Punch Brothers' US tour takes them far north to the Alyeska Resort in Alaska this weekend. The Huffington Post compares the band to the Beatles as artists who "redefine a genre of music for the ages," calling Chris Thile "a compositional genius" and saying all five band members "play with an energy and a passion of trailblazers." Billboard says the band "is building a case for bigger fame" with their new album, Antifogmatic.
Punch Brothers' US tour with music from their latest Nonesuch release, Antifogmatic, takes them to the farthest northern reaches of the country when the band performs at the Alyeska Resort in idyllic Girdwood, Alaska, outside of Anchorage, this weekend. The quintet performed at the Interlochen Center of the Arts on Saturday night, prompting The Huffington Post to wonder: "And They Will Ask: Where were you when the Punch Brothers invaded?"
The Huffington Post's Brian Ross, in his review the Interlochen show, puts Punch Brothers in some pretty heady company, to say the least. "There are bands and musicians that redefine a genre of music for the ages," he writes. "The Beatles in rock. Parker, Monk, Coltrane and Gillespie in Jazz. Tonight I witnessed that evolution in Bluegrass: The Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile ... [T]hey are to Bluegrass what Yuri Gagarin and John Glenn were to manned space flight."
Ross has kind words to say about all five members of the ensemble. "Chris Thile is not just a mandolin virtuoso and a consummate performer reminiscent of other genre benders like R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe or Talking Heads' David Byrne," he exclaims. "He is a compositional genius aided in the construction by a quintet of talented and envelope-pushing musicians including Gabe Witcher on fiddle, Noam Pikelny on the banjo, Chris Eldridge on guitar, and newcomer Paul Kowert on the bass."
As witnessed by the audience on Saturday, all five "play with an energy and a passion of trailblazers," Ross reports. "If you have not seen them, you should find out where the Punch Brothers are going and get there," he exhorts. "You will find, from whatever genre you come; Rock, jazz, blues, etc, that you have arrived at a concert that will be both impressive and make bluegrass accessible because it resonates elements of your musical world."
Read the complete concert review at huffingtonpost.com. And to follow Ross's suggestion and find out where the Punch Brothers are going, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.
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Billboard magazine recently reviewed the new album, saying the band "is building a case for bigger fame" with Antifogmatic. Echoing Ross's assessment in The Huffington Post, Billboard reviewer Erin Clendaniel writes: "The new set includes rowdy, raucous tunes ... as well as contemporary takes on the traditional genre." Read the review at billboard.com.
To pick up a copy of Antifogmatic, with the complete album included as high-quality MP3s at checkout, head to the Nonesuch Store.
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