Great American Taxi and Steep Canyon Rangers
In the past five years, Great American Taxi has become one of the best-known headliners on the jam band circuit, their uninhibited sound a swinging concoction of swampy blues, progressive bluegrass, funky New Orleans strut, Southern boogie, honky tonk, gospel and good old fashioned rock 'n' roll. The band has been led by Herman and Staehly since its inception for a Rainforest Action Group benefit show in March of 2005. Now approaching well over 400 shows, the band has kept a fairly busy schedule of 140 shows a year and has hit a lot of the premier music festivals along the way including High Sierra Music Fest, Wakarusa, Summer Camp, 10,000 Lakes Festival, Dunegrass, Nightgrass slots at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the list goes on. The band has been compared with roots rockers like New Riders of the Purple Sage, Grateful Dead, Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, the Byrds and Little Feat.
Steep Canyon Rangers backed Steve Martin during his 2009 tour. Bluegrass, gospel, Appalachia. From Asheville, North Carolina, Steep Canyon Rangers have built a reputation as an engaging acoustic quintet seasoned by constant touring. Before being nominated for 2 International Bluegrass Music awards in 2008 (including Album of the Year, Lovin Pretty Women), the Rangers were named 'Emerging Artist of the Year' in 2006 at the IBMA awards ceremony in Nashville, TN. The group has been regularly featured on the Grand Ole Opry, as well as major U.S. Bluegrass and Americana music festivals such as MerleFest, Telluride, Grey Fox, DelFest and RockyGrass.
