Critic's Picks: Let a Sleepy Man perk you up opening night

Soul band St. Paul & the Broken Bones kicks off Coke Stage tonight

Critic's Picks: See them now before they're really big

Prepping for Riverbend every year is a pretty demanding process that requires spending a good bit of time combing through the lineup and laying ears on a lot of music.

This year, the process of Spotifying through Riverbend's offerings almost completely derailed early on when I queued up "Wildflower" by the bluegrass maestros of Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, who will take the Unum Stage tonight at 8.

The term "barn burner" is thrown around a lot by people writing about bluegrass -- myself included -- but from the opening strains of Robbie Mizzone's fiery fiddle solo, this song just begs the label. It's brief, clocking in at less than 3 minutes, but those 166 seconds are cannonball-quick and a showcase of virtuosic playing.

For about 30 minutes, I couldn't do anything but play "Wildflower" upon endless repeat. To those of you who know your Nickel Creek, this track is impressive on the order of "Ode to a Butterfly." 'Nuff said.

Except not really, because even though that song is good enough to warrant a recommendation for the band on its own, there are multiple layers to the magic of Sleepy Man.

First off, this is a band of brothers. Robbie, who is also the band's lead vocalist, is joined onstage by his siblings Tommy (guitar/harmony vocals) and Jonny (banjo). Second, they're from New Jersey, which isn't exactly high on my list when I'm ticking off places that are hot beds for bluegrass mastery.

But the best bit? Their real trump card? Not a single one of the Mizzone brothers is old enough to vote. Jonny, the youngest, isn't even a teenager. When the band played "Late Show with David Letterman" in 2011, he was just 9 and wielded a banjo that looked too big for him to conceivably hold, much less rip out breaks that would make Earl Scruggs sweat.

So let's recap. A trio of instrumental bluegrass hot shots -- their singing is pretty great, too -- from an unusual part of the country who are making waves while still mere adolescents. Not to draw too many comparison to Nickel Creek or anything, but I think it's safe to say that if you liked that band, Sleepy Man is a safe bet for your Riverbending tonight.

In the meantime, check out "Wildflower" on Spotify. Just remember that you have to stop listening at some point or you'll miss the festival entirely.

Contact Casey Phillips at cphillips@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6205. Follow his Riverbend coverage on Twitter at @PhillipsCTFP.