Bluegrass supergroup High Bar Gang plays hometown gig at BlueShore at CapU on February 1
Members include cofounders Colin Nairne and Wendy Bird, as well as Shari Ulrich and Barney Bentall
The High Bar Gang plays a hometown gig at BlueShore at CapU on February 1.
The bluegrass supergroup High Bar Gang is getting ready to play a hometown gig at BlueShore at CapU on February 1.
Beloved for its vibrant brand of old-time bluegrass, Vancouver’s seven-member High Bar Gang has had plenty of fun since guitarist/mandolin player Colin Nairne and singer/guitarist Wendy Bird formed the group 13 years ago.
“It’s been a great adventure,” says Barney Bentall, who sings harmonies and plays guitar for the group.
“And we still all really love each other, which is quite miraculous,” adds Shari Ulrich, whose voice shines in full-group harmonies as she performs on fiddle and mandolin.
Every member of the group has performed for decades in various other top Vancouver bands and each is a star in their own right. But there’s no front person in High Bar Gang, says Ulrich. “It's all about serving the music and the support that we beam to each other while we're playing it.”
Well, really, it’s all about the love of multi-part harmony, Ulrich admits. “I'm just a sucker for that. And these vocals, they’re always just sending shivers up my spine.”
Bentall says bluegrass is “a timeless genre with amazing melodies. And it’s fast. When we first started, trying to keep up with the tempos, there was a moment I thought, maybe I should have joined his speed-metal band.”
The High Bar Gang band has earned two Juno nominations and won the Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year. Other members include Kirby Barber on guitar, bass and vocals; Dave Barber on banjo, mandolin, guitar, and vocals, and Rob Becker on bass.
Find more info and tickets here.
Post sponsored by BlueShore at CapU Theatre