Henhouse Prowlers + On the Trail @ Fairfield Theater Co Tonight
Austin Scelzo
For more than 20 years, the Henhouse Prowlers have pushed the boundaries of bluegrass while staying rooted in the traditions that shaped them. The Chicago-based quartet — Ben Wright (banjo), Chris Dollar (guitar), Jon Goldfine (bass), and Jake Howard (mandolin) — share a deep kinship forged across decades of touring, collaboration, and global adventure. Their travels have taken them to 30 countries across 5 continents, working with the U.S. State Department and through their nonprofit Bluegrass Ambassadors, using music to build bridges and celebrate our shared humanity.
Onstage, the Prowlers deliver a riveting blend of storytelling, four-part harmonies, and blazing musicianship — mixing original songs, classics, and even bluegrass interpretations of international tunes collected during their travels. Every show feels like a conversation: generous, curious, and fiercely alive.
Their latest album, Unravel (produced by Stephen Mougin of the Sam Bush Band), captures the band at a new creative peak. From modern Americana textures to classic country and bluegrass foundations, the record’s themes explore life on the road, loss, hope, and the relentless passage of time. Their harmonies are richer than ever, their picking unapologetically ferocious.
But beyond the music, the Henhouse Prowlers carry a mission: to foster compassion, connection, and understanding through every workshop, performance, and story they share. Their message is simple — and powerful: we have far more in common than we don’t.
On the Trail is a modern acoustic band that explores everything from bluegrass to contemporary pop, from stunning instrumentals to beautiful traditional songs. The group was founded through their love of bluegrass and the band the Punch Brothers. They have already gained recognition and praise for their exploration and strong execution of the challenging music, as well as for their new original music. Most recently, On the Trail had the honor of winning the 2022 Thomas Point Beach Band Competition after participating in 2021’s Telefunken Battle of the Bands at the Podunk Bluegrass Festival. They also were selected as an Emerging Artist at Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival 2023. On The Trail features Austin Scelzo (fiddle and vocals), Tom Polizzi (mandolin and vocals), Charlie Widmer (guitar and vocals) and Matt Curley (upright bass and vocals). Their debut self-titled EP On the Trail is also available for streaming on all platforms.
