That’s right: the bluegrass phenoms are going to match forces with the pop sensibilities of Day. How in the heck did this creative packaging come about?

As it turns out, Creek got to see Day play last year at Boulder, Colo.’s Fox Theatre. The band’s mandolin player, Chris Thile – himself an awesome musician – stood at the front of the stage, watching in awe.

That’s not uncommon. Day recently mesmerized the audience at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, creating his own percussion by basically pounding on his acoustic guitar and playing back the recorded sound.

It also happens that Nickel Creek and Day are booked by William Morris Agency and the respective agents, Jay Williams in Nashville and Aaron Pinkus in Los Angeles, are friends who have talked about putting their bands out on the same bill.

It’s a hit already: both agents are reporting brisk ticket sales. The ticket price is at $25 or less in most markets, which is less than Nickel Creek charges on its own.

The tour should introduce the artists to new fans. Nickel Creek has a hipster bluegrass following and Day appeals mostly to the college set.

This could be a battle of the musicians, and Pinkus speculated that these ringers might find themselves stepping up to the next level because of it.

The tour ends November 3 because Nickel Creek needs to go back to the studio to record their next album. If things go well, though, there may be another road trip in the summer.

The tour covers much of the East Coast, including Portland, Maine; Pittsburgh; Newport News, Va.; Philadelphia; Nashville; and Kansas City, Mo.