Bringing bluegrass to the common man

Before Alison Krauss and Union Station came along, hearing bluegrass music on FM radio was almost unheard of. Bluegrass was one of the most underground of styles, with a core of dedicated fans singing the praises of banjo and dobro master in oblivion, preaching to the choir.

That all started to change around 1990, when the world at large began to hear traditional bluegrass updated to the modern world from Krauss and her cohorts. As gold and platinum albums racked up along with Grammys and CMA Awards and rave reviews, the band became the undisputed leader in bringing bluegrass to the masses. Now Krauss and Union Station are, by far, the most commercially successful bluegrass band ever.

On Wednesday they'll bring their pop-bluegrass sound to the Show Me Center.

"We know we're not any of our heroes ... and we're never going to be that good," Union Station bass player Barry Bales said Tuesday from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, where the band was getting ready to play a show. "What we do is heavily influenced by the traditional side of bluegrass, and we're trying to get that side of it out there."

Since last fall Union Station has been on tour to promote their new album, "Lonely Runs Both Ways," a collection of songs that range from soft ballads showcasing Krauss' delicate voice to fast bluegrass instrumental jams.

Critics have called it possibly the best Union Station album yet. For the band, making a great album is just part of the job.

"Our goal is to always make a record that's better than the one that came before it," said Bales. "I think that's our main driving force."

Of course, it doesn't hurt that Union Station was helped out on "Lonely" by acclaimed dobro player Jerry Douglas, a musician with a healthy solo career of his own.

For the tour and the album, Douglas has shed his solo persona to become just another member of the band, playing with the group throughout while making sure not to steal the show.

"Jerry is one of the world's best musicians, and the great thing about Jerry is he's not just a flashy instrumentalist, he knows how to play in a band and he knows how to complement a singer," Bales said.

The current Union Station concert set features a chance for Douglas to solo on stage in the middle of the set, giving audiences a taste of two distinct acts.

Having Douglas on dobro has helped a band that has been together in its current formation for eight years stay out of a rut, said Bales.

But if eight years of playing can put a band in a rut, the time can also help it to coalesce into a tight and coherent whole. The players in Union Station -- Krauss on fiddle, viola and vocals; Ron Block on guitar, banjo, slide guitar and vocals; Bales on bass and vocals; and Dan Tyminski on guitar, mandolin and vocals -- have had plenty of time to get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses.

And touring has only helped them become tighter. The band just returned from shows in Ireland and the United Kingdom in September (bluegrass has strong Scots-Irish roots, said Bales) after playing dates in the states since Thanksgiving.

Bales said the band played 80 to 100 dates last year, with 150 more before this year ends. But the band doesn't mind -- they're doing what they love.

How can a band stay together for 8 years (16 in Bales' case) and play a two-hour-plus set every night without a team spirit?

It can't, Bales said.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182

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Want to go?

What: Alison Krauss and Union Station

When: Wednesday, Oct. 5, 8 p.m.

Where: Show Me Center

Info: 651-5000