Pert Near Sandstone at the Codfish Hollow Barn -- July 9.
Thursday, July 9, 8 p.m.
Codfish Hollow Barn, 5013 288th Avenue, Maquoketa IA
Hailed by Tomorrow's Verse for “unique and soulful songs that don’t often lean on bluegrass clichés – or any clichés, for that matter,” the lauded roots and bluegrass ensemble Pert Near Sandstone co-headlines a July 9 concert at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn alongside the talents of Arkansauce, whose 2023 release Ode to Wonder, according to Americana Highways, ""provides listeners of bluegrass with revelry, wonder, and whimsy on 11 distinctive insightful songs,"
Pert Near Sandstone is composed of J Lenz (acoustic guitar), Justin Bruhn (upright bass), Nate Sipe (mandolin and fiddle) and Kevin Kniebel (clawhammer banjo), and as the group's PertNearSandstone.com bio states, “crossing Old-time instrumentation with contemporary sensibilities, Pert Near Sandstone emerged 20 years ago from the Minnesota acoustic music scene. With infectious energy and collaborative spirit, they have established themselves as standard-bearers for the vitality of the Midwestern roots music scene and alongside Minnesota brethren Trampled By Turtles and Charlie Parr. They have toured extensively and performed onstage with the likes of Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas, earning dates along the way with everyone from Yonder Mountain String Band to Steve Martin. NPR's Mountain Stage praised the band for putting a 'Midwestern stamp on Appalachian [sounds],' while A Prairie Home Companion described Pert Near Sandstone as 'a force on the Minnesota roots music scene and beyond,' and 89.3 The Current praised their live performances as 'a frenzied string shredding spree that takes audiences under its spell.'
"As festival favorites in both the U.S. and Europe, the band helped to launch the Blue Ox Music Festival in 2015, which they continue to host and curate each June in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. For the past decade, the now prestigious music festival has helped bring into the local community a great many nationally treasured artists such as Bela Fleck, Billy Strings, Tyler Childers, Jerry Douglas, Margo Price, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Charlie Crockett, The Infamous Stringdusters, Jason Isbell, Greensky Bluegrass, The Drive By Truckers, and so many more."
A genre-hopping, four-piece string band hailing from northwest Arkansas, Arkansauce is noted for blurring the lines between Americana, bluegrass, newgrass, folk, country, blues, and funk, with the musicians hailed by GratefulWeb.org for their ' "“technical prowess” and for “maintaining a fresh take on traditional music,” The band had its start in 2011 when founding members Ethan Bush, Zac Archuleta, and Stephen Jolly began writing together after becoming acquainted through mutual connections in the closely knit Fayetteville music scene. After a couple of years building a repertoire of original music and releasing their album debut with 2016's Hambone, the trio became a quintet with the hiring of Tom Andersen and Adam Collins. Their arrival led to the creation of Arkansauce's well-received sophomore release All Day Long, by which point the band's following began growing due to the musicians' complex melodies, intriguing rhythms, and hard-hitting hooks.
Currently a quartet composed of Andersen on bass, Archuleta on guitar, Bush on mandolin, and Collins on five-string banjo, Arkansauce released its third album If I Were You in 2017, a work lauded for its powerful harmonies and heartfelt songwriting, with the music held together by deep, foot-stomping bass grooves. Maybe Someday followed in 2019, with the performers' raves continuing to escalate ever since. Americana UK raved that the band "lives in the sweet-spot between the traditional world of bluegrass and the more adventurous progressive side of it, where they craft thoughtful lyrical and musical excursions into the heart of old-timey music." And reviewing OK to Wonder, Country Standard Time said of Arkansauce, "While there are strains of tradition in their approach, most songs offer rather complex melodies and rhythms. Their rapid picking is technically dazzling, but they can be witty, whimsical or just about having a good time in an effort to spread joy with their mix of four instrumentals and seven vocal tunes."
Pert Near Sandstone and Arkansauce play their co-headlining engagement in Maquoketa on July 9, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is $35-40, and more information and tickets are available by visiting CodfishHollowBarnstormers.com.
