Mountain Standard Time brings 'FreeGrass' to Whitefish

Mountain Standard Time brings its “Rocky Mountain FreeGrass” sound to Whitefish for a performance Tuesday night.

The show starts at 9:30 p.m. at the Great Northern Bar and Grill. There’s a $3 cover.

Combining elements of bluegrass, prog rock, Latin and Americana, any attempts to categorize the band are challenging. The band coined the term “FreeGrass” so it could stop focusing on labeling its music and stick to what it does best: Playing it.

The members of Mountain Standard Time migrated to Colorado from different regions of the country, bringing wildly diverse musical backgrounds and influences along with them. Their paths eventually crossed in Nederland — a small mountain town steeped in bluegrass music. Musical relationships were forged through the camaraderie of late-night jam sessions.

Shortly after meeting, performed all over Colorado and across the country, with appearances at Wakarusa Music Festival, 10,000 Lakes Festival, Summer Camp Music Festival and NedFest, among many others.

The band’s sound adds new dimension as Zack Scott (drums), Nick Dunbar (mandolin and guitar) and Stanton Sutton (guitar and mandolin) are joined by Otis Lande on bass and Ryan Ebarb on keyboards. Solid vocal harmonies and genuine lyrics interplay with well-crafted melodies over a soundscape that varies from lush and delicate to lively and complex — often within the same song.

Plenty of room for improvisation keeps everything exciting, while unique transitions stitch it all together.

For more information about the band, visit www.mstband.com.