Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry

Forty-five years after its original release, The Who’s album Tommy — a classic rock classic — gets a bluegrass tribute. Composed as a rock opera by guitarist Pete Townshend, Tommy presents the life experience of a deaf, blind, and mute boy, including his relationship with his family. Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry, an all-acoustic rendition of the album, reinvents the original while also respecting it. Conceived and produced by SXSW cofounder and longtime musician Louis Jay Meyers, the revamped album features The HillBenders, a bluegrass band based in Springfield, Missouri.