Music Tuesday: Hoots and Hellmouth with Flashbulb Fires, Steep Canyon Rangers

Welcome to the second installment of Music Tuesdays, in which I recommend a show or three this week that, in my humble opinion, is worth checking out. Let’s get to it.

Wednesday March 3
Hoots and Hellmouth with Flashbulb Fires at Evening Muse — I’ve never seen Hoots and Hellmouth, but I’ve heard good things about the Philadelphia trio. Fans of the Avett Brothers and Squirrel Nut Zippers will find a lot to like in H&H’s frenetic, throwback, acoustic, revival sound. Opener Flashbulb Fires, with its expansive indie sound (think The National, Arcade Fire, The Format), strikes me as an odd pairing. This Denver band describes itself as "four (remarkably good looking) guys who travel around the country in a band, play good music together, and win fans over one by one." Sounds a lot like the spirit of rock and roll to me.

Hoots and Hellmouth playing Studio B at Spindale, NC’s WNCW
 

Friday March 5
Steep Canyon Rangers at McGlohon Theatre — I saw these guys play with Steve Martin at the bluegrass concert that opened the Knight Theatre. They blew me away. Martin sat out two or three songs, and found myself wishing he’d sit out a few more. All five of these guys can really play, and Woody Platt offers rich leading vocals. They’ve garnered plenty of acclaim in the bluegrass press, and they’re also popular on the rock and jam band circuit. McGlohon’s tremendous acoustics will play well with this excellent band.