Cadillac Sky

Friday, Aug. 1
9-11 p.m.
Martin Guitar Liederplatz

About Cadillac Sky

When the first strains of Cadillac Sky's “Born Lonesome” come pulsing out of the speakers, it's immediately apparent that there's a different kind of roots band on the scene—one wrapped in tradition, but not bound by it. That song, which opens their Skaggs Family Records debut, Blind Man Walking, has a high, lonesome sound that would do the great Ralph Stanley proud. And when they follow that up with “You Again,” a song where they display the ferocious intensity of the great rock and roll bands, its obvious Cadillac Sky is a band poised for greatness.

They are the perfect marriage of tradition and innovation. This original approach comes from a deep-seated respect for tradition wrapped around an unbridled musical curiosity. There's no dichotomy in the band's sound, just a synthesis of the band's eclectic influences. The Cadillac Sky sound is the fruition of bandleader Bryan Simpson's groundbreaking vision to create a band that can use traditional bluegrass instrumentation to create a fresh and original sound.

Simpson believes building the band's sound on the traditions of bluegrass and roots music has given Cadillac Sky a solid foundation—one strong enough to support their unique musical perspective. “We definitely have progressive leanings, but we are trying to find our own voice and not be flimsy retreads of New Grass Revival or Nickel Creek; even though we LOVE that stuff. What I like about acoustic music is that there is such an honest energy to it. We try to keep that and combine in it with the innovation that is usually reserved for rock and pop music. Then we try to add some of the country music sensibilities in the lyric and melody and put all that together. Probably not consciously, but it seems to sort of work out that way.”

They know music makes a difference. That's why they worked so hard to craft the heart-and-soul-stirring songs that make up Blind Man Walking. It's an amazing debut that speaks volumes about the arrival of a brand new voice deserving to be heard. Believe.