The Steeldrivers, Take The Historic Wheeler Opera House Stage This March

The timeless and rich sounds of THE STEELDRIVERS conjure up music drenched in soul, blues, bluegrass, R&B, country, and rock 'n' roll. Winner of the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album, The Steeldrivers will perform at the Wheeler Opera House on Saturday, March 16 at 7:30 PM.

Throughout their career -one that encompasses four highly acclaimed albums and a wide variety of awards and accolades -the Steeldrivers have demonstrated the ability to adapt and change with unwavering persistence. Theirs is a lingering legacy defined by quality and consistency. It's one in which they've never stopped looking forward, successfully marshalling their resources for wherever that trajectory takes them.

Ultimately, it's all about the music. "Our dedication and determination remain intact," says singer, songwriter and fiddler Tammy Rogers. "We honor our older music by always putting our focus on the songs. Some people describe our music as being bluegrass based, but the fact is, we're not bound to any one regimen. I liken us to what the Rolling Stones would sound like if they played banjos, fiddles and mandolins - it's that rock-n-roll edge played on traditional instruments. I don't know if that's true, but we are primarily a band that's centered around songwriting and also just happens to have a bluegrass background."

They released their eponymous debut album at the beginning of 2008, garnering a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for one of the songs in that set, "Blue Side of the Mountain." That honor was followed two years later, when they received two more nominations for Reckless, their sophomore set - one for Best Bluegrass Album and another for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals courtesy of its song "Where Rainbows Never Die." When Chris Stapleton left the fold for a highly successful solo career in April 2010, the band closed one chapter and began another anew, while literally never missing a beat.

The Steeldrivers' highly acclaimed fourth album, 2015's The Muscle Shoals Recording garnered the group that long elusive GRAMMY win with a notable nod for Best Bluegrass Album. In addition, it garnered three IBMA nominations - Album of the Year, Song of the Year (for "Long Way Down"), Songwriter of the Year (for Rogers) and Best Liner Notes (for writer Peter Cooper).

Theirs is a sound The Tennessean once described as "Gutsy, gritty bluegrass songs." The Philadelphia Inquirer put it even more succinctly. "You can call it power-bluegrass or country soul, but whatever you call it, Nashville's Steeldrivers have bushels of it." In fact, The Steeldrivers' success lies in their consistent growth and ability to reinvent their regimen.

It's also nurtured the various influences that each member brings to the band. With the emphasis on song structure as to parceling out their parameters, elements of Americana, country, blues, rock and soul all enter the equation. Yet their consistent standing at the IBMA awards -which began when they were voted Best Emerging Artist - testifies to the fact that they've been able to maintain a fierce following even while growing their audiences at every interval.

The band plays approximately 75 shows a year, including major festival appearances at Bonnaroo, Merlefest, Wintergrass, Bristol Rhythm and Roots and Telluride Bluegrass Festival. It's their populist approach that finds their devotees - self-proclaimed "SteelHeads"- traveling hundreds of miles to see them in repeat performances. "It's hard to believe it's been ten years since our first album," Rogers muses. "And yet, even with all the change and transition, we still have the same joy and enthusiasm that we did in the beginning. Even as the trajectory changes, the story continues to unfold."

General admission tickets are currently on sale for $45. Tickets can be purchased at the Wheeler Opera House Box Office (970.920.5770/aspenshowtix.com). The Wheeler Opera House is located at 320 E. Hyman Ave., Aspen, CO. For tickets and more information, please visit www.wheeleroperahouse.com.

To post a comment, you must register and login.