Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers w/ Jon McLaughlin

Massachusetts songwriter Stephen Kellogg and his band The Sixers cut their teeth in jam circles, where they spiced their rootsy folk-pop with digressions into bluegrass. They've polished their sound for their most recent album, 2009's The Bear, which paired them with Norah Jones and Rufus Wainwright producer Tom Schick and features collaborations from singer-songwriters Serena Ryder and Josh Ritter, two vaguely rootsy acts that began as popular college draws before emerging as adult-contemporary crossover successes. It's a trajectory that Stephen Kellogg seems set to follow himself, as The Bear is his most accessible work yet.