I Haven't Heard That One Before

The Indianapolis Star (the local paper here) has a slideshow of the top five live shows this week. The first show on the list is "An Evening of Bluegrass," which the reporter begins by describing thusly:

Yes, it's true: there's more to bluegrass than the dueling banjo scene from "Deliverance."

Really? Who knew? Don't get me wrong, I'm all in favor of a good banjo joke, but jeez, that one's so old it's turned to dust. They've been making t-shirts that say "paddle faster, I hear banjos" for at least the better part of a decade. Since you're being paid to write things, try coming up with something fresh, you know, without mold.

The rest of the piece demonstrates a level of sophistication that makes me think it's taken straight from the press release, while the above was tacked on by someone looking for some yucks:

Today, the classic American genre is vast and varied, with traditionalists carrying the torch while newer, innovative acts like Yonder Mountain String Band push 'jamgrass' into the future. An Evening of Bluegrass at Deluxe brings together some of the best voices and pickers in bluegrass today, featuring Noam Pikelny will be among the featured performers for An Evening of Bluegrass at Deluxe in the Old National Centre. (pictured here), Bryan Sutton, Ronnie McCoury, Luke Bulla and Barry Bales. If those names aren't familiar, check their resumes: they're members of Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Punch Brothers, The Del McCoury Band and others. See classic Americana done right.