Four Utah natives bring folk to Eccles
Look outside.
Beyond the buildings and busy highways and subdivisions, it’s possible to catch a glimpse of scenery here and there. Most of us don’t even try to see past our next classroom.
But, celebrating what existed before the steel and concrete landscape was built is exactly what the Blue Sage Trio and Brenn Hill are seeking with their music. Hill prefers to celebrate the land and the “modern West” through his voice and guitar, while members of the trio favor the more traditional instruments, such as banjo, bass and fiddle, of the old west.
Founded in Hooper, Utah, the Blue Sage Trio is no stranger to changes. The band began life as a duo with Mike Iverson on banjo and Ryan Shupe (yes, the same Ryan Shupe of “Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band”) on fiddle. Mike’s wife Shauna then joined the group playing upright bass and Rob Ricks replaced Shupe on violin. Finally, Heather Iverson, Mike and Shauna’s daughter, replaced Ricks, making the Trio what it is today.
The Trio’s name came about when Mike combined the names of his two favorite kinds of music, bluegrass and folk with country and western. According to Mike, the name describes both the type of music the artists listen to and the type of music they play.
Utah-born Brenn Hill, on the other hand, has had his share of success flying solo. The 29-year-old artist has released five albums since 1997. The Academy of Western Artists nominated the song “Call You Cowboy” from his first album “Rangefire,” for song of the year and named his second project, “Trail Through Yesterday,” Album of the year in 2001. He has also been nominated by the Western Music Association for male performer of the year (2002) and traditional western album of the year and various other honors.
Ron Goede, founder of the Bridger Folk Music Society, said they decided to bring the group foremost because, “they’re very good.”
Goede has a personal connection to this concert as well.
“I’ve known Mike for 20 years and he is definitely one of the better musicians in Utah.” Goede said. “We’re trying to bring more of the local talent into Logan. We have such good musicians here that it doesn’t make sense to bring people in from elsewhere.”
-limarc@cc.usu.edu