Beth Peerless, Where it’s at: Nickel Creek brings a touch of bluegrass to Golden State
A band that got its start in Southern California in 1989 when the three principal members were still pre-teens, Nickel Creek’s currently 40-something-year-olds are sounding better than ever and on tour once again to the delight of acoustic music fans. Nickel Creek appears at the Golden State Theatre at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Those who appreciate the wide-ranging stylistic talents of mandolinist Chris Thile, fiddle player Sara Watkins and her brother, guitarist Sean Watkins, will be thrilled by the music they’ve brought to the table in the 2023 release “Celebrants.” Even more thrilling is the three-part vocal harmonies in 18 songs written mostly during the 2020 pandemic period when the lockdown kept everyone secured away in their homes.
Rooted in bluegrass, Nickel Creek built a reputation as one of the most adventurous and eclectic groups in progressive acoustic music. In the early years it was all about touring and performing at bluegrass and country music festivals, where they wowed audiences with their mature abilities. They released two albums in the 1990s, but it was the 2000-released self-titled album produced by Alison Krauss that served as the trio’s breakthrough moment. With Krauss’s guidance they upgraded their vocal sound and the overall production of the record with the reward of two Grammy nominations for Best Bluegrass Album and Best Country Instrumental for the song “Ode to a Butterfly.” Though it was a decidedly bluegrass record, there were elements of classical, jazz, and rock’n’ roll, both classic and alternative. The influence of progressive bluegrass pioneers like Krauss, Edgar Meyer and Béla Fleck was also apparent.
A raft of awards and recognition followed and they went on to open shows for Lyle Lovett and appeared on Austin City Limits with Dolly Parton. She later invited them to be her backing band at the 2001 Grammy Awards.
The album “This Side” came out in 2002, the fourth by the group, also produced by Krauss. While the core bluegrass influence remained, forays into indie rock and folk rock put Nickel Creek on the path to winning the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. It was certified gold and the band was featured in Rolling Stone magazine’s Best of 2002 edition. They went on to open five shows with John Mayer, and toured with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. In 2003, they appeared on the Béla Fleck and the Flecktones album “Little Worlds.” Suffice to say, the band was riding high and on top of the world.
There were more exciting milestones and appearances at major festivals to include Bonnaroo, High Sierra Music Festival, Austin City Limits, SXSW, Lollapalooza and Star Fest. By 2006, they were ready for a break, and announced their tour that stretched through 2007 would be their last for an indefinite period so band members could expand their musical horizons. The members had already started to work on and release solo albums. Thile formed the Punch Brothers, Sara released an album which was produced by John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin fame. Sean had formed Fiction Family and released a couple albums. There was lots going on.
Nickel Creek ended its hiatus in early 2014 in celebration of their 25th anniversary as a band. They released the album “A Dotted Line” on Nonesuch records and followed it up with an extensive tour. They all went back to their own endeavors, performing occasionally as Nickel Creek. Sara was in the trio I’m With Her with Aoife O’Donovan and Sara Jarosz. Thile took over as host of the long-enured radio variety show “A Prairie Home Companion from Garrison Keillor.” It was later rebranded as “Live From Hear” where Nickel Creek performed once in awhile. It was canceled as a result of the global pandemic.
A live concert album was developed during the quarantine period, pulled from the archives and titled “Live from the Fox Theater,” recorded in Oakland, May 19, 2014. The group did some livestreams as well during their down time, and Thile and Sara released solo albums. Conceptualized and designed during the lockdown, the band released its first studio album in nine years, the 18-track “Celebrants.”
“It still sounds crazy to me that it’s the longest period between records for us,” Thile said as part of an interview for NPR. “It doesn’t feel like that, at all. I wonder if people who haven’t been in the same band since they were 8 years old can relate to the way that, sometimes, you forget to prioritize hanging out with your very best friends, because you know that that relationship isn’t going anywhere. Then when we finally did get it on the books, which took a global pandemic, all of the sudden we started realizing how much we had to say together.”
Augmented by double bassist Mike Elizondo, “Celebrants” is as complex and daring as anything in the group’s catalog. I’m particularly impressed by the song “The Meadow,” with its melting changes, gorgeous harmonies, changes in tempo and intricate interplay of the instrumentation. It’s like being in Alice’s Wonderland, a visit that is dreamlike and eye-opening at the same time. All the songs have connecting threads, so conceptually there’s a story being told, yet with enough definition to make each stand on its own. The song that follows “The Meadow,” “Thinnest Wall,” takes a straight walk into a country/bluegrass feel, but with dissonant harmonies that relate back to the strange meadow. And that feel continues into “Going Out…”, which is an instrumental with a feeling of moving toward another adventure.
