Bluegrass is having a major moment right now. This is different from the late aughts when every pop act felt the need to accompany their ho hey chants with a banjo. With acts like Billy Strings selling out arenas and grabbing Grammys, it’s safe to say that audiences are eager for the real thing these days. Such an environment is ripe for Mighty Poplar, a bluegrass supergroup (to use a clichéd term) featuring Andrew Marlin of Watchhouse, Noam Pikelny and Chris Eldridge of Punch Brothers, bassist Greg Garrison (Leftover Salmon) and fiddler Alex Hargreaves (Billy Strings). These artists are all part of highly respected progressive bluegrass acts, but as Mighty Poplar, they get to explore more traditional sounds. This can be heard on their recently released self-titled debut – a project several years in the making – but the best way to experience the chemistry of these talented players is to see them live. On Thursday, May 25th, a nearly sold out crowd of bluegrass lovers eagerly packed the Aladdin Theater in Portland, Oregon as Mighty Poplar brought their first official tour to a triumphant finale.
Following an opening set from Maya de Vitry and her captivatingly beautiful folk songs, the members of Mighty Poplar took the stage and gathered around their assembled microphones. Right from the opening notes of the exuberant “Little Joe,” it was clear that this was going to be just five incredibly talented guys exercising their bluegrass chops through songs and solos. Chris Eldridge stepped up to the mike to take vocals on “In a Mountain Village” with the other musicians lending bright harmonies. This led into one of the early highlights of the shows with the delicate mandolin build and the fiddle washing over the audience as the band eased into the instrumental “Kicking Up the Devil on a Holiday,” a suite of sorts that included the progressive-meets-traditional “Dr. Hecocks Jig.” Much of the singing was handled by Andrew Marlin – who probably has the most recognizable vocals due to his role in Watchhouse – but he also handed the reins over to Chris Eldridge for a handful of songs while the whole group harmonized in true bluegrass style. Everyone joined in on “A Distant Land to Roam” with its fast tempo and smooth banjo-fiddle interplay, while the Martha Scanlan tune “Up On The Divide” was a warm, almost waltz-like tune that sounded like it could have been in the repertoire of The Band.
What stood out for much of the set was the way this band can seamlessly contrast instrumental chops showcased through soloing in the round with profoundly beautiful songwriting and singing. Eldridge tapped into the latter with the soulful “Lovin’ Babe,” with the band performing in the blue-lit darkness to give the haunting folk tune the feeling of being played in a moonlit forest. Elsewhere, the band dabbled in tales of farm life and the old West with songs like “Bonny George Campbell,” the stirringly slow “Chico River” that stood out for its exceptional banjo solo, the spirited and energetic “When I Was A Cowboy,” and the crowd singalong “Let Him Go on Mama.” Somewhere in between all that, Noam Pikelny indulged his banjo virtuoso style with the light-hearted instrumental “Manchicken.” They would even honor Bob Dylan’s 82nd birthday with a poignant cover of “North Country Blues.”
The quintet kept the crowd enraptured throughout their performance, and they must have been basking in the audience’s appreciation as they ultimately played a full thirty minutes past their scheduled stop time. This last portion of the show featured a handful of rowdy tunes and some of the finest playing of the night, especially when they launched into Tony Rice’s lightening speed picker’s delight “Tipper” just before bringing Maya de Vitry back to the stage to join them for a rousing take on local songwriter Caleb Klauder’s (an influence for Marlin) cajun flavored “New Shoes.” Paying tribute to a local favorite was a proper and classy way to conclude an evening filled with moments of musical richness as Mighty Poplar offered further proof of the high bar in bluegrass music right now. With a busy summer touring schedule ahead of them, this top notch group of musicians is not to be missed.
All photos by Greg Homolka
