Pert Near Sandstone and The Pickpockets at Velvet Elk Lounge
Fri Mar 21, 8:00 PM - Fri Mar 21, 11:00 PM

Pert Near Sandstone and The Pickpockets are coming to Velvet Elk Lounge on March 21st. Doors open at 7:00 PM, and the show kicks off at 8:00 PM—don’t miss out on this experience, all for just $22!

“Our waiting days are finally over,” the title song decries, echoing the sentiment of a community recently pent up and beyond longing. It’s a strikingly different world than when Pert Near Sandstone first began near the sandstone river bluffs of St Paul. The former latchkey kids who grew up together a few Mississippi-miles upstream have been performing and recording this past year in earnest, culminating in their eighth studio album. ‘Waiting Days’ has all the merit of maturity and the strengths of its four songwriters, offering responses to each other’s compositions through a long camaraderie. After almost twenty years together, their bond has grown to reflect that of a band of brothers. By contrast to tik tocs, reels and tweets, this album was formed from the wilderness and carved from the heartwood. The band would say their music and sound come about organically, but under the tall oak trees of the Twin Cities, those wooden instruments may have been antennas drawn to the marrow, like a divination wand used to scratch an itch or soothe a wound, they tapped into this latest collection of songs.

As bluegrass continues to grow and bend as a genre, The Pickpockets are at the forefront, pushing the unique roots of their sound and jams into new territories. The five-piece string band from Salt Lake City recently released their debut album "Beyond The Hills” - a culmination of their best original work to date (joining an original EP from 2022 and a cover EP from 2023), and are currently embarking on a self-managed tour throughout the Mountain West. The band's expansive repertoire and ever-growing sound draws inspiration from all around the world; from reggae, to funk, to traditional and newgrass styles, they consistently are creating new grooves and genres.