If you’ve been meaning to get out to Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s Happy Days lodge for their Heritage Concert series, better get right on it. The series wraps up for the season with Austin, Texas-based “jazz-grass” (their term) quartet Milkdrive.
Milkdrive includes guitarist Noah Jeffries, mandolin player Dennis Ludiker, fiddler/lead and vocalist Brian Beken, who met at an old-time music festival in Idaho as kids, and double bassist Matt Mefford, who joined after the threesome moved to Austin. The group takes the road the many young bluegrass-rooted bands take these days, infusing the traditional sound with a variety of other musical genres that interest them.
They introduced themselves to a wider audience with 2009’s Milkdrive Live ’09, emphasizing their dextrous musicianship and strong live performances. Since then, they’ve added two studio albums — 2011’s Road From Home and last year’s Waves — to their catalogue.
Tickets are $17, $12 for conservancy members and students with a current I.D. card, and $5 for kids 3-12.