The Monroe & The Creston Line
The nature of an animal is largely reflected in how it cares for its young, on whether it nurtures growth in an attentive and engaged manner or simply nudges its babes from the nest. Music is crafted in much the same way. Thoughtful artists resist the urge to push their work out into the world to see if it flies. Instead, they craft each song into maturity until the band itself is prepared to set forth as a single entity. As For the Folks continues its own growth in the care of our dynamic village, the two bands featured at the height of summer embody the toil and attention of artists striving to make their distinct marks on their audience.
When The Monroe takes a stage, they do so as if that stage has been made specifically for them. They come prepared with work and struggle as the foundation for a sound that swoops up the room and implores everyone to join them on their journey. They perform with the confidence, vulnerability, and courage made to inspire the audience to participate in the bubbling magic that rises when such forces come together. They play each show as if it may be their last, and their best. Close your eyes and you'd think they're playing just for you. Open them and recognize the power that has connected the pieces that make up the whole. The music transforms the floor before them, and when the lights finally go down, they leave a place different than how they found it.
This same focus on the most minute of details has allowed The Creston Line to firmly plant its feet in its home soil as the band sets its sights on the winding road ahead. Their songs resonate with a journey into which each member has dived head first while questioning every lyric, riff, and emotional build. The diversity of skill they bring to the table results in a sound that extends beyond genre and speaks to their individual artistry as musicians in their own right. While the result may be seamless, it's impossible to mistake it as easy. Their sweat pours off each creation and as it's clear they've done the best they possible could at every nook and cranny. As the audience, we see the whole story.
George Carlin, in a rare expletive-free moment, said, "An artist has the obligation to be en route." At a time when our culture encourages caprice, these bands have patiently grown into strong and mature artists prepared to meet the world on their own terms. As For the Folks continues along the same young and ambitious path, we are thrilled to welcome them to our stage and into our hearts as we head off on the road to we-don't-know-where. There is the ride and there is the destination, and they are by no means mutually exclusive. See y'all down the road.