.357 String Band

It's amusing to think of the shock and horror that must have been on the faces of the 300 old folks attending a weekly summer concert series last year at a botanical gardens in Milwaukee when four men with arms covered in tattoos and dressed in clothing that looked fresh from the dumpster took the stage to provide the evening's entertainment.

It's a first impression frequently evoked by the members of the .357 String Band. But it doesn't take long for the audience to overlook the quartet's physical appearance once they break into their unique blend of high energy-driven bluegrass that's heavily rooted in the gritty urban lifestyle the band leads in their boozin' blue collar hometown of Milwaukee.

"The bottom line is that we're proud of who we are and where we come from. And where we come from is not the fucking blue hills of wherever; it's a city street," said Derek Dunn, guitarist and vocalist for the band. "We're not trying to pretend that we're going to be the next Flatt and Scruggs either. We're a bunch of scumbag punks from Beer City. This is what we do and this is what it sounds like."

Over the last three years, the .357 String Band has built a strong and diverse fan base that encompasses a variety of social subcultures. This is largely due to the band's extensive touring schedule, in which they play every gig under the sun, from horse auctions and the occasional botanical garden to hippie festivals and punk rock venues.

"Americana is everybody's music, and for whatever reason, we seem to be able to provide people with a stepping stone to get into it," Dunn said. "I've always loved Americana music, and I don't think there's anything contradictory between that and punk rock. And if we can show other people that, we're doing something right."

Dunn first met mandolin player/vocalist Jayke Orvis and banjo player/vocalist Joe Huber through Milwaukee's punk scene before the trio formed the band Shwill Rotten. After that group split, each of the three friends went their own musical way, with Dunn trying out traditional Irish folk, Orvis playing mandolin with the Mighty Lumberhorn and Huber joining another punk band while toying around with the banjo on the side.
After learning of their shared and growing interest in bluegrass/old-time country music, the three friends reunited one night in Orvis' basement, later adding upright bassist Rick Ness to complete the band's lineup.

"Everyone probably says this, but the music really took shape naturally," said Orvis, adding that the band's Milwaukee roots definitely played a part in the band's ability to truly produce a style of their own. "It's blue collar as fuck, and it's so absent from a lot of the plastic bullshit that you get in Chicago and Los Angeles. So I take pride in thinking that everything we're doing is very genuine and real."

The .357 String Band even created a name for their style of music: Streetgrass. While the name was crafted to describe the group's unique blend of punk and bluegrass, it also pays homage to the band's urban beginnings busking on street corners. The group's fondness for street performing was originally initiated mostly out of necessity a few years back on a hot July day while the band was practicing in Dunn's old apartment, which had no air conditioning.

"It got so fucking hot, we ended up going outside and made enough money to buy a bottle of whiskey," Dunn said, noting that the band still regularly busks when playing in cities like Nashville and Portland. "That first summer was like guerrilla warfare. We'd just wander around Milwaukee with our instruments on our back, crashing street festivals and farmers markets. We'd jump on picnic tables and yell, 'What's up, we're the .357 String Band,' and just start playing."

Despite gaining musical admiration from acts such as country legend Wayne "The Train" Hancock and The Legendary Shack Shakers, the .357 String Band hasn't had much luck in garnering U.S. label attention. But overseas, the story's a little different, as the band recently inked a deal with Amsterdam-based Rosa Records, the former European label of The Hacksensaw Boys. The band is set to venture out on their first European tour this fall.

"We're not trying to find a record label," Dunn said. "We're trying to find shows, bands and a good fuckin' time. If it's going to happen, they're going to find us as long as we keep doing what we're doing."

The .357 String Band will be playing at The Boathouse in Saugatuck on July 6 and Jukes in Grand Rapids July 7. For more information, check out www.streetgrass.com.