The Special Consensus + Monroe Crossing
Saturday, April 26, 2025
6:30 pm Doors // 7:30 pm Music
All Ages
$25 (+taxes/fees) Advance General Admission // $30 (+taxes/fees) At The Door
Ticket purchases are final and non-refundable
Facebook RSVP
Two bluegrass greats, one fantastic night of music!
Join two-time Grammy-nominated bluegrass band The Special Consensus as they come to the Twin Cities to share the stage with hometown stalwarts Monroe Crossing.
Led by award-winning banjo player Greg Cahill, The Special Consensus is celebrating 50 years of traveling the world delivering top quality bluegrass. Monroe Crossing is approaching 25 years of entertaining audiences far and wide with their own brand of bluegrass. Each band will play a set before combining forces for a show-stopping, monster jam.
The Special Consensus approaches this hallowed American musical art form with boundless energy and an aesthetic reverence that tickles the ribs, tugs at the heart, and puts a restless two-step into boots and bare feet.
“Music like this is the reason people come to love bluegrass.”
“Special Consensus is a superb bluegrass outfit in a classic vein…the vocals are spotless, the playing as shiny as a newly minted penny, and music like this is the reason people come to love bluegrass.” — Folk & Music Exchange
“One of the longest-running and best-respected outfits in bluegrass history.” — Chicago Reader
Bluegrass band The Special Consensus has achieved a contemporary sound in over four decades of performing, making their music a modern classic. Band leader and founder Greg Cahill is a recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) and was inducted into the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA) Hall of Greats. Special Consensus has released 21 band recordings and received seven awards from the IBMA and two Grammy nominations.
Special Consensus’ sound is grounded in a deep appreciation and understanding of bluegrass music, incorporating both the drive and harmonies of the traditional sound with the more contemporary sounds and repertoire of today. With the foundation of Greg’s unique banjo playing style and the vocal prowess of the 2023 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year Greg Blake (guitar), Dan Eubanks (bass) and Brian McCarty (mandolin), these musicians effortlessly support each other and consistently maintain their bluegrass center whether they’re playing a jazz-tinged instrumental or a song from any of their award-winning recordings. These four talented vocalists and instrumentalists follow their creative desires without straying too far from their roots.
Rivers and Roads, the band’s 19th recording, was nominated for a 2018 Grammy and was awarded 2018 IBMA Album of the Year. The tune “Squirrel Hunters” from that recording received the Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year award.
International tours have brought the band to Australia, Canada, Europe, South America, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The band has also appeared on National Public Radio, The Nashville Network, the Grand Ole Opry at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, and in concert with symphony orchestras nationwide.
Compass Records released Great Blue North, the 21st Special C recording, in May of 2023. The band has been touring in Canada for nearly four decades and this recording was made as a tip of the hat to all the friends and fans made throughout the country over so many years. All songs featured on the recording were written by Canadian writers and numerous Canadian musician friends of the band made guest appearances. The Gordon Lightfoot song “Alberta Bound” received the 2023 IBMA Collaborative Recording of the Year award and the video received the first-ever 2024 IBMA Video of the Year award (tied with Authentic Unlimited).
Monroe Crossing performs an electrifying blend of classic bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, original bluegrass and some surprising selections outside the bluegrass genre. Named in honor of Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass Music, Monroe Crossing’s superb musicianship and on-stage rapport has entertained audiences throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.
Monroe Crossing consists of four distinct personalities with differing musical backgrounds. When combined, their individual histories make for a unique sound. The three original members are: Mark Anderson (bass), Lisa Fuglie (fiddle & lead vocals), and Matt Thompson (mandolin & harmony vocals). Derek Johnson (guitar & lead vocals) joined in 2011 and also provides the booking duties for the band. The group utilizes a cadre of very talented banjo players, all of whom are alumni of the group. They are Benji Flaming, David Robinson, and Graham Sones.
The band has released 17 studio albums to date. In 2007, Monroe Crossing was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame. They have twice been selected to showcase at the annual World of Bluegrass convention hosted by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). They have also appeared twice at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In 2016, Monroe Crossing had the honor of being the first Minnesota bluegrass band to perform in South Korea.