The Paradise Theatre and Pickin' Productions invite you to experience the raw power and virtuosic talent of Big Richard this April!
The Band
Big Richard is a supergroup that features four powerhouse musicians: Bonnie Sims (mandolin), Joy Adams (cello), Eve Panning (fiddle), and Hazel Royer (bass).
The Sound: Their music is a high-energy blend of traditional bluegrass, folk, and Americana, often described as "bluegrass with a side of lady rage". They are known for masterful four-part harmonies and a repertoire that ranges from traditional fiddle tunes to creative pop covers of artists like Britney Spears and Billie Eilish.
The Presence: Beyond their technical skill, the band is celebrated for their charismatic and irreverent stage presence, often featuring bawdy humor and playful alter egos.
The Pet Tour 2026
Bluegrass band Big Richard makes music for the 21st century’s twisted cultural unease. Their latest album Pet, is a fierce, provocative, rejoinder to what troubles them and the world right now, which was recorded live to tape in order to capture the fervor of their live shows.
“Big Richard is so much about our energetic delivery, and so I think it's been really important for us as a group to figure out how to do that for a record,” says mandolin and guitar player Bonnie Sims.
“We made the album all on tape and did it all in these single-shot performances,” cellist Joy Adams adds. “The collection of songs, we wanted to take our most hard driving, heavy hitting songs, we wanted to craft a banger set list. Like, if we had a 30-minute set, what would we put on there that says the most, and makes people feel the broadest bunch of feelings? And it was all these songs.”
Adams and Sims both studied music and toured and played extensively before (and outside of) joining Big Richard, as did the other members of the band: Adams has three degrees in cello, toured with Darol Anger and Nathaniel Rateliff, and has recorded for television and film (including the Queen’s Gambit); Sims, who grew up playing music with her family, has a degree in commercial music, with a vocal specialization in yodeling, toured and recorded extensively with her husband, Taylor Sims (including a platinum-certified record); fiddler Eve Panning, who also grew up playing with her family, studied violin performance and music education, taught orchestra, and played in bluegrass bands, including touring widely with classical group Barrage; and bassist Hazel Royer started out playing music with her dad Eric Royer in the Boston, MA folk and rock music scene, and studied at the Berklee College of Music.
Pet, the band’s sophomore studio album, was engineered by Mark Anderson and produced by the Big Richard members, will be released February 5, 2026 on Signature Sounds. Anchored by staples from the band’s live sets, the album includes their urgent, vociferous version of Dave Olney’s anti-capitalist anthem, “Millionaire,” and an equally-vehement rendition of the anti-gun violence treatise, “Red Fox Run,” written by Cecelia and Andy Thorn (of Leftover Salmon). Both songs are emotionally potent at shows, and the audience’s anger often palpable; feeling it together as they play is cathartic, Sims says.
“Our live performances are so raw and so gritty, and I think that our sound never really flourished in that digital landscape.” Adams says. “[Recording live to tape] we were all in the same room together, very close together, with a lot of mic bleed, etc. And the energy was insane. It felt so good to record this way. Even on the first day, we were like ‘wow, this sounds like our band.’ And to do something that's very real and gritty and has little mistakes in it just feels alive and human.”
The Paradise
The Paradise Theatre of Paonia offers an intimate setting to witness Big Richard's "aggressive energy" and soulful storytelling. This community-owned, historic Art Deco venue is the heart of Paonia's arts scene, known for its friendly atmosphere and world-class live performances.
