Maybe enough time has passed that I can enjoy this truly American art form once again.
How can songs like the Brooks & Dunn cover “Brand New Man” or the redemptive “Wild Horses” not make you fall in love with this Oklahoma group? The original “American Dream” is a patriotic spiritual that isn’t cloying or hateful — no boots in people’s behinds here — and a sweet cover of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Teach Your Children” brings the biggest smile to my face.
But the true star of the show is the masterful medley of three traditional tunes —“Bill Cheatham,” “Devils Dream” and “Boil Them Cabbage Down” — that’ll have any house party getting down, cabbage not included.
Now that I’ve broken through the bluegrass barrier again, could jam bands be far off? Let me crack open this bootleg of The String Cheese Incident at the Maui Volcano, Day 4, and I’ll get back to you. —Louis Fowler
This article appears in Jul 10-16, 2013.