Coming to the Maintenance Shop this Friday is progressive bluegrass band, The Greencards. 

In 2002, The Greencards were founded in Austin, Texas by Kym Warner and Carol Young and based their name off of their Australian nationality. 

“It was something that was recognizable, we all had a laugh and thought the name was fun and interesting enough,” said Kym Warner, co-founder of The Greencards. 

Since then, The Greencards have expanded their outreach to more than a few local gigs in Austin, Texas. They have toured with big names, such as Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson and also released their sixth album, Sweetheart of the Sun, in 2013.

“I love being on stage with other musicians and putting sounds together. It’s great to come on and see the crowd’s reactions,” Warner said. 

Sweetheart of the Sun, the band’s most recent album, was inspired by water and travel and came about through a unique writing process, according to Warner. 

“It’s just about having a story to tell and the inspiration was to write the songs in order and have instrumentals to take it from one song to the next,” Warner said. 

The band has performed multiple times at Iowa State in past years, most recently in 2012. The Greencards plan to showcase their newest album during their performance this Friday. 

“They’re [Iowa State] one of our favorite shows, it’s a really great environment and the room [Maintenance Shop] is a special one to play in. We’ve never had anything but a great time,” Warner said. 

“Students should expect a great grammy-winning bluegrass band performing a amazing set.  If you are not a fan of Bluegrass, you will be after Friday night,” said George Potter, co-director of the Maintenance Shop.

The Greencards perform at 8 p.m. this Friday in the Maintenance Shop, with the doors opening at 7:30 p.m. This will be a seated show. 

Tickets are $12 with a student ID or $16 for the public with a $2 increase the day of the show. Tickets can be purchased at the M-Shop or online at midwestix.com.