Say goodbye to the February blahs when the ninth annual San Francisco Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival comes to town. Tonight's kick-off show features three hard-drivin' bands attracting coast-to-coast attention from fans of traditional bluegrass—Town Mountain, Spring Creek, and Homespun Rowdy.

San Francisco band Homespun Rowdy presents hard-driving, straight-ahead bluegrass influenced by greats like Del McCoury, Dan Paisley/Bob Paisley & the Southern Grass, and Bluegrass Cardinals. The five-piece band features Richard Wagner on guitar, Dave Zimmerman on mandolin, bassist Ryan Carter, Dave Walker on banjo, and fiddler Alisa Rose.

Recently nominated for an Independent Music Award for Best Song in the Americana Category, Spring Creek Bluegrass Band from Lyons, Colorado, is one of the hottest young bands in the Rocky Mountains. The quartet plays a mix of bluegrass standards and compelling originals, creating a classic contemporary style built on the fundamentals of bluegrass.

Hailing from Asheville, NC, Town Mountain occupies the common ground between traditional bluegrass, country, and old time mountain music. Born out of the fertile picking scene of western North Carolina, the group features original songwriting, tight harmonies, a monumentally fun stage show, and instrumental prowess to burn. They also won the prestigious Rockygrass Band Competition in 2005!