Peter Rowan plays the Digital Media Factory this Sunday for Bill Monroe Day. Photo by Ronald Reitman.
If bluegrass music were a family-run company, mandolin-picker Bill Monroe would be founding CEO.
That’s why Ginny Mitchell of Santa Cruz Live TV is bringing guitar maven Peter Rowan, who played with Monroe as one of his “Bluegrass Boys,” to the Digital Media Factory on Sunday. Dec. 4 for Bill Monroe Day in Santa Cruz (so designated by mayoral proclamation). Rowan is on tour right now promoting his new album Legacy.
“I don’t actually know how much Bill Monroe music there’s going to be,” says Mitchell. She says the show isn’t a tribute to the legend per se, but that all bluegrass music plays homage to Granddaddy Monroe, more or less. The Kentucky-born legend would have celebrated his 100th birthday this past September.
After the 4pm bluegrass show, Rob Ickes and Jim Hurst of Blue Highway and Claire Lynch Band, respectively, will play at Don Quixote’s in Felton. Fans who check out the first show will get $5 off admission at the evening show just for flashing their ticket stubs.
The festivities take place against a backdrop of general bluegrass mania in the form of the Boulder Creek Bluegrass and Old-Timey Festival, running Dec. 2–3 at Scopazzi’s and Pass Studio (13111 Pine St., Boulder Creek).
Mitchell can’t remember if the idea for the belated birthday party inspired organizers to book the Santa Cruz and Felton concerts or if it happened the other way around. “I don’t know which came first, the chicken or the concert, but it happened,” says Mitchell, “and I’m happy it did.”
Rowan says he learned a lot on the bus touring with his idol. “What I picked up from Bill Monroe was more the inner workings of the music,” says Rowan in a promotional video.
According to Mitchell, a bluegrass fan, the formula always pays off. “When you get a three-part harmony—and you can’t fit a razor blade between those harmonies,” says Mitchell, “it just doesn’t get any better that that. It transcends time and space.” (Jacob Pierce)
Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band plays Sunday, Dec. 4 at 4pm at the Digital Music Factory, 2809 Mission St., Santa Cruz. Tickets $20 adv/$20 door.
Rob Hickes and Jim Hurst play Sunday, Dec. 4 at 7pm at Don Quixote’s 6275 Highway 9 95018 Felton. $15.
