News Article

Special Consensus to Perform Bluegrass Monday Concert

Left to right: Dan Eubanks, Greg Cahill, Greg Blake and Michael Prewitt.

JONESBORO – Special Consensus will present a concert of bluegrass music at the next KASU-FM Bluegrass Monday concert on Monday, April 22, at 7 p.m. at Collins Theatre, located at 120 West Emerson St. In Paragould. 
 
Special Consensus was formed in 1975 and mixes traditional bluegrass sounds with contemporary influences, creating a unique style. The band has produced 21 albums, the latest of which is “Great Blue North,” which features songs written by Canadians and guest musicians from that country. 
 
The group was nominated for the 2018 Grammy award for Bluegrass Album of the Year. The ensemble has also received seven International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) honors including Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Collaborative Recording of the Year. 

The group has appeared on numerous radio and television programs including the “Grand Ole Opry” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. 
  
Band co-founder and banjo player Greg Cahill is a recipient of the highest honor from the IBMA, the Distinguished Achievement Award. He is also a member of the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America’s (SPBGMA) Hall of Greats. Cahill has released three solo albums, served for over a decade on the IBMA board of directors, and taught banjo on the collegiate level. 

Guitarist Greg Blake received the 2023 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year award. He is a past winner of the Kansas State Flatpicking Guitar Championship and a five-time recipient of SPBGMA-Midwest’s Guitar Player of the Year award. Blake is a past member of the Bluegrass Missourians and Jeff Scroggins’ band, Colorado. In addition to performing with Special Consensus, he leads his own bluegrass group, Hometown. 

Bassist Dan Eubanks obtained a master’s degree in jazz studies from Webster University in St. Louis. Like Cahill, he has also taught music at the collegiate level. Eubanks has worked extensively as a session musician in Nashville and has appeared in multiple episodes of the television program “Nashville.” He has been a member of Special Consensus for over a decade. 

Mandolinist Michael Prewitt has played in bluegrass bands since he was a teenager. After teaching English at the University of North Dakota, he turned to a full-time career in bluegrass music. Prior to joining Special Consensus, Prewitt was a member of the Flatt Mountain Bluegrass Boys, Back Up and Push and Mountain Drive. 

Admission is $10 per person, payable by cash at the door the night of the concert. Those 18 and under will be admitted free. Advance tickets can be purchased at www.kasu.org/tickets. All ticket proceeds go to the musicians, compensating them for their performance. 

Seating is general admission and is first come, first served. Doors open to the theatre at 6 p.m. The Bluegrass Monday concert series is a non-profit presentation of KASU-FM, providing music fans with an affordable and outstanding evening of entertainment.  
 
Concerts are held on the fourth Monday night of each month. They are presented with support from sponsors including the Paragould Advertising & Promotion Commission, Affordable Medical, Bibb Chiropractic Center, Gardner-Milner Law Firm, the Posey Peddler, Hyde Park Café, Holiday Inn Express and Suites of Paragould and KASU. 

KASU is the public media service of A-State, broadcasting at 91.9 FM and streaming on a variety of online platforms.   
 
For more information, contact KASU Program Director Marty Scarbrough at mscarbro@AState.edu or 870-972-2367. Additional information is also available on the Bluegrass Monday Facebook page.