Colorado band Hot Rize hit the bluegrass scene with a bang in 1978. Tim O’Brien, Pete Wernick, Nick Forster and the late Charles Sawtelle struck a chord with their distinctive style of traditional bluegrass peppered with swing and old-time Appalachian sounds. After rave reviews, international tours and a Grammy Award nomination, the foursome retired as a full-time act in 1990. Now, with guitarist Bryan Sutton on board (Sawtelle passed away in 1999), the group showcases its string-instrument chops at the Barre Opera House as part of its 40th-anniversary reunion tour.
