“Ever since I was a young boy I played the silver ball” 

Maybe not your standard bluegrass lyric, but a line known by all the world from the biggest rock opera of all time, The Who’s Tommy.  50 years after its original release, this classic of classic rock has now been fully realized as a full length bluegrass tribute featuring Springfield, Missouri’s The HillBenders.  Conceived and produced by SXSW co-founder and longtime musician/producer Louis Jay Meyers, this Bluegrass Opry brings a new perspective to Tommy while paying total respect to its creators.

Meyers had been looking for the right band to pull off this high wire bluegrass approach for over twenty years and The HillBenders fit the bill.  With a perfect mix of acoustic musicianship and rock n roll showmanship, The HillBenders bring Pete Townshend’s original vision to life in a new and exciting way.

The HillBenders are one of the few bluegrass groups that recognize their ability to bridge the gap between the common music consumer and the bluegrass genre. With their widely varied influences, they are trying to bring to bluegrass songs that unify.

“Covering The Who’s TOMMY in its entirety was a genius move”

-Rolling Stone

If you like…

• Greensky Bluegrass
• Railroad Earth
• Steep Canyon Rangers
• The Travelin’ McCourys

You’ll like The HillBenders.