What British singer ‘Ay Dell’ and the Steeldrivers have in common

6:45 p.m. July 26, Lyons CO – British musicians have always taken a fancy to American roots music from the Rolling Stones to the bluegrass-loving Mumford & Sons, but it was still a bit shocking when Grammy-winning pop singer Adele starting doing a cover version of “If It Hadn’t Been For Love,” a spooky, bluesy tune from the Steeldrivers. When the band hit the stage on the opening day of the Rockygrass Festival, they talked about that singer “Ay Dell” and then covered her cover version. Adele probably doesn’t have an audience singalong when she performs the song. I like the Steeldrivers because they honor their bluegrass roots while ignoring them to weave in rock and blues.

Coming up today: Former Boulderite Tim O’Brien of Hot Rize fame) and the always cool Del McCoury Band.

* Tickets to Rockygrass are sold out. Information: bluegrass.com. KGNU (88.5 FM, 1390 AM, kgnu.org) will air portions of Rockygrass 9 to 1 p.m. July 27 and 28. Highlights from the 2012 Rockygrass including Ralph Stanley, Punch Brothers and Infamous Stringdusters can be streamed at: kgnu.org/rockygrass.