Nickel Creek - 'Acoustic Innovators' (Documentary) (2002)

Sundance TV did a short film documentary in 2002 on the band Nickle Creek.

Nickel Creek (formerly known as the Nickel Creek Band) is an American Americana music group consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Formed in 1989 in Southern California, they released six albums between 1993 and 2006. The band broke out in 2000 with a platinum-selling self-titled album produced by Alison Krauss, earning a number of Grammy and CMA nominations.

Their fourth album “This Side” won a 2003 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Following a fifth studio album and a compilation album, the band announced an indefinite hiatus at the conclusion of their 2007 Farewell (For Now) Tour.[1] Following numerous solo projects from the band members, Nickel Creek reformed in 2014 with announcement of a new album and subsequent tour.

In 2002, the band released their fourth album, This Side, produced by Alison Krauss. It was a departure from their previous, purely bluegrass releases. The core bluegrass influence remained, but with other genres, such as indie rock and folk rock, and they included cover songs—"Spit on a Stranger" by Pavement and "Should've Known Better" by Carrie Newcomer.[14]

A review in Allmusic said that "Thile and the Watkins siblings' originals, easily outdo the likes of folk-rockers Dave Matthews and Hootie & the Blowfish, while forging a new style to rejuvenate a genre that has always been a bit of a dark horse."[15]

This Side entered the Billboard 200 at No. 18 on the chart, and at No. 2 on the magazine's Top Country Albums chart.[16] The album was certified gold the following year by the RIAA.[17] The success of This Side earned the group a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.[5][11] The band was featured in Rolling Stone's "Best Of 2002" edition.[11]

During their 2002 and 2003 tour, Nickel Creek opened five shows for John Mayer in November 2002,[18] and toured with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings earlier in the year.[19] In 2003, Nickel Creek appeared on the Béla Fleck and the Flecktones album Little Worlds.