The Mike Strauss Band has a reputation as a well-oiled, malleable machine. They're a band that's comfortable as a trio or a sextet, on a stage at a large theater or auditorium or crammed in the corner of a local bar. They may squeeze in a 30-minute festival set or play a marathon three hours. The core of Strauss, Kim, Jay, bassist Jon Schigoda, and electric guitarist Randolph Lewis have been together for over a decade. "Escalating Blues" is guitarist Troy Conn's first album with the group.

Musically the band is an amalgamation of it's parts, mixing styles of classic American music. Strauss' songwriting and matter-of-fact delivery centers the group in folk and blues. His gruff vocals echo Mark Knopfler and Tom Waits. Music instructors by day, Jay and Conn share backgrounds in jazz and classical. Kim, Lewis, and Schigoda are veterans of Charlotte's rock scene with tenure in Les Dirt Clods, the Mannish Boys, and Temperance League.

Strauss has opened for the legendary Taj Mahal, Ry Cooder, Idina Menzel, Chris Whitley, Joe Bonamassa, Ruthie Foster, and Robert Cray, among others, both with the band and as a solo artist.

   Time: 7:00pm – 10:00pm