New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu


?>

 

The Who's Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry


By Gary Wien

originally published: 03/26/2018


Forty-five years after its original release, The Who’s Tommy will be performed as a full-length bluegrass tribute at The Grunin Center for the Arts in Toms River on Friday, April 13 at 8:00pm.  The band bringing this legendary classic rock story to a bluegrass tint is The Hillbenders from Springfield, MO.

Originally composed by guitarist Pete Townshend as a rock opera that tells the story about a deaf, dumb and blind boy, including his experiences with life and the relationship with his family. The original album has sold 20 million copies and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for “historical, artistic and significant value.” In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Tommy number 96 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

New Jersey Stage caught up with Jim Rea of The Hillbenders to learn more about the project and how it came to be.

According to the band’s website, Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry was conceived and produced by SXSW co-founder and longtime musician/producer Louis Jay Meyers.  How did The Hillbenders get involved in the project? 

Louis had become an industry friend over a few years. He was always peeking his head into showcases and checking out the band. When he laid the project of tackling Tommy as a bluegrass opry, he said he had been exploring this idea for two decades and was waiting for the right time in his life and the right band to realize his vision. 




Reach New Jersey's largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage



 

What did the band think when first approached with the project?

I was a huge Tommy fan, so I leapt at the chance to do it and offered to be the musical director. The others had varying amounts of familiarity with the original album, but we were all very comfortable and confident in Louis and his ability to maximize artist output and reception. We knew it was a huge undertaking but committed with smiles at a new musical chapter to keep us touring. 

 

Was there a particular song or tune from Tommy that the band wondered if The Hillbenders could pull off?

“Underture” was shortened extensively and included in a medley with “Sparks.” There was just too much drum work to try and arrange that one in my opinion, so I took the significant motives and placed them in the medley. “Cousin Kevin” proved to be tricky vocally due to the chromatic nature of the chord progression in the introduction part. “I’m Free,” also took some extra time to find the right rhythmic patterns.

 

What songs are your favorites to perform and why?




Reach New Jersey's largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage



I enjoy the hits cause the crowd sings along. “Pinball Wizard” is obviously the single that everyone knows and loves. The “Listening to You” finale is always engaging, and “Tommy Can You Hear Me?” gets people clapping and singing along. 

 

It looks like the band has long performed bluegrass versions of popular tunes (especially rock hits).  Was this something you’ve done all along?

Yes, we have always “flipped” genres to bluegrass. We didn’t grow up in bluegrass like many folks who play this genre. Our dobro player had that traditional bluegrass upbringing, but we all love it, and I think Rock n’ Roll is the other style we can all say has been a big influence on us. The banjo player was a rapper form Southern California before joining the band, and the mandolin player studied opera. We are a very diverse group musically which I think lends appeal to audiences, but it can also create difficulties moving forward creatively, especially with members now living across the country from each other. 

I think it’s kind of wild how the songs sound both similar and very different from the originals at the same time.  How would you describe a Hillbenders’ take on a rock and roll song to someone who had never heard one before?

When you “flip” a song to bluegrass it means giving it that quick upbeat feel, and most importantly you use the acoustic bluegrass instruments. For us that’s banjo, mandolin, dobro, guitar, and bass, but we try and infuse the attitude and performance quality of rock music. 

 

I’ve been watching some of your videos on YouTube and seeing the various types of songs you have done.  Does a particular style seem to work better for you?  

I think the tempo of the song is the most important aspect to “flipping” a song. We look for strong vocal/lyrical context that the listener can connect to and recognize.

Americana and rootsy sounds have appeared in the mainstream in recent years.  Do you think this is almost a response to the manufactured studio music of the 90s and 2000s?




Reach New Jersey's largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage



People want to be in charge of what they listen to, and discovery is part of that journey. The internet has allowed even the most obscure artist a platform to reach potential listeners. There are still lots of folks who just want to listen to commercial radio and it’s BIG business, but there are endless artists just a click away. 

 

Are people simply yearning for something real? 

Yes. Honesty and seeing/hearing something genuine will never go away. Shortened attention spans and option overload are the new challenges. 

 

Finally, have you heard from any members of The Who on what they think of your version of Tommy?

We have met both Roger and Pete: Roger at one of The Who’s charity events, and Pete caught wind of the record and invited us to see The Who in Nashville, TN. The show was amazing and included a Tommy medley. He gave us backstage clearance, and we chatted briefly. He was very encouraging and supportive of our interpretation. This meeting was a full circle moment for Louis. He was a man who could get things done. We lost Louis a year after Tommy was released to a sudden heart attack. We miss his guidance and friendship dearly, and we would not be performing still if not for him and his vision.




Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station The Penguin Rocks. He can be contacted at gary@newjerseystage.com.

FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


RiverJAM

RiverJAM Music Presents...The Listening Room: Songs & Stories

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Triumph Brewery (Red Bank)
1 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank, NJ 07701
category: music


 

Rockin'

Rockin' Jake Band

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music


 

Willy

Willy Porter

Thursday, September 18, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music


 

Welcome

Welcome Back My Friends - An Evening with Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Thursday, September 18, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music


 

A

A Brother’s Revival: Allman Brother Tribute

Friday, September 19, 2025 @ 8:00pm
The Concert Hall at Drew University
36 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
category: music


 


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Altamura

Altamura Legacy Concerts presents Arias & Art Songs with Altamura/Caruso Int'l Voice Competition Laureate Winners

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- On Sunday, October 5, 2025 at 4:00pm, Altamura Legacy Concerts (ALC) at Princeton United Methodist Church will present An Afternoon of Opera Arias and Art Songs with Laureate Winners of the Altamura/Caruso International Voice Competition. The event is dedicated to the memory of co-founder Leonard J. Altamura (1938-2024).



Vaclav

Vaclav Havel Center to Honor Joan Baez with Lifetime Achievement Award at 2025 Gala

(NEW YORK, NY) -- The Vaclav Havel Center (VHC) in New York will present its most prestigious honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award, to legendary singer, activist, and human rights advocate Joan Baez at its annual Gala on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at Bohemian National Hall.



The

The 18th OSPAC Annual West Orange Jazz Festival to Take Place September 20th

(WEST ORANGE, NJ) -- The OSPAC Annual West Orange Jazz Festival produced by Pleasant Valley Productions will celebrate their 18th season on Saturday, September 20, 2025. The festival runs from 1:00pm to 8:00pm and will be hosted by Monifa Brown, radio host of WBGO's "Saturday Evening Jazz" and "Hard Bop Café" programs.



The

The Wag presents Annual Halloween Spectacular Shows

Are you looking for something fun to do this Halloween? Bring your family and friends to The Wag's Halloween Spectacular! The band has two shows set for New Jersey and one for Pennsylvania. Come dressed in costume; enter the costume contest, and you just may win a prize!



Troubadour

Troubadour Acoustic Concert Series presents Heather Pierson Duo and Mike Miz on Friday

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- The Folk Project's Troubadour Acoustic Concert Series presents Heather Pierson Duo and Mike Miz on Friday, September 19, 2025 at Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Showtime is 7:30pm.