Native band returns to Max's

Bloomington native bluegrass band the New Old Cavalry is kicking off its “meta-tour” 9 p.m. at the venue where it got its start, Max’s Place.

The band members aren’t “studio rats,” dobro player Alex Wukmer said. The dobro is a type of guitar common in bluegrass music.

The band plays the first Thursday of every month at Max’s Place, a tradition Wukmer said he cherishes.

“On the road it’s hard to be thoughtful, but once a month we get to come home and work out our new material in front of the people who have always supported the music,” Wukmer said.

The band, which consists of four other members besides Wukmer — Chris Dollar, Justin Hughey, Brandon Lee and Brian Chomka — came together four years ago.

Max’s Place was the first venue to give the New Old Cavalry a “fair shake at playing,"  even after local popularity grew and they released an album out of San Francisco, Wukmer said.

But the band has a constant flow of new material thanks to three songwriters who “churn out tunes” for the band, Wukmer said.

“We barely have time to learn the tunes before new ones spring up,” Wukmer said.

Tonight and during their tour of Indiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Illinois and Michigan, the band will play music mostly from their new EP, “Groundwork,” set to release within the month.

“Everything we do is geared to versatility, and whether that means playing a salsa song or a Bill Monroe number, we are going to play it in proper new-old fashion,” Wukmer said. “It’s hairy bluegrass. It’s traditional jam music.”

Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiroon Twitter@janicakaneshiro.