Peter Rowan is a bluegrass master. His musical roots go back to Bill Monroe. He didn’t just hear Bill Monroe’s recordings – he played guitar and sang lead with Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys in the mid-1960s. After stints in Earth Opera, Muleskinner, and the Marin County rock group Seatrain, he co-founded Old and in the Way with Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. Since then, he’s recorded more than 30 albums and earned six Grammy nominations. His classic originals include “Panama Red,” “Lonesome L.A. Cowboy,” and “Moonlight Midnight” – and he’s just released a new album, The Old School, with one traditional song and ten new originals that sound like future classics. “You’ve got to pick it clean / play it true / you know that’s the rule / of the old school,” he sings on the title cut, and he definitely follows his own advice.

Joining Peter tonight are his brothers, Chris and Lorin, and the inimitable Nina Gerber, and most likely a few surprise guests as well. The Rowan Brothers grew up outside of Boston, moved west, and played their first gig in San Francisco opening for the Grateful Dead in 1971. They’ve recorded eight albums together, including four with Peter, and they have a fresh, clean California sound that partakes of folk and pop, bluegrass and rock. Nina plays guitar with an impeccable touch, giving each song exactly as much accompaniment – or as little – as it needs to be just right.

Get your tickets early – this should be a glorious bluegrass celebration, led by a true master!

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Photos by Ronald Rietman