Crying Uncle is a young and potent force in the old-time world of bluegrass.

They have the appearance of a string quartet. The members are young and urban – modern Californians with college credentials in subjects such as mechanical engineering and visual design.

On stage they may don vests, ties or show off the untucked cool of Silicon Valley. So yeah, a string quartet would be a forgivable assumption. Only their instruments and the nostalgic style of the microphone tip you off.

Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band is storming the bluegrass world, playing venues around the world – including the famed Grand Ole Opry – and earning awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association. Guitar player Ian Ly claimed the national flat pick championship in 2023. And legendary mandolin star David Grisman asked Crying Uncle to perform at his Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

The band is versed in Dawg – that is, Grisman’s style of folk and jazz-infused bluegrass. Grisman even jammed with Crying Uncle founders Teo and Miles Quale when they were tykes less than 10 years old. But they also perform originals with more modern influences, featured on the album The Thing of Dreams and the EP Till I Dance Again. Their most recent album is I Still Remember June.

While Teo is an accomplished fiddler, he turns bow duties over to Miles and takes up the mandolin. Ly brings the lore of bluegrass to his guitar, adding to it a spirited, almost reckless sensation. Andrew Osborn studied fiddle and trombone before attending a California bluegrass festival at the age of 11, where the standup bass captured his attention.

As a quartet, they bring rich vocals to powerful acoustic instrumentation. The songs explore imaginatively, without abandoning the genre’s core. Even as teenagers, their performances were described as “jaw-dropping.”

Perhaps the accolades come from the diverse interests of each member. The Quale brothers, for example, both teach multiple instruments and practice judo. Osborn played trombone with the Cal Poly Symphony. He also engineered tracked vehicles and steam engines while at the university.

Crying Uncle comes to Monterey at the behest of the Otter Opry, part of the organization’s concert series.

CRYING UNCLE BLUEGRASS BAND 7pm Friday, June 26. Monterey United Methodist Church, 1 Soledad Drive, Monterey. $35; $30/members; free/youth ages 15 and under. otteropry.org.