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Hot pick: Hot pickin’ at Steve’s

Janet Urquhart
Bluegrass band Hickory Project makes a stop at Steve's Guitars in Carbondale tonight. (Courtesy Hickory Project)
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Hard-driving traditional and original bluegrass will be the order of the evening at Steve’s Guitars in Carbondale tonight, when Hickory Project returns to the cozy venue. Come early if you want a good seat, advises shop owner Steve Standiford.

After all, this band has played the Kennedy Center.

Bruce Hayes and Frank Martin will open for the Hickory Project at 8 p.m.



The Project, a Pennsylvania quintet turned sextet, is squeezing in a Carbondale stop on its current festival tour; they just wrapped up an appearance in Pueblo and are headed to Albuquerque later this week. The last time the band played Steve’s, three years ago, the place was packed and a spillover crowd listened from the street, according to Standiford.

“They were amazing,” he reports.




Hickory Project’s fourth and latest CD, “Travelin’ On” features all originals penned by various members of the group. In addition, 1999 National Mandolin Champion Anthony Hannigan has released a solo effort, “Down the Road,” (its fourth track, “Carbondale” probably refers to the town in Pennsylvania, though, not the Carbondale of the Roaring Fork Valley.)

Matching Hannigan’s chops is the Project’s Sue Cunningham, vocalist and four-time Florida Bluegrass Fiddle Champion. The band also features Danny Shipe (vocals, guitar); David Cavage (banjo, vocals); Liverpool-born Steve Belcher (acoustic bass) and the newest Project member, Billy Gilmore (guitar, vocals).

Tickets at the door; Standiford didn’t elaborate on the admission price in his e-mail. Steve’s Guitars is at 19 N. Fourth St. in downtown Carbondale.