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Reunited, revived Nickel Creek plays Taste of Chicago Friday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The trio of musicians in Nickel Creek grew up performing together, but ultimately it was the nearly seven years spent concentrating on their own separate musical interests that made returning to the stage together all the more exciting.

Fiddler Sara Watkins, her brother and guitarist Sean Watkins and mandolin player Chris Thile reunited last year in Los Angeles with the modest goal of a small 25-city tour to mark 25 years since the band formed and an EP of new songs. They wondered if their fans would return nine years after their last record.

“It's really easy to lose fans these days,” Sara Watkins said.

Instead, the reunion resulted in a full-length album, sold-out shows and an expanded tour, which includes a stop at the Petrillo Music Shell at the Taste of Chicago Friday, July 11, along with Emmylou Harris and Parker Millsap. “A Dotted Line” debuted at No. 7 on the all-genre Billboard 200 this spring — a strong showing for a bluegrass album that answered the question about fan interest.

They built that fan base for more than a decade before stepping away. Starting out in southern California as preteens hitting the bluegrass circuit, the trio achieved a Grammy Award, two gold albums and popularity outside the genre by the time the members reached their 20s. But they took a break after realizing they couldn't fit all their musical interests and pursuits under the Nickel Creek umbrella.

“I think we were kind of imposing the width and breadth of our individual musicianship on the project at all moments,” Thile said. “And no single project can stand that kind of intensity.”

During their hiatus following a 2007 farewell tour, Thile went on a prolific run, forming the Punch Brothers, winning a MacArthur Foundation grant, as well as collaborating with Yo-Yo Ma and writing classical music for the mandolin. The Watkins siblings went in separate directions, with Sara recording two solo albums and Sean working with two other bands, but the two also continued to perform together during regular shows in Los Angeles.

All the years collaborating with other musicians or performing on their own helped to create a stronger, more focused sound. For Sara Watkins, the time apart from her bandmates helped her return with much stronger vocals than on previous Nickel Creek albums.

“Having to sing, being the only singer every night at my shows, and having to front each song and try to live through each song every night when you were performing it, it took me a new strength,” Sara Watkins said.

Sara Watkins said they haven't made any long-term plans for the band after this summer's tour, but her brother Sean said they will always find a home with Nickel Creek.

“I think we'll always sort of be a band,” he said. “It's kind of a short and sweet little summer of getting to do these songs and these new songs. That's all we're thinking about now, I think.”

Nickel Creek

<b>Also playing:</b> Emmylou Harris, Parker Millsap

<b>When:</b> 5 p.m. Friday, July 11; doors open at 3:30 p.m.

<b>Where:</b> Petrillo Music Shell, 235 S. Columbus Drive, Chicago

<b>Tickets:</b> $25 general admission seating; free lawn seating in Butler Field

<b>Info:</b> <a href="http://www.cityofchicago.org">cityofchicago.org</a>, <a href="http://www.ticketweb.com">ticketweb.com</a> or <a href="http://nickelcreek.com">nickelcreek.com</a>

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