Thursday To-Do: Rhonda Vincent and the Rage
RHONDA VINCENT AND THE RAGE
7:30 p.m., Reynolds Performance Hall. $30-$32.
Rhonda Vincent's only 46 — and lookin' good, too — but she's been playing music professionally longer than peers 10 to 15 years older. Born in Kirksville, Mo., she got her start at the age of 6, playing drums in her family band, the Sally Mountain Show. (She learned the mandolin and fiddle before she was 11.) But it was appearing on TNN's “You Can be a Star” that led her to solo fame, first singing with Opry star Jim Ed Brown, then recording contemporary country albums, with Giant Records and Warner Bros. But traditional music came calling, and she moved to Rounder in 2000 and starting cutting bluegrass albums again, eventually putting together a backing band, the Rage. In June, she'll release “Destination Life,” her 25th album. Over the years she's successfully managed to blend contemporary and neo-traditionalist country with traditional bluegrass in a way that doesn't alienate the purists. In fact, with her strong bright voice and skill with the mandolin, she's widely recognized as the queen of bluegrass.
7:30 p.m., Reynolds Performance Hall. $30-$32.
Rhonda Vincent's only 46 — and lookin' good, too — but she's been playing music professionally longer than peers 10 to 15 years older. Born in Kirksville, Mo., she got her start at the age of 6, playing drums in her family band, the Sally Mountain Show. (She learned the mandolin and fiddle before she was 11.) But it was appearing on TNN's “You Can be a Star” that led her to solo fame, first singing with Opry star Jim Ed Brown, then recording contemporary country albums, with Giant Records and Warner Bros. But traditional music came calling, and she moved to Rounder in 2000 and starting cutting bluegrass albums again, eventually putting together a backing band, the Rage. In June, she'll release “Destination Life,” her 25th album. Over the years she's successfully managed to blend contemporary and neo-traditionalist country with traditional bluegrass in a way that doesn't alienate the purists. In fact, with her strong bright voice and skill with the mandolin, she's widely recognized as the queen of bluegrass.
