Bluegrass Legends Del McCoury and David Grisman at SOPAC 3/20

Through the years generations of Bluegrass lovers have flocked to legend Del McCoury for an exciting musical ride through the decades, beginning in the 1960s. SOPAC is proud to present multi-award-winner Del McCoury, along with multi-instrument virtuoso David Grisman, on March 20 at 7:30 p.m. Still going strong, these extraordinary musicians continue to explore, improvise and bring their proven talents to the stage to create a great concert experience.

Del McCoury is something special, a living link to the days when Bluegrass was made only in hillbilly honkytonks, schoolhouse shows and on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. He is still a commandingly vital presence today, from prime time and late night talk show TV to music festivals where audiences number in the hundreds of thousands. Artists from Vince Gill to Steve Earle and Elvis Costello sing the praises of Del McCoury.

David Grisman enjoys a storied career as a "musician's musician." He combines Bluegrass, Folk, and Jazz in a genre he calls "Dawg music". While in college at NYU he played in the Even Dozen Jug Band with Maria Muldaur and John Sebastian then went on to play and tour with Jerry Garcia, Mark O'Connor and Stephane Grappeli, and to form his own record company.

Del McCoury and David Grisman met at the first show Del ever played (on banjo) with Bill Monroe in the spring of 1963 at New York University in Greenwich Village. Three years later, "Del & Dawg" played their first gig together in Troy, NY at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. They both celebrated the arrival of first-born sons, Monroe Grisman and Ronnie McCoury, within a month of each other.

Through the years Del McCoury and David Grisman have shared the stage at venues and festivals across the country and in 2012 released Hardcore Bluegrass, a unique collection of Bluegrass classics, made at two Dawg studio jam sessions in the 1990s, "Del & Dawg" celebrates the nearly 50-year Bluegrass friendship that these two legendary musicians share.

See "Del & Dawg" at SOPAC March 20 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $68-$88 and are on sale at SOPACnow.org/event del-mccoury-and-david-grisman or call (973) -313-2787.

SOPAC programs are made possible by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) is a 501(c)(3)charitable organization.

Since 2006, SOPAC has been serving as a premier performing arts center in the region. SOPAC offers innovative artistic and cultural experiences for diverse audiences in an intimate, inviting environment. The premier arts center hosts a variety of live performances, community events and education programs for all ages. To further expand its offerings, SOPAC has a partnership with the Juilliard School of Music to present Juilliard @ SOPAC-a series featuring upcoming musicians from the acclaimed conservatory. SOPAC is home for Seton Hall University Arts Council's performances, including Classical Concert Series, Jazz 'N the Hall performances and Seton Hall University Theatre productions. SOPAC also presents performances by its theater company in-residence, American Theater Group. For more information, visit SOPACnow.org.

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