the pandemic, and the Bowlus instead offered “Christmas with the Celts” this past weekend.
Kays still wanted to offer a concert that would fit with the Pearman family’s wishes. This will be the first performance supported by the trust.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Kays said.
CHRISTMAS with the Celts brought the first large-scale test of the coronavirus restrictions put in place at the Bowlus.
“We had a fantastic weekend,” Kays said. “Again, this is another group that is very grateful for theaters that are doing live events. The members came from all across the country to be here, and we had two great shows.
“I saw a 3-year-old dancing in the aisles in the balcony.”
Patrons have complied with the various coronavirus restrictions without any issues, Kays said. Those measures include limited ticket sales, social distancing between groups and requiring masks to be worn.
