SPECIAL - Special Consensus 25th Anniversary Concert, short review (Chgo Trib, May 8, 2000)

Special Consensus 25th Anniversary Concert, review

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

MONDAY, MAY 8, 2000

ARTS WATCH ROUNDUP

Special Consensus 25th Anniversary Concert

By David Royko

BLUEGRASS REVIEW: The Old Town School of Folk Music hosted a unique

bluegrass festival Saturday night--nine bands, each named Special

Consensus. To commemorate the group's 25th anniversary and 10th

recording, leader Greg Cahill staged a remarkable celebratory concert,

stretching--with only one short break--from 7:30 until midnight. With

23 out of the 36 musicians that have passed through Special C's ranks,

Cahill reassembled, or at least approximated, nine of the band's line-

ups for the standing-room only crowd. That the end result was even more

impressive for the music than the nostalgia it generated speaks to

Cahill's abilities as both a musician and talent scout.