"It has always been a dream of mine to play bluegrass at Bonnaroo," said Steve Martin to an adoring crowd, adjusting the banjo strapped to his shoulder. The crowd cheered their approval of Martin's banjo pedigree before he dropped the punchline: "Tonight, I am one step closer to achieving that goal."
It set the tone for the set - a charming combination of Steve Martin jokes and easygoing, banjo-heavy bluegrass. Martin is no hack; he's got the chops to lead a band, although the Steep Canyon Rangers are better musicians than the comedian-turned-banjo-picker. While there's no doubt that the Steep Canyon Rangers play second fiddle to Martin's large personality, you get the feeling they're just happy to be there, enjoying the spotlight brought to them by their charismatic leader. The crowd seemed to feel the same way, most drifting in and out of That Tent throughout the set, more interested in the idea of the show than the music itself. It felt a bit like watching the Super Bowl for the commercials, but it was a decent game and the commercials were, admittedly, really funny.
