MUSIC: The Steel Wheels

Description

The Steel Wheels Thursday, April 30 Doors 7pm / Show 8pm All ages / Seated Member: $18 - $22 Advance: $20 - $25 Day of show: $25 - $30 After two decades on the road and nine studio albums, The Steel Wheels mark their 20th anniversary with a self-titled record that captures the band at a creative peak. Since their formation, the group—which includes Trent Wagler (vocals, banjo, guitar), Eric Brubaker (fiddle), Jay Lapp (mandolin, guitar), Kevin Garcia (drums, percussion), and Jeremy Darrow (bass)—has grown from a harmony-driven acoustic ensemble into a dynamic folk rock band.

Blending those roots with a spirit of exploration, The Steel Wheels combine energy, humor, and tender restraint into a cohesive, deeply personal work. The journey began close to home. At their 2024 Red Wing Roots Festival in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Wagler connected with producer D. James Goodwin (Goose, Bonny Light Horseman, I’m With Her), who had recently relocated to the area. He invited the band to his new studio, The Isokon, where they recorded live in one room during a snowy winter. That immediacy is felt throughout the album—from the sunlit hooks of “Easy,” which questions the cost of constant convenience, to “Go Back,” which explores joy and sadness as intertwined emotions, and “Keep On Dancing,” a gentle reminder to slow down and be present. Twenty years in, The Steel Wheels remain driven by curiosity and craft.

They are a band still growing, still pushing forward, and still finding new ways to connect through song.