If you take the youthful energy of rock & roll and run it through a mountain spring, you might find the fulcrum of Crooked Still’s strength. Without electricity…or drums, Crooked Still take an all at once reverent and revolutionary approach to bluegrass music. The unlikely combination of banjo, cello, and double-bass with spooky backwoods melodies drives this low lonesome band. Crooked Still manages to amp up its ancient American songs in unplugged yet groove-crazed ways. Melody lines and rhythms crossbreed and shift focus. An expressive sense of a dark, wild life ensues. Unlike most bluegrass, the bravura playing deepens the mood; staying true to the tradition as they change it. The resulting acoustic fusion can warp a traditional American tune to the brink of being unrecognizable without sacrificing the authenticity of the original sources. This is their first appearance at the Shedd.