By Kate Laddish Entertainment correspondent Founded in Chicago 45 years ago, The Special Consensus play pulse-quickening bluegrass, honing a sound that harkens to the genre’s pioneers while having just enough modern touches to appeal to a broad audience. This acoustic quartet win fans with the clarity and energy of their singing and playing and a repertoire woven from a mix of traditionals, originals and bluegrass renditions of songs from other genres. The Special Consensus will bring their current lineup to The Palms Playhouse, 13 Main St. in Winters, on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $22 in advance, $26 at the door, and $12 with student ID. Bandleader, banjo player and singer Greg Cahill co-founded Special C and is the one constant in a cast of nearly 50 members over the years, playing on all 19 albums. It isn’t that Cahill can’t keep musicians in the band; it’s more that he and Special Consensus help foster and launch careers. “I’ve been really fortunate to get a lot of great young musicians,” Cahill wrote, citing that as a reason for the band’s energy. “It’s become somewhat of a farm team.” Notable alumni include Grammy-nominated alt-country singer, songwriter and guitarist Robbie Fulks, country singer and bassist Dallas Wayne and singer and guitarist Chris Jones. In addition to Cahill, the current line-up is Dan Eubanks on bass and vocals, Rick Faris on guitar and vocals, and newest member Nate Burie on mandolin and vocals. Cahill has a passion for nurturing talent and broadening engagement in bluegrass. He served on the board of the International Bluegrass Music Association for 12 years and as its president for four, and won the organization’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 2011. His efforts to bring bluegrass into the schools and to increase involvement in the genre include founding the Traditional American Music program in 1984. At the heart of it all is a dedication to playing music that’s at once driving and soulful. Special C is on a roll, earning plum awards and nominations for each of the four albums they’ve released in the last eight years. Accolades include Best Bluegrass Album Grammy nominations in 2013 for “Scratch Gravel Road” and again last year for their 2018 Compass Records release, “Rivers and Roads.” Additional honors include 2018 IBMA awards for Album of the Year for “Rivers and Roads” and Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year for the tune “Squirrel Hunters.” They won the 2016 IBMA award for Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year for “Fireball” from the album “Long I Ride,” and earned two IBMA awards for their 2014 release “Country Boy: A Bluegrass Tribute To John Denver.” Tickets are available at Pacific Ace Hardware in Winters, Armadillo Music in Davis, Davids’ Broken Note in Woodland, online via The Palms’ website and Eventbrite, and at the door if the show is not sold out. For more information, visit palmsplayhouse.com and specialc.com.]]>
