It's been around for years. Many of those years have allowed the musicians to grow in talent and in number.

The Saltines perform every Monday night at Dagwood's Tavern and Grill, 2803 E. Kalamazoo St. in Lansing, for the sole purpose of personal enjoyment - and, of course, beer money.

Drew Howard, steel guitarist and mandolin player for The Saltines, said part of the reason there are healthy roots in the scene is because there always a place to play the music - and there are always people who want to listen.

"Monday night is a actually halfway-decent bar night in Lansing," he said. "It helps that there's places for musicians to go on what's considered an off-night."

Local roots group Steppin' In It currently is touring California after playing the three-day International Folk Alliance Conference. The group appeared at the Folk Alliance as part of the Elderly Instruments showcase.

Dominic Suchyta, upright bassist of Steppin' In It, said Lansing's roots scene is incomparable to any other city in the state.

"Ann Arbor has quite a bit, but people don't play as much as the Lansing folks play, " he said. "In Ann Arbor, you hear about songwriters and alternative country, but it's just not as big as in Lansing."

Suchyta said the bands have one another to thank for support, as well as venues such as Elderly Instruments, 1100 N. Washington Ave. in Lansing, which he said caters and helps along the local roots scene in general.

Authenticity is the most important ingredient for country music purist Doug Neal's Tuesday night radio show on 88.9 FM (WDBM). "Progressive Torch and Twang" features four hours of local, regional, national, new, classic - and authentic - country music. Neal, who has hosted the show for the past eight years of its 15-year existence, said the Lansing roots music scene is just as strong, if not stronger, than any other local scene.

" ? and solely due to the musicianship," he said. "Those are some really amazing players in some of those bands."

The strongest point of the local country scene, Neal said, is the fact that the artists are fans of traditional music such as Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers and Bill Monroe.

But the bands also add their own twist to the music, which Neal said makes it more appealing.

"Plus, their live shows are completely infectious," Neal said.

Neal has hosted many local bands who have performed live on "Progressive Torch and Twang." The artists' presence in the studio alone gets people requesting their songs on other nights, he said.

Most of the artists in the bands were performing in rock, blues and punk outfits long before their performing tastes evolved into roots music.

So, why the big interest in country music here in the capital?

A strong family-like bond is necessary for a flourishing roots scene and Suchyta said many Lansing musicians are close and willing to experiment with other area bands as well.

"The attitude is real encouraging; it's definitely not a competition. More, it's always been a fun group of people playing the same kind of music."

Another benefit is that country is a portable form of music.

"You can do it in a living room with a couple of guitars, you don't need much of a rehearsal spot," he said.

The appeal of country music, said Ingham County Regulars' bassist Jason Portier, is its sincerity and its easily forged relationship to the average man or woman.

It's basic music that the working population connects with, especially in a blue-collar, working town such as Lansing.

"It deals with everyday (B.S.) people have to deal with if you're in this world working," Portier said.

The country Portier is referring to, and the country of Lansing's roots scene, should not in any way be linked to the popular "country" music on the radio or on TV.

"I don't know what that stuff on the radio is, but it ain't country," Portier said. "A big thing around here is the alt-country scene, young people playing music influenced by '50s and '60s honky-tonk, real country."

Lansing's own honky-tonk heroes, Honest D. Smith and the Steel Reserve, is made up of young 20-somethings who writes their own music and lyrics while maintaining true to the music band members have such a passion for.

"Roots music has some kind of appeal to everyone if it's done well and if it's real," Portier said.

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Unicorn Tavern

327 E. Grand River Ave. in Lansing's Old Town

(517) 485-9910

Live country music here every Friday and Saturday night

The Creole Gallery

1218 Turner St. in Lansing's Old Town

(517) 487-9549

The host of roots music

The Ten Pound Fiddle Coffeehouse

At the Unitarian Universalist Church, 855 Grove St.

A regular host of roots music

Bonnie's Place

415 E. Saginaw St. in Lansing

(517) 372-1559

Live country here is rare, but worth it when it does happen