Rob Buehler/drums,
Rob Shively/ guitars,
Ryan Ogburn/mandolin & guitar,
Matt Turner/bass
Influences
the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys, Frank Zappa, the Allman Brothers, Bela Fleck and the Flacktones, Old and in the Way, the Band, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Tony Rice, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Paul Simon, Sublime, Reel Big Fish, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the Beastie Boys, Aerosmith, Metallica, Pantera, Primus, Dave Matthews Band, Led Zepplin, the Stanley Brothers, Ricky Scaggs, Jerry Douglas, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Sam Bush, Bon Jovi, Janis Joplin, Van Halen, the Eagles, Little Feat, Toots and the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, the Talking Heads, Robert Johnson, Chuck Berry, Mark Knoffler, Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhart, Miles Davis, Bruce Hornsby, Norah Jones, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Jimmy Herring, Van Morrison, Hot Rize, Rush, Yes, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, Ted Nugent, Black Sabbath, Steve Miller Band, the Grateful Dead, Phish, Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, Yonder Mountain String Band, Nickel Creek, Keller Williams, and the Stay Puffed Marshmallow Man
Sounds Like
A crisp bed of Bluegrass garnished with fresh organic vegitables and Funky Flavorful low-end dressing. Southern Fried Rock with a twist of Reggae. Served with a side of You-know-what-I'm-talkin'-'bout. It's toe-tappin' and finger-snappin' good.
Taking its favorite aspects of bluegrass and rock 'n' roll and tossing them together into a tasty dish of acoustic-electric vibrations, Stealin' Strings is storming across the Midwest and beyond, dousing fans with its Bluegressive Rock.
Bluegressive Rock?
"It's the progression of bluegrass becoming rock and roll," explains drummer Rob Buehler. Or as Ryan Ogburn (mandolin, guitar, vox) sees it, the term tells the tale of the group's continual transformation. "We started with blues, bluegrass jams," Ogburn says, "and progressively went into the rock and roll style we grew up listening to."
Indeed, one minute the band delights with acoustic front porch pickin', the next engages in near face-melting shredding thanks to dueling electric guitars. They can play a two-minute hoedown, or deliver a lengthy epic jam.
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In 2004, thanks to the aid and production skills of The Big Wu's Al Oikari, Stealin' Strings released its debut --No Worries -- a sunny, upbeat composition that taps into the Americana tradition of storytelling. Now with another two years of touring under its belt, Stealin' Strings has inevitably accumulated more material than you can shake a stick at; the group is gearing up to enter the studio again, with plans to record a sophomore effort in Fall 2006. In the meantime the band is putting together a collection of its hottest live tracks, with the intention of unleashing its first live album to the masses.
Of course Stealin' Strings' time on the road continues to be a constant source of inspiration. Close work with an array of Midwestern bands such as God Johnson, Down Lo, Trampled By Turtles and Fat Maw Rooney has encouraged the band to test out new ideas while its tour of the festival circuit has exposed them to a countless supply of players.
The quartet played the 10,000 Lakes Festival in July 2006, sharing the bill with the likes of Trey Anastasio, The String Cheese Incident and Hot Buttered Rum String Band. That same month marked the band's fourth appearance at Summerfest -- the world's largest music festival -- in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The group performed at the Ninth Annual Big Wu Family Reunion as well and joined Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon for a two-night run in Minneapolis and another two night run in Fargo, ND. Shortly after they had a chance to open for Bill Nershi of the Strings Cheese Inncidents' side project, Honky Tonk Homeslice in their hometown of Milwaukee.
"We're always trying to progress on a personal level and as a band," Ogburn says. "We're digging deep into personal tastes and styles, challenging ourselves."
So heed the words of "Ride the Hightide": "Come on in and take a chance, come on out with us and run high and fly."
STEALIN' STRINGS
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