Bluegrass is one of those genres that’s touch-and-go for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love toe-tappin’ melodies and a bit o’ twang in my life. And when a band comes along that just nail those harmonies—ah, it’s golden. But I’ve got to be a particular kind of mood to fully appreciate everything about it.

One of the first—if not the first—articles I wrote for Creative Loafing was about DejaBlue Grass Band’s release party, celebrating their debut CD, Bucket Full of Rain. I would never have believed that these Atlanta locals who packed out  the dim-lit Red Light Cafe one Thursday in May would be competing on the main stage at the 35th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival in the same contest that launched Dixie Chicks and Nickel Creek.

Twelve acts were initially chosen for the contest, and narrowed to four that played in front of thousands.  Click ahead to read the rest.

DejaBlue Grass Band placed 2nd at 35th annual Telluride Festival