Take a detour to The Ridgefield Playhouse and rock out with The Alternate Routes on April 30

The Alternate Routes is an American rock band who’ve been writing songs, playing shows, and touring in their trusty Ford Econoline Van for more than a decade. Comprised of vocalist Tim Warren and guitarist Eric Donnelly, these Connecticut boys have brought their music to venues across the U.S., Canada and Europe, and spend a great deal of time writing and recording in their home away from home, Nashville. Their song, “Nothing More,” was featured in the 2014 Olympics opening ceremony and has since become the anthem for numerous charitable foundations across the country and continues to provide a silver lining for everyone who listens to it. They bring their folk-tinged rock sound to The Ridgefield Playhouse on Saturday, April 30 at 8 p.m. as part of the Doyle Coffin Architecture Singer/Songwriter Series and Mountain Dew Country and Bluegrass Series.

Kicking off the night is The Trews - the Toronto-based foursome made its name dishing intense, hooky, melodic rock and roll that won fans and critics worldwide – not to mention heaps of awards and countless radio hits pulled from a clutch of live and studio albums and EPs! Make it a great night out of dinner and a show - Visit Ancient Mariner (451 Main Street, Ridgefield) for dinner before the show and enjoy a FREE glass of house wine or draft beer with you entree when you show your ticket!

Without a definitive genre to reference or an established scene to rally behind them, they’ve been something of a rogue wave in an ocean of bands. They built a fan base the old fashioned way, by driving around the country, winning crowds over one-person-at-a-time with solid, catchy songs and an explosive live show. Since their genesis in 2004, cofounders Tim Warren (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Eric Donnelly (lead guitar) have taken their group through the dizzying heights and frustrating lows of the modern music industry, and have learned some valuable lessons along the way. As road warriors of the 21st century, the band’s experiences are numerous and varied.

They’re known for staying after the club ‘til last call, playing fan requests in the parking lot after the show on acoustic guitars. They’ve been the musical guest on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, opened a tour for O.A.R. to college-age crowds at arenas and drank moonshine out of a mason jar, jamming with the Mountain Stage house band in Charleston, West Virginia (following their taping of the down-home, nationally-syndicated radio show). But they’ve also hosted Patty Griffin in the studio to sing delicate background vocals on a track and have played fully acoustic shows at dinner theaters across the country to standing ovations. They’ve got tear-jerking ballads, in-your-face rock anthems, bizarre, experimental songs, campfire sing-alongs, futuristic space jams — it’s all fair game. On their previous album A Sucker’s Dream, radio stations spun nine different songs, each one appealing to a different format and demographic. It’s not about viral videos or name-dropping, trending topics or artificial internet buzz; when the smoke clears all that remains is the music. The Routes’ output is timeless and strong enough that it’s going to be around for a long time, no matter what you call it.

For tickets ($30), call the box office at 203-438-5795, or visit ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a non-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.