About Anthony

Photo by Darin Back

RockyGrass mainstage!

Minneapolis musician Anthony Ihrig is a former rock and roll drummer turned bluegrass banjo player and performing songwriter who has spent the last ten years making a name for himself in the Upper Midwest’s booming acoustic music scene. In 1999, he co-founded the Twin Cities-based string band Free Range Pickin’ (1999-2009), who, alongside young acoustic bands like Trampled by Turtles and Pert Near Sandstone were at the forefront of a “newgrass” revolution in Minnesota that helped introduce modern string band music to a whole new generation of fans. In 2006, he co-founded The High 48s Bluegrass Band, one of the premier traditional bluegrass bands in the region and winners of the prestigious RockyGrass Bluegrass Band Competition in Lyons, Colorado. Other notable accomplishments in the last decade include releasing 9 full-length albums, touring the United States playing major bluegrass festivals, recording one of his original songs with Grammy winning Nashville musicians Randy Kohrs and Mike Compton, performing with Prairie Home Companion’s Garrison Keillor, consulting with banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck about the history of the banjo before his Throw Down Your Heart album/film as well as having his original music featured in the independent feature film Discouraging Words, on radio stations across the country including Nashville Public Radio and on local television shows like Almanac (PBS) and the KARE 11 Morning Show (NBC).

“Great picking and cool songs”

Joe Bonsall, The Oak Ridge Boys – the first to purchase Missing Ghosts

Artwork by Tim Lee

Anthony Ihrig & Band - Live @ The Loring Theater

Almost Acoustic Ensemble

On his debut solo album Missing Ghosts, Anthony brings together his musical past and present (rock drummer, bluegrass banjo player, modern folk singer) to create something altogether new. The 10 original songs on the album combine traditional bluegrass instruments (banjo, fiddle, mandolin and dobro) with pedal steel guitar and percussion to form a unique sound that cuts across a diverse Americana landscape of folk, bluegrass and alt-country music. His lyrics tell modern tales of love and longing that are deeply personal while artfully striking a universal chord. When words can’t capture a mood he calls on his progressive banjo skills to deliver inspired instrumentals that showcase strong melodies and creative rhythmic arrangements. Backed by his newly formed “Almost Acoustic Ensemble,” Anthony’s impassioned live performances could only be described as an amalgam of his gritty rock legacy, accomplished bluegrass pedigree, and the spirit of a natural showman whose wit and soul engage and enliven each gig that he plays.