Steve at Telluride #31: Progress Report? Works For Me.
Works Progress Administration
WPA are a supergroup featuring Sara and Sean Watkins, Luke Bulla, Glenn Phillips, Benmont Tench, Pete Thomas and others. With such first-rate players, you know they sounded terrific on stage. They’ve recorded a soon-to-be-released record together, and they showcased those tunes today. Not every one of them blew me away, but this was a polished set, despite the fact that it’s only their third gig together. The best moments were when Sara Watkins sang—she performed two songs from her own solo album, including a sweet John Hartford cover. The real kick for me was seeing rock hero Benmont Tench—I sat in the front row—who even strapped on a Tele and sang a version of Bo Diddley’s “Mona.” Surprisingly, no Nickel Creek reunion materialized, but this set brought lots of artists to the pit—Jerry Douglas, and members of Crooked Still and the Punch Brothers were sitting among us.