Thursday, May 11
Center for the Arts and KVMR present

NightLIVE! broadcast
The Waybacks
8:00PM, $18

" … few bands have produced instrumental virtuosos who can follow the lead of newgrass icons like Sam Bush, Tony Rice and David Grisman … The Waybacks, on the other hand, feature hot pickers who are destined to become revered new-acousticians, thanks to their individual solo styles and the band's novel and irreverent tenor." - Scott Nygaard, ACOUSTIC GUITAR MAGAZINE

Possessed of dazzling instrumental chops and an absolute mastery of acoustic musical styles, The Waybacks are an eclectic acoustic quintet, steeped in a wide array of Americana idioms. Whether mesmerizing audiences at intimate venues or creating a sensation at major festivals, the band has brought its onstage alchemy to enthusiastic fans far and wide.

Eclectic in both their influences and approach, The Waybacks embrace multiple genres and put their unique stamp on the lot, rendering them all with turn-on-a-dime precision and characteristic charm, wit, and virtuosity. In so doing, they transcend genre altogether, conjuring up musical landscapes that defy boundaries but always find their center at the crossroads of fun and fascination.

From newgrass and western swing to jug band and gypsy jazz, from folk and fingerpicking to alt-country and improvisational excursions that defy categorization, Waybacks music is wild, energetic and unpredictable. At full tilt, they take on the force of an acoustic rock band. With their stellar musicianship and innate sense of adventure, they stand in good company with the few bands at the forefront of New American acoustic music.

The success of the group's approach is evident in its broad appeal to audiences of all ages, shapes and tastes, whether they sit enraptured, stand drop-jawed at breathtaking flights of fancy, or just plain get up and dance. This is a populist band in the best sense of the term, one whose ardent fan base spreads the word like wildfire.

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, The Waybacks are Stevie Coyle, James Nash, Warren Hood, Chuck Hamilton, and Joe Kyle Jr. Fleet-fingered and muddy-booted, they can play like nobody's business.

Their first three albums – Devolver (2000), Burger After Church (2002), and Way Live (2003) – have endeared them to fans and critics alike. They’ve recently finished work on their new album, From The Pasture To The Future, with Grammy Award-winning producer and ardent Waybacks fan Lloyd Maines (Dixie Chicks) at the helm. “Man, what a great band, a great bunch of musicians that really play,” says Maines. “There is no smoke and mirrors here.”

Those recordings and the band’s reputation as performers have garnered them invitations to a wide array of festivals, including Merflefest, Strawberry, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Suwanee Springfest, City Stages, Edmonton Folk Festival, Four Corners, Greyfox, Grand Targhee, Riverbend, Kerrville, Canmore, Sisters, Summerfolk, Wintergrass, Old Settlers, Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, Walnut Valley, Smillefest, Kate Wolf, Gamble Rogers, Great Waters, Winnipeg, Winterhawk, and several more. They’ll be returning to Merlefest for the fourth time in five years next spring, headlining the Friday night mainstage concert with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, with whom they’ve performed in the past, as a guest member of the band.

Beyond the festival world, they’ve appeared at premier venues across the country, sharing the stage with everyone from Los Lobos and Taj Mahal to Bob Weir and Richard Thompson, from The Be Good Tanyas and The Duhks to Del McCoury and Nickel Creek. Their ability to engage and delight audiences across multiple genres is a testament to their strength as musicians and performers. As a result, they gain new fans whenever they play.

All told, The Waybacks is a band far greater than the sum of its parts – intrepid travelers following their muse, looking to chart new territory and bringing everyone along for the ride. It's a trip well worth taking. Don't miss it!

/www.waybacks.com