Mighty Poplar

Featuring: Noam Pikelny & Chris Eldridge (Punch Brothers), Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse), and Greg Garrison (Leftover Salmon)

At its heart, bluegrass music is about what happens when you commit to the moment. The joy of improvisation keeps the music fresh, and the fun of crafting ideas on the fly keeps the musicians on their toes. This true spirit of bluegrass infuses the self-titled record from Mighty Poplar, a new all-star roots project featuring Andrew Marlin of Watchhouse, Noam Pikelny and Chris Eldridge of Punch Brothers, and bassist Greg Garrison (Leftover Salmon).

Though Pikelny, Eldridge, Garrison all knew each other from their early work with Punch Brothers, impromptu backstage jams with Marlin at festivals across the country were the key that unlocked the project. A lifelong song collector, Marlin selected and sang lead on most of the songs here, bringing classics as well as deep cuts from greats like Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard, John Hartford, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Norman Blake. The playing is just about as amazing as you would expect given the group’s membership, but it’s never overstated or showy. This is a bluegrass supergroup that has been tearing up stages all over the place since the release of their self-titled debut album at the end of March, and we are excited to welcome them for their first Ark show!