Grass Crack

Grass Crack plays a kinetic blend of traditional bluegrass and high-energy -- almost punk -- rock music. The group has been together for almost a year, but its history goes back nearly a decade.

Ten years ago, Nathan Gray was one of the creators and stars of "Beef Baloney," a Tulsa cult comedy show that aired locally on Saturdays at midnight. Sean Stewart was a member of a popular hyper-bluegrass band called Podank. The two native Tulsans, both then in their early 20s, met at a street festival.

"We were out there shooting videos for our show," Gray said. "Sean and his band (Po Dank) were playing music in the street. We got to talking and they agreed to make our theme song for "Beef Baloney."

When Podank called it quits, Stewart began playing music with Gray and long-time Tulsa punk guitarist Dan Riffe...
...With a working lineup in place, the group needed a name.
...Grass Crack -- a play on the word bluegrass, but with a street sensibility not typical of the folksy genre.

"People make a big deal out of our name," Stewart said. "They get so hung up on the word 'crack' that they don't get why we're called that. It's because bluegrass is addictive. It's the legal alternative. We're essentially street performers, so we're selling our 'crack' on the street corner."

...Grass Crack's live performances are as exciting as any good rock show, but have a homespun and family-friendly feel that would appeal to just about anyone with a pulse. The group's members huddle around one or two microphones, briskly strumming their acoustic instruments while effortlessly singing three- and sometimes four-part harmonies. The band is tight.

As for the future, Stewart says his band wants what all bands want -- to play for as many people as possible, and to convert them to their sound.

"I like when people come up to me and say 'My parents made me listen to bluegrass as a kid. I hated it and never understood why they wanted me to listen to it, But after hearing you guys, now I understand.'"

It's an understanding more people will no doubt come to as Grass Crack's unique blend of bluegrass spreads like a weed through the red-dirt of Oklahoma's rich musical landscape.
-Garret Weindorf
Urban Tulsa Weekly

Grass Crack's recent additions include former PoDank String band co-member, Todd Harkreader on the dobro, and the upright bass master, Hank Osterhout.