STEALIN' STRINGSTaking its favorite aspects of bluegrass and rock 'n' roll and tossing them together into a tasty dish of acoustic-electric vibrations, Stealin' Strings is storming across the Midwest and beyond, dousing fans with its Bluegressive Rock.
Bluegressive Rock?
"It's the progression of bluegrass becoming rock and roll," explains drummer Rob Buehler. Or as Ryan Ogburn (mandolin, guitar, vox) sees it, the term tells the tale of the group's continual transformation. "We started with blues, bluegrass jams," Ogburn says, "and progressively went into the rock and roll style we grew up listening to."Indeed, one minute the band delights with acoustic front porch pickin', the next engages in near face-melting shredding thanks to dueling electric guitars. They can play a two-minute hoedown, or deliver a lengthy Grateful Dead-like jam.It all began with an impromptu jam at a farmhouse in Cedarburg, Wisconsin 25 miles north of Milwaukee, between Rob Shively (guitars, harmonica, vox) and Ogburn. In July 2003 the duo welcomed bassist Jordan Kroeger -- a kid Shively used to babysit -- and later that year added Dan Broderick on drums. When Broderick left in late 2005 the group spent several months searching for the right replacement, who finally came in the form of Rob Buehler."Buehler was cleaning his microwave when I called him," Shively says with a laugh. "It was just a long shot in the dark. But after a little bit of microwave talk he said, 'Sure.'"The recent addition of Buehler behind the drum kit has enabled the band to embark on new explorations and as Ogburn says, "go out on a limb." The result is jams that find the band traversing territory filled with punchy percussion and spacey rock.In 2004, thanks to the aid and production skills of The Big Wu's Al Oikari, Stealin' Strings released its debut --No Worries -- a sunny, upbeat composition that taps into the Americana tradition of storytelling. Now with another two years of touring under its belt, Stealin' Strings has inevitably accumulated more material than you can shake a stick at; the group is gearing up to enter the studio again, with plans to record a sophomore effort in Fall 2006. In the meantime the band is putting together a collection of its hottest live tracks, with the intention of unleashing its first live album to the masses.Of course Stealin' Strings' time on the road continues to be a constant source of inspiration. Close work with an array of Midwestern bands such as God Johnson, Down Lo, Trampled By Turtles and Fat Maw Rooney has encouraged the band to test out new ideas while its tour of the festival circuit has exposed them to a countless supply of players.The quartet played the 10,000 Lakes Festival in July 2006, sharing the bill with the likes of Trey Anastasio, The String Cheese Incident and Hot Buttered Rum String Band. That same month marked the band's fourth appearance at Summerfest -- the world's largest music festival -- in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The group performed at the Ninth Annual Big Wu Family Reunion as well and joined Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon for a two-night run in Minneapolis and another two night run in Fargo, ND. Shortly after they had a chance to open for Bill Nershi of the Strings Cheese Inncidents' side project, Honky Tonk Homeslice in their hometown of Milwaukee.
"We're always trying to progress on a personal level and as a band," Ogburn says. "We're digging deep into personal tastes and styles, challenging ourselves."So heed the words of "Ride the Hightide": "Come on in and take a chance, come on out with us and run high and fly."
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