Seminal bluegrass band Hot Rize celebrated its 40th anniversary in January with a three-night stand in their long-time home base in Colorado, at the Boulder Theater, featuring some of their favorite cohorts and collaborators. As one of the most respected and influential bands in bluegrass music, this brilliantly talented foursome – Pete Wernick (banjo), Tim O’Brien (mandolin, fiddle), Bryan Sutton (guitar), and Nick Forster (bass) – captured an incredible weekend of music and selected the best of those unforgettable performances for a historic release: Hot Rize 40th Anniversary Bash. Tracing a line from the band’s 1978 self-titled debut to their most recent release, When I’m Free, this collection of classics, fan favorites, and latest hits touches on every significant entry on the Hot Rize timeline: From their signature nod to Bill Monroe with “Blue Night” and their ’80s chart-topper “Just Like You,” through the iconic song-of-the-year “Colleen Malone” from their IBMA Entertainer of the Year run in 1990, up to several tracks from their latest record, including “Western Skies.”