A lot more than pop with a twang

A lot more than pop with a twang

Jarrett Hothan - The Daily Iowan

Issue date: 11/20/08

When you hear the term super group, an image of aging rock stars with STDs and platinum records galore might come to mind, as they search for that last squeeze of relevancy. But the union of all-star musicians isn't just delegated to the rock realm, it's also very common in the more organic forms of American music.

Minnesota's award-winning bluegrass collective Monroe Crossing is a prime example, a group of seasoned performers who will play today at the Mill, 120 E. Burlington St. at 7 p.m.

Everyone in the group is a member of the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association, and they formed Monroe Crossing after the dissolution of many separate musical projects. All between bands, the members decided to come together nine years ago. Balancing families and other jobs, the band manages to play upwards of 130 shows each year.

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It's tricky to pinpoint its exact origins, but the Midwest especially is seeing a renewed interest in bluegrass music. The exposure has been great in recent years, especially thanks to the Grammy-winning soundtrack to the Coen Brothers film *O Brother, Where Art Thou?*

Bluegrass's bump could also be coming from another American music staple's loss, the quality decline of authentic country-western music.

"A lot of true fans think of what country used to be like in the '50s," Thompson said. "Country music today is essentially pop music with a twang, so people who originally like country music are drawn to bluegrass. It's a lot of different kinds of music in one, in a sense like jazz on a string instrument."

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