The Steel Wheels--Greg Loftus supports

Name: The Steel Wheels--Greg Loftus supports
Start: 2025-03-13T19:30:00-05:00
End: 2025-03-13T22:00:00-05:00
Location: 381 E Main St, Stoughton, WI, United States, Wisconsin 53589

Schedule

Thu Mar 13 2025 at 07:30 pm to 10:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

381 E Main St, Stoughton, WI, United States, Wisconsin 53589 | Stoughton, WI

The Steel Wheels have long been at home in the creative space between tradition and innovation, informed by the familiar sounds of the Virginia mountains where the band was formed, but always moving forward with insightful lyrics and an evolving sound. In 2005, Jay Lapp (vocals, guitars, mandolin) and Eric Brubaker (vocals, fiddle) joined lead singer Trent Wagler (guitar, banjo) in forming the band as a vehicle for Wagler’s songwriting. They released several albums under Wagler’s moniker, before officially adopting the The Steel Wheels name with the 2010 release of Red Wing. Quickly staking their claim as independent upstarts in the burgeoning Americana scene, The Steel Wheels followed up this release with three more self-produced albums in the next five years, before joining forces with producer Sam Kassirer for Wild As We Came Here (2017) and Over The Trees (2019). Kevin Garcia (drums, percussion, keys) joined in 2017, bringing a new level of sonic depth and polish to the outfit. Newest member Jeremy Darrow rounds out the rhythm section and grounds the band as they continue to explore deeply rooted yet fresh folk rock sounds. Having gained the experience of thousands of shows, festivals and many miles on the road, the stubbornly independent band has formed deep bonds with each other and the audience that sustains them.
The Steel Wheels have responded to this time of isolation and loss by seeking to connect with their audience in new ways. In 2020, unable to perform their rootsy brand of Americana for crowds in live settings, the musicians turned their creative powers to crafting songs for individuals. Produced in isolation in the band’s home studios, the Everyone a Song albums are part of an ongoing project to collect the personal experiences of fans and forge them into that most enduring, yet ephemeral, format we call “song.” An accompanying podcast, We Made You a Song, explores the stories behind these songs, and the songwriting process itself. While each song was commissioned to honor a specific relationship or event—a birth, a wedding, a memory of home—the emotions evoked are universal.
Nowhere is this shared humanity more evident than at the band’s own Red Wing Roots Music Festival, a weekend-long celebration of music, community, and the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Hosted by The Steel Wheels every summer, the festival provides a space for the band to shine, from their high energy Saturday night main stage set to their afternoon showcase with young Red Wing Academy students. At Sunday’s gospel hour you are as likely to hear Steel Wheels originals or Warren Zevon covers as you are traditional gospel fare. The weekend is rounded out by the beloved tribute set in which the band collaborates with a cadre of fellow artists to honor an influential figure in American music, with past tributes ranging from Dolly Parton to John Prine.
thesteelwheels.com
~Greg Loftus: Calloused road-worn Americana from Southeast Massachusetts
“Loftus takes the stage and the listeners go silent. He sings with an intense passion and the crowd is hooked, moving to the high-energy. Greg’s got the voice of the traveling bard singing from experience, his voice flowing with the memories of the story behind the tunes.” - Max Bowen of Citywide Blackout
In 2008 he released his self-produced debut album “No Taking Prisoners Tonight” on the West Virginia-based independent label Big Bullet Records.
During the next few years, Greg toured the east coast and parts of the Appalachian south while based out of Boston, MA. He started booking paying gigs and more importantly, benefiting from the kinship of fellow songwriters. Greg played every show he could and self-released a couple more EP’s while slowly building a local following.
When the Boston music scene eventually grew repetitive, Greg sought greener pastures. In 2011, he packed up his things and moved to Austin, TX. There he spent the next six years playing in bands and honing his songwriting skills. He formed the alt-country outfit, Carpetbagger and shared the stage with admired heavyweights like Mike Cooley of Drive-By Truckers, Shakey Graves, Mike and the Moonpies, and Possessed by Paul James.
In December 2015, Greg released his second full-length solo album, “Raise the Rent” and started Greg Loftus and The Ten Ninety-Nines.
Austin is where Greg saw the most success as a songwriter and as a live performer. He spent his nights playing clubs and house shows, and his days building houses in the Texas heat. Naturally this found its way into his songwriting:
The long days and longer nights started to take its toll so Greg decided to put his music career on hold. He moved back home to Cape Cod, MA, in 2017 and shifted his focus to his custom furniture and woodworking business: Narrowland Woodworks and Design.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Greg inevitably started writing music again. He released the album: “The Soft Sound of Sundown: Carpetbagger Years (2011-2015)”; a collection of unreleased songs from his time in Austin, with songs such as ‘American Bruises’ and ‘Highway 59’. In December of 2020, he began working on his first record in five years at Underground Recording in Bourne, MA. "Western Medicine" was released in October 2021.
Loftus released his 4th solo record with producer Eric Lichter at Dirt Floor Recording Studio in Haddam, CT. “No Kings in the Wild” is currently planned in the Summer of 2024.
Greg resides in Southeast Massachusetts and when he is not making music he is walking his dogs and building things out of wood.
gregloftus.com
TICKETS: $35