Benefit for the Hungry at fooBar

If the virtuosity and precision of much recent bluegrass and other acoustic music has left you feeling cold, the acts on the bill for this benefit for Nashville Rescue Mission should be able to warm you back up. Take for instance the Howling Brothers, who mesh elements of bluegrass and old-time string-band music with a dash of The Band and Dylan's Basement Tapes. The trio favor a loose-limbed vibe over the more pristine pursuits of some of their peers, at times recalling early '70s good-times supergroup Old and in the Way. They're sharing the night with a bunch of like-minded, free-thinking roots groups including jam-leaning roots rockers Randy Russell (BallHog) and Jason Graumlich (Les Honky More Tonkies), the sweet harmonies of acoustic duo The Fireman's Daughter, and the enchanting Bailey Cooke, whose delightfully lo-fi original tracks sound like they could be field recordings recently unearthed by Smithsonian Folkways. The cover charge is a food donation for the mission, and with Thanksgiving around the corner, it's a good time to start showing your gratitude—and a grateful way to have a good time.
Sat., Nov. 21, 8 p.m., 2009