Since their formation in 2000, Steep Canyon Rangers have been wowing audiences with their eclectic mix of bluegrass and Americana.

The Grammy-Award winning band, which features Graham Sharp on banjo, Mike Guggino on mandolin, Aaron Burdett on guitar, Nicky Sanders on fiddle, Mike Ashworth on drums and Barrett Smith on bass, guitar, all provide vocals and have released 14 studio albums as well as three collaborative albums with actor and banjoist Steve Martin.

The band credits its longevity to a culture and community among its members, most of whom have known each other since their college days. It’s a foundation of friendship that really comes across to audiences whenever they perform.

Steep Canyon Rangers have also served as the “house band” for Steve Martin and Martin Short’s comedy show, having performed with them several times at Wind Creek Event Center. Now the band from North Carolina is gearing up for their first appearance in Bethlehem on their own, performing at The Musikfest Café in Bethlehem on Sunday.

I recently spoke with Barrett Smith of Steep Canyon Rangers about the band’s upcoming performance in Bethlehem and more in this new interview.

Q: What can fans expect from the band’s upcoming performance at Musikfest Café?

Smith: What we hang our hat on is a really good live show. Each is tailor made for the space where we are. So we’ll land in Bethlehem earlier in the day, get a feel for what the night’s going to be like and then make a set list. Maybe we’ll stick to it and maybe we won’t. We like real engagement with the crowd and making it as fun a night as we can. We’ve already played several times at the [Wind Creek] casino as the house band for the comedy show Steve Martin and Martin Short so we know the area well.

You can read the rest of my interview with Steep Canyon Rangers by Clicking Here.