BY Sophia Sturgeon
Get ready for a night filled with fun, fiddles, and plenty of folk music! On Wednesday, March 18th, from 8 PM to 11 PM, The Liberty Theater will be welcoming Pixie and the Partygrass Boys and Madeline Hawthorne. Advance tickets are for sale at https://www.libertytheaterhailey.com/events/pixie-madeine or either of the bands’ respective websites, which you can also visit to learn more about each group!
Pixie and the Partygrass Boys were born of pure après fun; the group is comprised of ski bums who started their musical journey by playing house parties in Salt Lake City, specifically in the Cottonwood Canyons. Now? Nearly a decade later, Pixie and the Partygrass Boys have grown far beyond their house party roots and are now a nationally touring band. It is no wonder they are invited to play across the country; with their eccentric outfits, palpable verve, unfeigned songwriting, beloved sing-along anthems, and wide array of musical talent—from ukulele to guitar, fiddle to upright bass, mandolin to drums, and beyond.
As their website states, “Pixie and the Partygrass Boys invite the audience into their world every time they take the stage,” and this couldn’t be more true. The band has made an appearance at Sawtooth Valley Gathering; so, if you were lucky enough to see them take to the stage in Stanley, you understand the magic that lies within this band’s music and stage presence. They describe their music as a sound that falls somewhere between bluegrass, newgrass, pop, punk, and rock and roll; while the bluegrass roots of Appalachia heavily influence their songs, their sound arrives at something uniquely American. It is a sound that will be ringing through The Liberty on March 18th, and one that you definitely don’t want to miss out on. To purchase tickets or to learn more about the band, visit https://www.pixieandthepartygrassboys.com.
Pixie and the Partygrass Boys aren’t the only ones mixing genres to make their own sound; Madeline Hawthorne will also be performing at The Liberty, and her sound balances Americana, roots, folk, and rock. Hawthorne, a Bozeman-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, grew up in New England and has had a deep connection to music her entire life; her mother was a performer and taught voice at the University of New Hampshire, so music has always been a part of her life. As a child, she sang in choirs, played in the jazz band, and even gave her first public singing performance at age 4. She started diving into the world of folk music in high school, when she began listening to Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlile, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young; around the same time, she got her first acoustic guitar. Madeline spent years as a backup musician and singer, performing at band gigs, before finally going solo; it was her 2021 LP, Boots, that broke her into the music scene. The artist herself believes that her songs are the kind of music that best accompanies a long drive in the summer sun or a late-night dance party in the kitchen with the volume turned all the way up; her music is the perfect soundtrack to all the moments in between, an accompaniment to life’s simple pleasures. You can purchase tickets to The Liberty Theater event and read more about Madeline’s story on her website https://www.madelinehawthorne.com/#home-section.
Whether you are coming to The Liberty to experience Pixie and the Partygrass Boys’ funky outfits and contagious energy, or for Madeline Hawthorne’s timeless voice and poignant songwriting to take you away, the evening is sure to be exceptional. Head to any of the above websites to purchase tickets for March 18th; general admission is $25.
