Hot Pickin 57s - High & Lonesome: A Journey Through Bluegrass Music

Hot Pickin 57s bring their program High & Lonesome: A Journey Through Bluegrass Music to the Lamar Senior Activity Center on Wednesday, August 26. It's a one-hour live performance and educational program that traces bluegrass from its birth in late-1930s Kentucky through to the present day, told through live music, instrument demonstrations, and storytelling.

The show is built around five segments, one for each of the genre's core instruments: mandolin, banjo, guitar, fiddle, and upright bass. Each is demonstrated on its own before the band plays them together, with audience participation woven in. The narrative runs from the founding era of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and the Stanley Brothers, through the folk revival and the progressive Newgrass era of David Grisman's 'Dawg' music, stops at the shared roots of bluegrass and country using 'Folsom Prison Blues', and lands on modern bluegrass, including the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack.

The Hot Pickin 57s are an Austin bluegrass and American roots band selected to the 2026-2028 Texas Commission on the Arts Texas Touring Roster; since 2016 they've played over 400 shows. The program is designed for all ages and requires no prior knowledge of bluegrass, so it works whether you've followed the music for years or have never heard a banjo in your life.

The performance runs from 3 PM to 4 PM at the Lamar Senior Activity Center, 2874 Shoal Crest Ave, Austin, TX 78705. It's free and open to the public.