Hayseed Dixie

Hayseed Dixie started playing in North Carolina around 2000, taking rock and pop songs and running them through a bluegrass filter. Their first album was a collection of AC/DC covers called 'A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC,' which set the tone for what they'd do for years. They've since tackled everything from Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' to Kiss's 'Rock N' Roll All Nite,' giving them a fast, twangy treatment.

The band's lineup has included John Wheeler on vocals and guitar, Dale Reno Cline on banjo, and Jake Byers on mandolin and fiddle. They don't just stick to one era or style, either. Their setlist might jump from Motörhead's 'Ace of Spades' to the Scissor Sisters' 'I Don't Feel Like Dancing,' all played with the same earnest, breakneck pace. It's a specific kind of humor that works because the playing is serious and tight.

They've put out records fairly consistently, with albums like 'Killer Grass,' 'Love and Murder,' and 'Hair Down to My Knees' appearing every few years. The covers are the main draw, but they write original material too, often in that same high-energy, story-driven vein. It's a niche they've carved out for themselves, playing festivals and building a following that gets the joke but also appreciates the skill behind it.