Concert a homage to icon of country music

A trio of talented southerners will put their alternative spin on the Grand Ole Opry in Invercargill tonight.

Daniel Monteath, Into The East (Liv McBride and Graeme Woller) and the Jo Little and Jared Smith Duo will perform a tribute to the legendary performers and songwriters of Nashville’s ground zero of country music.

Little said it was the first time they had organised an event with a Grand Ole Opry theme. It made sense because for musicians who leaned toward alternative country and folk, playing on that stage was something they aimed for. ‘‘We all want to go there.’’ The five musicians met at the Southern Institute of Technology and have since assembled impressive CVs.

Monteath and Little play in Invercargill touring and recording band Midnight Kitchen, while Little and Smith have toured New Zealand three times and released their first album, Live at the Boathouse, in November.

McBride, a former Southland Entertainer of the Year, and Woller have been a hard-working musical unit for nine years, initially as The East and more recently Into The East. Their blend of alt country and folk is earning a strong following and last year they released their debut album.

Monteath, regularly seen performing at the Kelvin Hotel’s Level One bar, has worked with Goodshirt’s Rodney Fisher and was named Southland keyboard player of the year at the recent Westpac Southland Entertainment Awards.

The show will feature a blend of country, alternative folk, soul and blues.

An alternative twist to the Grand Ole Opry is at the Southland Musicians Club tonight at 8pm. Tickets are $10 waged, $7 unwaged, available at Trevor Daley Musicworks or online through eventfinder.co.nz