Ed Helms' Lonesome Trio Bluegrass Band Performing Tonight at The Birchmere

Looking for plans for Thursday night?

Bluegrass fans will delight in knowing that Ed Helms is performing tonight at The Birchmere in Alexandria with The Lonesome trio, with fellow musicians Ian Riggs and Jacob Tilove. (Helms handles vocals, guitar and banjo; Riggs is on vocals and bass and Tilove offers up vocals and mandolin.)

Helms is a familiar face from TV’s “The Office,” where he portrayed Andy Bernard, a nostalgic Cornell grad obsessed with a cappella music.

The threesome are kicking off a small tour with their Birchemere appearance and will likely be performing new songs off their debut, self-titled album, out June 16 on Sugar Hill Records (CDs will be available at the performance tonight).

The album is made up of 12 original songs, written and recorded over two weeks at the Echo Mountain studios in Asheville, N.C. The three met at Oberlin College and have continued to perform together when they can.

The Lonesome Trio describes their sound as: ”rootsy, bluegrass-ish, Americana, or even a little bit cowboy. But a more accurate description might be the peculiar mind meld of three old friends who’ve been through 22 years of life, love, loss, and laughter together, working it all out through raw and honest acoustic music.”

Get your tickets here. (Tickets are $29.60 with extra fees, taxes and charges.)

PHOTO of The Lonesome Trio courtesy of band via Facebook; photo by Dale May