I’ve never been one for music award shows.
Take the Grammys. The televised Grammys ignore the larger number of Grammys that go to real musicians. And the pop-country crowd seems to dole out awards quarterly, which is four times too many.
But the International Bluegrass Music Association may host the most legit ceremony, honoring instrumentalists, songwriters, records of the year and performers. New to the IBMAs are a series of “Momentum Awards.”
The same accolades that go to the heavy hitters are more than a possibility for up-and-comers like Town Mountain, playing in Durango tonight at the Henry Strater Theatre. The Asheville, N.C.-based bluegrass band won two of the three for which it was nominated Wednesday night in Raleigh – vocalist of the year for Robert Greer and the whole band for band of the year.
Along with Greer and Britt, Town Mountain includes Jesse Langlais on banjo, Phil Barker on mandolin, and Jake Hopping on drums.
Knowing Town Mountain as I do, the band members celebrated their wins and hopped a plane, bleary-eyed, to come play in Durango. That’s the Town Mountain way, which certainly won’t dampen the energy of the show. The band loves Colorado, having played this town numerous times as well as having three different shows in this state during the last month.
“The Momentum Awards were created last year to award and recognize people who aren’t the old-school mainstays who monopolize the IBMAs. People tend to win the same awards for a number of years. The Momentums are for the less-established acts.
“It took us by surprise, but it’s nice to be recognized in whatever field you’re in. We’re proud of it,” Greer said from his home in North Carolina.
Since the band started in 2005, it has released four records, following the industry standard of pushing out a record just about every 18 months. Its last release, “Leave the Bottle,” came out in 2012, so the band is scheduled to hit the studio sometime this winter.
While it remains a bluegrass band in all things instrumentation and touring the bluegrass and festival circuit, its sound crosses into American roots and even outlaw country, perhaps as a result of the gritty, mournful tone of Greer’s vocals. It is reminiscent of the 1970s truck-driving film sound, the perfect accompaniment to a car chase through the south á la “Smokey and the Bandit.”
“We all love Jerry Reed,” said Greer of the iconic singer-songwriter who did that classic soundtrack. “I think that our writing and vocal style and the way we play, it’s definitely a bluegrass band, but there’s some old classic country from the 1970s era. We take that as a compliment.”
On a personal note, congratulations also to my friend and former Durango bluegrass DJ David Smith, who was nominated for “Programmer of the Year” for his bluegrass work on public radio in Durango and at his new home in North Dakota. He didn’t win, but that doesn’t make him a loser.
Liggett_b@fortlewis.edu. Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager.
Bryant’s Best
Today: Bluegrass with Town Mountain, 7:30 p.m., $15/$18/$20. Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave., 375-7160.
Today: Electronic music with Gaudi, 9:30 p.m., $15, Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive, 799-2281.
