High & Lonesome: A Journey Through Bluegrass Music

A free, one-hour live performance and educational program for Austin's libraries, museums, cultural centers, and senior centers.

Bluegrass has a clearly traceable origin story and a rich cast of founding figures, yet it remains unfamiliar to many who didn't grow up with it. High & Lonesome brings audiences inside the tradition through live music, instrument demonstration, and brief storytelling, tracing bluegrass from its birth in 1940s Kentucky to the present day — presented by the Hot Pickin 57s and supported by a 2026 Nexus grant from the City of Austin's Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACME).

One HourSingle self-contained program
All AgesNo registration or prior knowledge
FreeAt no cost to host venues
5 InstrumentsDemonstrated solo, then in ensemble

Inside the Program

The hour is organized into five segments. Each of the five core instruments, mandolin, banjo, guitar, fiddle, and upright bass, is demonstrated individually before being heard together, giving audiences a listening framework they carry through the rest of the program. Clapping, sing-alongs, and Q&A are built in, and the program is designed to work for mixed-age and older audiences alike: an accessible entry point for listeners who know country and Americana, and a direct connection to the music older listeners grew up with.

1
Early Bluegrass (1943–1955)The founding era, with Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and the Stanley Brothers, and the sound that defined the genre.
2
The Growth Era (1955–1970)The folk revival and the spread of bluegrass to new regions and new audiences.
3
The Flexibility Era (1970–1990)The emergence of subgenres, including Newgrass and David Grisman’s “Dawg” music.
4
Shared Roots: Bluegrass & CountryA live illustration using “Folsom Prison Blues” to show how bluegrass and country share roots and repertoire: a country classic in the acoustic bluegrass idiom.
5
Modern BluegrassThe tradition today, including how the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack carried bluegrass to mainstream audiences.

Want the full details to share with your team? Download the Program Sheet (PDF)

About Hot Pickin 57s

The Hot Pickin 57s are an Austin bluegrass and American roots band, performing together since 2016 and selected to the 2026–2028 Texas Commission on the Arts Texas Touring Roster. Since 2016 the band has played over 400 shows, with repeat library engagements at Bee Cave, Lake Travis Community, Georgetown Public, and Westbank, and repeat senior-community engagements at Querencia at Barton Creek, Belmont Village, Brookdale, and Westminster Manor. Meet the band

“No group nails it like the Hot Pickin 57s. Day of event they’re hassle-free. During the performance they crush it with fun originals, spot-on classics, incredible talent, energized presence, and some jokes between songs to catch your breath. I couldn’t recommend them more.”
— Joshua Macias, Booking Agent, Georgetown Public Library

Hosting High & Lonesome at Your Venue

No cost to your venue. Performance fees and professional sound production are fully covered by the City of Austin Nexus grant.

Everything provided. The band handles its own sound production and brings the full program self-contained — indoor or outdoor. Your venue provides the space, seating, and an audience.

We help you fill the room. The band supports each event with digital promotional assets and advance scheduling, coordinating with your programming staff and promoting through its own channels and posting on the Visit Austin webpage.

Simple requirements. Events must be held within Austin city limits and open to the public. That’s it.

Flexible scheduling. Performances are being booked now through June 30, 2027.

Booking & Availability
Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment logo

This project is supported in part by a Nexus Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment.