Czech bluegrass band Druhá tráva is preparing for its biggest solo concert yet on November 7 at Prague’s O2 universum, Headliner CZ reported.
The upcoming celebration follows a sold-out show at Forum Karlín marking the group’s 33rd year. The milestone arrives alongside a new album titled Memphis, recorded directly in the United States.
Robert Křesťan and Luboš Malina founded the band in 1991 after leaving the group Poutníky. They sought a more flexible lineup capable of playing a broader range of styles while looking to American acts like New Grass Revival as models. Early tours in the United States brought immense stress due to language barriers and a lack of self-confidence after decades under communism.
“We didn’t have self-confidence. We weren’t brought up to it,” Křesťan and Malina told Headliner CZ.
Early US Tours and The IBMA Breakthrough
The band secured working visas and flew to the United States in 1993, initially playing small shows in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and in a park for a tiny audience. After facing early disappointments and playing in hallways, they managed to convince bluegrass organizers at the IBMA festival by performing four songs on the final gala concert. That appearance secured them contracts and a manager, allowing them to tour America almost annually until 2015.
“They were exceptionally tolerant. And furthermore, exceptionally positively inclined toward new democracies,” Křesťan told Headliner CZ regarding American audiences. Malina said that local crowds often welcomed their unique sound, calling it a fresh take on traditional American music.
The Shift to Memphis and New Collaborations
US tours eventually tapered off around 2015 as the band introduced a drummer and experimented with a rockier edge that confused traditional bluegrass festival bookers. Seeking a new creative direction for their anniversary, the musicians connected with producer and engineer Matt Ross-Spang through Roman Helcl of the band November 2nd, Headliner CZ reported. They traveled to Memphis to record in Ross-Spang’s studio.
“We wanted to record a record. And again something different than what we went through with Eddie,” Malina told Headliner CZ, referencing previous collaborations with British producer Eddie Stevens on the albums Díl první and Díl druhý. The group spent days arranging tracks and finalizing lyrics in a rented house before heading into the studio.
Otázky o vzniku kapely, nahrávání alba a výročí
When was Druhá tráva founded?
Robert Křesťan and Luboš Malina established the band in 1991 after departing from the group Poutníky.
Where was the album Memphis recorded?
The band recorded the album in the US studio of producer and engineer Matt Ross-Spang located in Memphis.
When is the anniversary concert?
The group will celebrate 35 years on November 7 at Prague’s O2 universum.
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