Bringing to the table a playlist which varies in bluegrass, country, rock, blues and more, the Rockinwood Mountain Boys plan to strike a chord with the crowd from Athens tonight, when they play at the Athens Steam Co. Pub’s bluegrass night, and they have the means to do it.

“We have great harmony and we try and mix up the song list to please any age,” said Glen Denham, who plays dobro and mouth harp for the band.

The band’s six members, specializing in a wide array of traditional southern instruments (guitar, banjo, mandolin, dobro, harmonica and upright bass), have had their own individual experiences through the years, playing and writing for many respected artists.

The banjo player alone, Buddy Blackmon (who will miss tonight’s show due to a knee injury), has played with the likes of Earl Scruggs, Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, and his songs have been recorded by artists such as Lee Ann Rimes, Trace Adkins, Connie Smith and Randy Travis.

So how did all these guys meet and start playing with each other, despite the fact that many have been musicians since the 70s?

“When I moved to Athens two years ago, Rick (Lewis, guitar and harmonica player) and I started pickin every Wednesday night at the Tasty World bluegrass jam, hosted by the Real Nice Time band,” said John Boggan, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist for the band. “I met the other guys through that venue, and we moved our ‘community pickin’ over to the Flicker (Theatre) on April 1, 2003.”

In that same time, Boggan explains that he “was reintroduced to Buddy Blackmon by his brother, David Blackmon, upon Buddy’s return to the Athens music scene, having spent years in Nashville as a writer, studio musician and sideman.”

The Rockinwood Mountain Boys were asked to play “An Evening At Tara” at the Margaret Mitchell Museum in Atlanta, where they provided the backdrop music for the event.

The band was called upon for its talents in playing antebellum and Civil War music, and the convention was attended by trademark attorneys who traveled from all parts of the globe.

“I specifically remember being well-received by the guests from Ireland and Scotland, which is not surprising considering that bluegrass music comes from Irish and Scottish settlers of Appalachia,” said Rich Mullinax, an Athens local and the upright bass player for the band.

The Boys said they love playing in Athens and at the Steam Co. Pub.

“There is nothing better than good, live, acoustic music, in an outside venue with tasty food and spirits,” Lewis said.

“The admission is free, there is full-table service and the menu is great,” Mullinax added. “I can think of nowhere else in Athens that provides all this and great music. The crowd (tonight) will be varied in ages and is a great mixing bowl of Athenian culture.”

The band members said they would love to see University students at the pub tonight. They said that, as with most bands, they feed off the energy of the fans in attendance.

The music will run from 8 to 11 p.m. on the pub’s outdoor patio, if the weather is accommodating.

For more information on tonight’s show, visit the Athens Steam Co. Pub’s Web site, (www.foundryparkinn.com/pub.htm) or contact Mullinax by phone at 353-3691 or e-mail at athensound@bellsouth.net.