Steve Martin: An Evening of Bluegrass and Banjo

He’s a wild and crazy guy on film and stage, but Steve Martin is taking his love for bluegrass music to seriously new heights. Anyone who watched A Capitol Fourth, the Independence Day celebration broadcast from Washington, D.C., on PBS last month, understands that Martin – best known for Saturday Night Live, outrageous comedy films (The Jerk), stand-up comedy in an assortment of wacky headgear – has long moved past stand-up days in a white suit. One thing he has held onto, however, is his banjo. His album, Rare Bird Alert, once again asserts Martin’s abiding interest in American bluegrass music. When he plays the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Aug. 24 with the Steep Canyon Rangers, the prolific actor, comic, author and Grammy Award-winning musician will be in fine form. Let’s hope that also includes a generous helping of laughs on the side. www.tulsapac.com