SLCene Suggests: Nickel Creek at Kingsbury Hall

NICKEL CREEK, KINGSBURY HALL, Wednesday, May 14, 8 p.m., $25-$35-$45

When acoustic-based folk and bluegrass trio Nickel Creek went on an “indefinite hiatus” back in 2007, the timing seemed right. Mandolin player Chris Thile, fiddle player Sara Watkins and her guitarist/brother Sean Watkins had essentially been playing together since childhood, and Nickel Creek was on a pretty steady tour-record-tour some more hamster-wheel for a long time after the band broke through to audiences appreciative of their strong live shows and sensitive songwriting. Seven years later, they are back to tour in support of a solid new album, A Dotted Line, that sounds like they haven’t missed a beat in their musical compatibility despite several years apart. Thile is the band’s obvious ace, a wicked mandolin maestro with a great sense of humor; he’s been spending his hiatus leading the Punch Brothers, collaborating with the likes of Yo Yo Ma and others, and winning a MacArthur “genius grant” in 2012. Seeing him play in person is something every music lover should do at some point. Sara Watkins had Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones produce one of her solo albums, and played on tours with The Decemberists and Jackson Browne–her brother Sean playing in her band. Together, though, Nickel Creek is certainly something special, and you can expect plenty of old favorites in the set alongside the new tunes. The Secret Sisters open the show.