NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release:
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Contact:
Sarah Knab, Overture Center, 608.258.4438 / [email protected]
Click here for photos.
The Who’s Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry at Overture
The HillBenders cover the original Who album through the strings and vocals of progressive bluegrass
Madison, Wis. – Tickets are available now for The Who’s Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry in Capitol Theater on
Thursday, November 10 at 7:30 p.m., presented by TheHillBenders as part of Overture Center’s Bell
Laboratories Music Series. A video of the show’s signature song, Pinball Wizard, can be seen here.
The HillBenders' 'Tommy' has been endorsed by original Tommy creators Roger Daltrey & Pete
Townshend of The Who. Townshend invited them to a Who performance of Tommy at Nashville's
Bridgestone Arena and met with the band after the show, while Daltrey asked the band to perform
'Tommy' in its entirety at his Teen Cancer America Presents North Carolina Cares Charity Event in
Raleigh, NC.
Rolling Stone Magazine named The HillBenders, “one of the 50 Best Things We Saw at SXSW 2015.” And
of the ‘rock opry,’ “You haven't heard ‘Acid Queen’ until you've seen it sung by a bearded man with a
mandolin.”
45 years after its original release, this classic of classic rock is now 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.
The 1969 classic was originally composed by guitarist Pete Townshend as a rock opera that tells the story
about a deaf, dumb and blind boy, including his experiences with life and the relationship with his family.
The original album has sold 20 million copies and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for
"historical, artistic and significant value".
Meyers had been looking for the right band to pull off this high wire bluegrass approach for several
decades and The HillBenders are the right band. With a perfect mix of virtuoso musicianship and rock
star vocals, The HillBenders bring Pete Townshend’s original vision to life in a new and exciting way.
The HillBenders are unique among bluegrass groups in that they recognize their ability to bridge the gap
between the common music consumer and the bluegrass genre, selecting material that defies any
hillbilly stigmas. With their widely varied influences, they are trying to bring to bluegrass songs that
unify. “We wanted to pair bluegrass with the other music we grew up with —rock and roll!” says
HillBender Nolan Lawrence.
The HillBenders' studio album of 'Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry' debuted at #3 on Billboard's Bluegrass
Chart. The band has just returned from a UK tour where they presented the show to its home audience
at some of the most prestigious music festivals and venues in Europe.
Tickets start at $25 and are available in person at the Overture Center Ticket Office (201 State Street),
online at overture.org or by phone at 608.258.4141.
For $15, attendees can come early (6 p.m. on Thursday, November 10) for Overture’s Get Social program
to expand upon their experience and receive a discounted performance ticket. A Get Social ticket
includes “speed pinball networking”, a mini vintage pinball arcade with Madison Pinball, appetizers,
themed-drinks and more. Overture’s Get Social is presented by Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. The HillBenders
Young Professional edition is hosted in partnership with Madison Magnet and YNPN Madison.
OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS in Madison, Wisconsin features seven state-of-the-art performance
spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, ten resident companies, and
hundreds of local artists engage people in over half a million educational and artistic experiences each
year. Overture.org
###
SoundCloud links to songs:
Pinball Wizard: https://soundcloud.com/donnasamericana/12-pinball-wizard/s-2POOs
Acid Queen: https://soundcloud.com/donnasamericana/09-the-acid-queen/s-qZdZB
We’re Not Gonna Take It / See Me Feel Me: https://soundcloud.com/donnasamericana/23-were-notgonna-take-it-see-me-f/s-eMcd0
Reviews of the show
Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/see-the-hillbenders-bluegrass-jam-on-thewhos-sparks-20150916
Billboard: http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/music-festivals/6509404/sxsw-south-bysouthwest-2015-day-5-hudson-mohawke-timbaland-tink-j-cole-and-more
NewsObserver: http://www.newsobserver.com/entertainment/music-news-reviews/on-the-beatblog/article16010732.html