Dynamic, Award-Winning Family Bluegrass Band Cherryholmes to Perform March 1 in CFA

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo will present Cherryholmes at 8 p.m. on March 1 in the Mainstage Theatre in the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus. The performance is sponsored by Monaco's Violin Shop and Music Center.

Until April of 1999, the dynamic family band known as Cherryholmes did not exist, and half of its youthful members hadn't even picked up an instrument. In five short years, this high-energy Nashville-based band was named the 2005 International Bluegrass Music Association's Entertainers of the Year.

Cherryholmes has many qualities that make them unique, but the basis of their success lies in plain, old-fashioned hard work combined with shining star talent that only appears to glow more brightly with each performance. They embody the American Bluegrass dream.

All six band members pull their creative ideas to form their own new brand of bluegrass music. Every member takes a turn singing lead and showcasing their abilities. Their live shows include twin fiddles, Irish step dancing, classic country yodeling and old-time claw hammer, in addition to their dynamic bluegrass.

They have continued to receive many industry nominations and awards including a Grammy nomination in 2006 for their first commercial release "Cherryholmes." Their second release on Skaggs Family Records "Cherryholmes II" was released in June 2007 and opened up at No. 1 on the Billboard Charts. They are also regular performers on the historic Grand Ole Opry.

The band leader, Jere, sums the band up this way: "People say that bluegrass music has to change or evolve or it will die. Well, if you change something from one thing to another it isn't alive anyway. I don't really think it needs to be changed. It just needs new life breathed into it. I feel like maybe I'm offering that with my family."

Tickets for Cherryholmes are $22 general admission and $15 for students. Tickets are available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Center for the Arts Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations, including ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets, call 852-5000; in Canada, call 1-416-870-8000. For group sales, call 645-6771. For more information, call 645-ARTS. Students (of any school) must present valid student ID at the Center Box Office to receive discount.