THE GOODS 8.31.11 thru 9.6.11

By Aaron Davis for Jackson Hole Weekly (PlanetJH.com)Serious Punch Flexing top-notch bluegrass chops, yet blurring lines through Americana’s finest threads, The Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile specialize in avant-garde roots music lined with tricky melodies and rhythmic complexity. Thile, an alumnus of Nickel Creek, can deliver crushing mandolin riffs with world-class velocity – evidenced on his brand new duo release with Michael Daves.Thile’s punchy brothers are a tasteful bunch—guitarist Chris Eldridge, Paul Kowert on bass, Noam Pikelny on banjo and fiddler Gabe Witcher. This ensemble plays with the concentration of a classical quintet, a demand that emerges from tight group dynamics and unusual arrangements. The Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile, 8 p.m., Wednesday, Center Theater. 733-4900. $25-$35. JHCenterForTheArts.org. Local blues with Chicago roots Guitarist-vocalist Bob Greenspan is at ease improvising for minutes over a blues shuffle, and his association with artists like Charlie Musslewhite, Barry Goldberg, Junior Wells, and Mike Bloomfield are evident in his delivery. Greenspan formed his first band as a teenager with Bloomfield, who went on to be a Columbia recording artist that recorded with Bob Dylan, Paul Butterfield and many more. Greenspan’s album from the early 80s, Rock-A-Billy Blues, contains the hit tune “Sit Down I Wanna Get Inside.” About five years ago, the song enjoyed a resurgence when it went to No. 1 on The Midnight Special Blues Radio show based in Paris, France. Bob Greenspan and The Monkey Wrench Gang will play 7:30 to 11 p.m., Saturday, at the Silver Dollar Bar. Free. 733-2190. Country-western reunion Bruce Hauser and The Sawmill Creek Band formed in 1973, releasing six albums before their split in 1990. The Jackson-based country-western band toured nationally and in Europe, opening for acts like Sawyer Brown, Neil Young, Tanya Tucker, and Asleep at the Wheel. Check out the YouTube video for the Hauser-penned “Goin’ Back to Jackson,” a Waylon-esque tune about yearning for the Tetons. A reunion is in order for the Annual Labor Day Jam. Bruce Hauser and his band, 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Virginian Saloon. Free. 739-9891. Center unveils free concert series (by Matt Irwin) Clawhammer banjo-player Abigail Washburn will kick off the Live! At the Center free concert series with Kai Welch, a multi-instrumental singer/songwriter. The fine print: the concert series won’t actually start until next summer and this kickoff concert won’t actually be outdoors. Instead, the Center has double-branded the concert next Tuesday as a celebration of its participation in Old Bill’s Fun Run 2011. In a press release, Center staff also said that the event demonstrates the Center’s new mission statement, calling for a “vibrant, collaborative and inclusive cultural community.” Which reminds me about a little due disclosure: JH Weekly is a media sponsor of the series. Abigail Washburn and Kai Welch, 7 p.m., (5:30 p.m., pre-party), Sept. 6, Center Theater. Benyaro opens. Free. www.jhcenterforthearts.com.