Hailing from both the Appalachian and Piedmont regions of North Carolina, the Steep Canyon Rangers have long held traditional bluegrass paramount. However, they possess an exceptional ability to incorporate accessible influence from all walks of the region. With the band’s last few albums, the Rangers have gained recognition from well beyond the world of bluegrass. Further, they have earned a reputation as some of the most influential songwriters in Americana today.

Steep Canyon Rangers

Dakota

The Rangers are made up of Graham Sharp on banjo and vocals, Mike Guggino on mandolin/mandola and vocals, Nicky Sanders on fiddle and vocals, Mike Ashworth on drums and vocals, Barrett Smith on bass, guitar, and vocals, and Aaron Burdett on guitar and vocals. Steep Canyon Rangers have been on a journey that is uniquely their own. The band started in college at UNC-Chapel Hill, then dove head first into bluegrass in its most traditional form, and over the years have risen to the top of the bluegrass genre headlining top festivals such as Merlefest and Grey Fox Bluegrass. Only to then be discovered by Steve Martin, famous actor and banjo player. Martin has taken the Rangers on over a decade-long tour introducing them to hundreds of thousands of new fans and giving them prime time TV exposure. This has helped SCR become the most recognizable modern name in bluegrass music. The band has continued to tour extensively on their own, without Martin, and has expanded their genre into country, jam, and Americana. The Rangers are big players in the bluegrass/country and Americana scene today. They are often compared to predecessors The Band, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and the modern Zac Brown Band.

EPSG:4326

Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts

The Rangers are made up of Graham Sharp on banjo and vocals, Mike Guggino on mandolin/mandola and vocals, Nicky Sanders on fiddle and vocals, Mike Ashworth on drums and vocals, Barrett Smith on bass, guitar, and vocals, and Aaron Burdett on guitar and vocals. Steep Canyon Rangers have been on a journey that is uniquely their own. The band started in college at UNC-Chapel Hill, then dove head first into bluegrass in its most traditional form, and over the years have risen to the top of the bluegrass genre headlining top festivals such as Merlefest and Grey Fox Bluegrass. Only to then be discovered by Steve Martin, famous actor and banjo player. Martin has taken the Rangers on over a decade long tour introducing them to hundreds of thousands of new fans and giving them prime time TV exposure. This has helped SCR become the most recognizable modern name in bluegrass music. The band has continued to tour extensively on their own, without Martin, and have expanded their genre into country, jam and Americana. The Rangers are big players in the bluegrass/country and Americana scene today. They are often compared to predecessors The Band, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and the modern Zac Brown Band.

Florida Theatre

It’s bluegrass as you haven’t heard it before. Since a group of students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill started Steep Canyon Rangers in 2000, the group has been expanding and redefining the parameters of bluegrass. The genre-defying band has brought elements of pop, country, folk and folk rock to music that is very much its own. The group’s fame has spread since 2009 when it began collaborating with actor and banjo player Steve Martin, and the 2012 album with Martin, Rare Bird Alert, featuring guest appearances by Paul McCartney and the Dixie Chicks, was nominated for a Grammy. In 2013, the band won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass album for its solo work, Nobody Knows You.

Lyric Theatre

Steep Canyon Rangers are masters of bluegrass music as you’ve never heard it before. Ever since a group of students at the University of North Carolina came together in 2000, the Asheville, North Carolina based band has been expanding and redefining the boundaries of bluegrass.

Irvine Barclay Theatre

It’s bluegrass as you haven’t heard it before. Since a group of students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill started Steep Canyon Rangers in 2000, the group has been expanding and redefining the parameters of bluegrass. The genre-defying band has brought elements of pop, country folk and folk rock to music that is very much their own. Their fame has spread since 2009, when they began collaborating with actor and banjo player Steve Martin, and their 2012 album with Martin, Rare Bird Alert, featuring guest appearances by Paul McCartney and the Dixie Chicks, was nominated for a Grammy. In 2013, the group won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass album for their solo work, Nobody Knows You.

Steep Canyon Rangers

Oct 23, 2024