Y’all can find your own story in these songs, remembering how strange it felt to not know what was going to happen next while the early pandemic times unfolded. I’ve been a fan of this band and all its members’ projects for I don’t know how long, somewhere in the late 1990s is when I first saw them up in Santa Cruz. Nickel Creek appears Wednesday at the State as a headlining act, while the majority of their time on the road this fall is spent as the supporting act for Kacey Musgraves tour. Tickets range in price from $60.68 to $114.24, available in advance at www.goldenstatetheatre.com.
Also at GST on Friday, 8 p.m., is “The Man In Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash,” featuring Shawn Barker in character as Cash backed by a full band and taking the audience through the life and music of the country music icon. Included are hits “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk the Line,” “A Boy Named Sue,” and “Ring of Fire.” Tickets range from $46.26 to $81.80.
The Sunset Cultural Center in Carmel has a few things going on in the coming week to include the start of the XYZ comedy series with Orlando Leyba, free live music on its outdoor terrace featuring Kaye Bohler, a free Jazz at Lincoln Center livestream with the JALO and Wynton Marsalis, and a sold-out Bonnie Raitt concert. Lots to like. To get the day, time and cost, please visit www.sunsetcenter.org where you’ll also find the current full schedule of events for Sunset Presents through June 2025.
The Center for Spiritual Awakening is hosting a fall concert series called “The Round.” Its first concert is a return appearance Friday of the Bring On the Joy concert, featuring the music of Kimball Hurd, Rick Chelew and Lee Garland. All are long time local musicians who have created beautiful music that is uplifting and fun. This is a family friendly show with children under 12 admitted free. General admission tickets are $30. Doors open at 6 p.m., ticket price includes a community reception with complimentary coffee, tea and hors d’oeuvres. There is a No Host Bar. Tickets may be purchased in advance at www.CSA-PG.org/joy. CSA is located at 522 Central Ave. in Pacific Grove.
There are a number of events coming up that I’d like to give a shout out to this week, as next week’s coverage of the Monterey Jazz Festival and a plethora of events the following week will likely not allow room to elaborate as much as I’d like. Can’t do that much here either, but you can get all the information on the websites listed. And perhaps a follow up should space allow on the week of the event.
Coming up in October: The 2024 Carmel International Film Festival, held Oct. 5-6, with celebrity guests, film screenings, premieres, industry parties, expert panels, and more. All the details and tickets available at www.ciffest.com.
Over the weekend of Oct. 4-6, The Robinson Jeffers Foundation’s Fall Festival celebrates the enduring legacy of poet Robinson Jeffers, from 1924-2024 and beyond. Friday there is a Sunset Celebration at Tor House, 26304 Ocean View, Carmel with wine and savories served, Taelen Thomas recites poetry, Melinda Coffey Armstead and Pauline Troia perform music, and Tom Rusert and Darren Peterie assist in birdwatching from the terrace over Carmel Bay. Tickets are $25.
Saturday at the Carmel Woman’s Club, 9th & San Carlos, Carmel is a free series of talks and panel discussions, between 8:30 a.m.-noon, break for lunch, and then from 1:15-3:45 p.m. Saturday at 5:30 p.m. is a Banquet at Pine Inn with a presentation on Beautiful and Wild, the Hawks.
Sunday is Nature as Measure: A Geo-Poetic Field Trip in the Heart of Jeffers Country. Advance registration required. Visit www.torhouse.org for all the details and to reserve your place.
Saturday, Oct. 5, is the 21st Annual Monterey Beer Festival, to Benefit the Monterey County Fair Heritage Foundation, held at the Monterey Fair & Event Center from 12:30-4:30 p.m., VIP ticket holders enter an hour earlier at 11:30 a.m. Musical entertainment by Meez, plus DJ Fredo on the Radio. All the details and where to buy your tickets is at www.montereybeerfestival.com.
And a bit further out is the Saturday, Oct. 19, 11th Annual Party in the Village with the Casey Frazier Band and the unDecided. Dinner at 5:30 p.m., Music at 6 p.m. This fun local event takes place at Hidden Valley, 104 West Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley, with barbecue and the Carmel Valley Kiwanis No Host Bar. There’s Wine and Beer Barrel raffles, as well. Tickets are $65, available online at www.cvvic.org, or in person at Carmel Valley Business Center, Kasey’s, Running Iron and UPS Store at mid-Valley.
