OXFORD, Miss. – The Punch Brothers bring their brand of bluegrass and folk music to the
Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts at the University of
Mississippi Feb. 7 at 8 p.m.
With a style described by Times Online as
“bluegrass instrumentation and spontaneity” with “structures of modern
classical,” The Punch Brothers are considered by NPR to be “acoustic
bluegrass super pickers.”
Formed by mandolin player Chris Thile
of Nickel Creek fame, the quintet includes Gabe Witcher on fiddle, who
has been featured on the Oscar-winning soundtracks of “Babel” and
“Brokeback Mountain;” Noam Pikelny on banjo, who also appears on k.d.
lang’s latest CD; Chris Eldridge on guitar, who’s been called “the
most-talked about guitarist in the bluegrass world;” and Greg Garrison
on bass, who has recorded with artists John Scofield and Vasser
Clements.
“The Punch Brothers offer a fresh view on bluegrass,” said Norm Easterbrook, Ford Center director. “Their way of combining the traditions of bluegrass with classical forms and chamber music is refreshing and innovative.”
The quintet performs for sold-out audiences across the U.S., playing selections from “Punch,” their latest album. It contains the 40-minute, four-movement suite “The Blind Leaving the Blind,” which serves as an anchor for the record. The band performed the piece in its entirety at Carnegie Hall in 2007.
Tickets to see The Punch Brothers are $25 for general admission seating. All tickets are available by calling the UM Box Office at 662-915-7411 or by visiting the box office in the Ole Miss Student Union from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or the Ford Center Box Office from noon to 4 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays. Purchase tickets online.
For a complete list of events and shows at the Ford Center, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/fordcenter/ . For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-7411.