Punch Brothers to perform at Buskirk

Starting at 8 p.m. today, the floorboards of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater will vibrate from the sounds of “new grass” as the Grammy-nominated Punch Brothers take the stage. \nWithin a year of the band’s creation in 2006, Punch Brothers has already created a strong following, earning a Grammy nomination for “The Eleventh Reel,” a song off its first album.\nChris Thile, 26, is a mandolin virtuoso and composer who previously spent 15 years playing with Nickel Creek. His efforts helped the band sell 2 million records and win a Grammy for its 2002 album “This Side.” He now leads the Punch Brothers.\nThile assembled a group of musicians to help make his artistic ideas a reality. Using a five-piece band rather than three musicians as in Nickel Creek, he brought in Noam Pikelny on banjo and Greg Garrison on bass this time around, along with Gabe Witcher on fiddle and guitar player Chris Eldridge to help compose the songs. \n“In this album, they leave more room for the musicians to express themselves, giving them a interesting personal sound,” senior James Schmittler said.\nThe band’s latest album draws from a variety of genres from jazz to classical, culminating in a 40-minute chamber suite called “The Blind Leaving the Blind” with four movements.\nPunch Brothers’ first album, “How to Grow a Woman from the Ground,” released in 2006, was met with critical acclaim and a Grammy nomination for Best Country Instrumental Album Performance. Now, the band is touring to support its second album, “Punch.”\nBecause of the Punch Brothers’ various influences, the Buskirk-Chumley expects a diverse crowd of music lovers, said David E. Pruett, marketing director for the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. \nTickets are $20 for the main floor and $15 for the balcony, and are on sale now at the Buskirk-Chumley box office and online at www.bloomingtonarts.info.