Here’s yet another of our “Summer Stars,” emerging acts featured in the 2011 Relix Festival Guide who will be making the rounds this summer…

Looking back, it was like passing the torch from master to disciples. Newly-formed Cornmeal first stepped on a festival stage in late spring of 2000, sharing a bill with bluegrass greats John Hartford and the Del McCoury Band. Says Cornmeal bassist Chris Gangi, “It was a complete honor to be among the greats of the genre and my personal heroes of songwriting. I feel so fortunate to have met John Hartford; he was sick at the time and passed away that summer. It still holds in my memory as one of the best festivals we have played.”

Eleven years later, the five members of Cornmeal are accomplished festival veterans, logging in On the Road caliber road miles annually in a quest to spread their high-energy mix of bluegrass infused with bits of everything. While Cornmeal thrives on the energy from circular band-crowd-band dynamic, Gangi says the festival setting is especially powerful for them: “We certainly feed off the energy of the environment that we’re in. There’s nothing like playing outdoors among some of the most beautiful natural settings on Earth – from Jam Cruise in the middle of crystal blue ocean to High Sierra in the mountains.”

Appearing at: Telluride Bluegrass, Chainsaw Grassacre, Northwest String Summit, Petaluma Music Festival, Dead On The Creek Music Festival and more.