By the time most bands have been touring more than 50 years, their concerts are more like tributes shows with sometimes only one token original member. Not so for Nitty Gritty Dirty Band, who just closed out “All the Good Times: The Farewell Tour” with two shows at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium. Without question, front man Jeff Hanna is still at the top of his vocal game. Fellow founding member Jimmie Fadden manned the drums—and occasionally the harmonica—along with Bob Carpenter, a band member since 1980, on keys and Jim Photoglo, playing bass. Keeping it in the family, Hanna’s son Jaime plays guitar in the band and shares vocals. The latest addition Ross Holmes (formerly with Mumford and Sons) plays a stunning fiddle and mandolin.
While the Dirt Band was certainly the main attraction, their opening act Wine, Women, and Song set the bar high for the night on Thursday. The trio Suzy Bogguss, Gretchen Peters, and Matraca Berg (married to Hanna), all accomplished singer-songwriters, performed a sampling of their songs, opening with Bogguss’ “Outbound Plane,” with harmony that highlights why the three enjoy performing together. Berg introduced “You and Tequila,” which became a hit for Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter, followed by Peters’ “Guadalupe.”
Bogguss described how the three first sang together at a benefit for the “baby symphony” and enjoyed the experience so much they did four tours of the UK together. Their set was the ultimate songwriters’ round. Peters suggested it wouldn’t be country music without a song about divorce, leading into “You Don’t Even Know Who I Am.” They also performed the first song Bogguss and Berg wrote together, “Hey Cinderella.”
Peters recalled growing up around the Boulder, Colorado, music scene, where she saw the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with her mother in a bar at 13. Berg added, “I’m married to Jeff Hanna. That’s how we got this gig.” They played her song “Strawberry Wine,” recorded by Deana Carter, and finished with “Wild Horses” that showcased their powerful vocal dynamics, revving up the audience for the main act to follow.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band opened with “You Ain’t Going Nowhere,” one of several Dylan tunes from their set list. Holmes took his first of his stellar fiddle breaks. While Hanna joked that he almost forgot “Partners, Brothers, and Friends,” the song could serve as a theme song for the band, with lyrics that sum up their long career:
It’s great to be a part of something
So good that’s lasted so long.
They set up a little audience participation on “Cosmic Cowboy,” encouraging hoots when prompted. They acknowledge Rodney Crowell as songwriter on their first #1 hit “The Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper’s Song).”
Hanna introduced his son Jaime, formerly with The Mavericks. Jaime sang lead on “Girl from the North Country” from Dylan Does Dirt, which spotlighted him on guitar, as well as Holmes on mandolin and fiddle and Fadden’s harmonica. Hanna acknowledged Fadden as his road companion since they started the band “back in the 1900s,” calling him “a Rennaisance dude in the tradition of Guy Clark.” They shared tales of touring with Willie Nelson and playing Farm Aid. Fadden stepped away from the drum kit to “croon” on “The Fish Song.”
(photo credit: Madison Thorn)
Berg, Bogguss, and Peters returned to the stage to perform “Oh Cumberland,” from Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. 3, and they were joined by Emmylou Harris, bringing a cheer from the already enthusiastic crowd. Harris was also joined by Larkin Poe (sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell) for “The Pain of Loving You,” a Dolly Parton song from the iconic Trio album. The members of Wine, Women, and Song also returned to stage for “Two More Bottles of Wine.”
The Dirt Band returned to the forefront to perform one of their best-known hits, Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Mr. Bojangles.” After introductions to individual members, they played “Ripplin’ Waters,” which evolved into a full-out jam. When it finished, Hanna quipped, “Back in the day, we’d have had a cigarette and talked about it.”
The staged cleared except for Hanna and keyboard player Bob Carpenter. Hanna introduced “Bless the Broken Road,” noting that in the 90s, the band “put it on a record that nobody bought.” Rascal Flatts, however, cut the record and had a huge hit. Carpenter, whom Hanna called “the man who sang it best,” took the lead on the song, accompanied by Hanna, then joined by Fadden on harmonica.
The setlist for the night served as a reminder of the depth and breadth of the Dirt Band’s catalog. They performed their well-known songs that prompted sing-alongs: “Fishin’ in the Dark,” “Voila, an American Dream,” and “Cadillac Ranch.” On fiddle Holmes took the lead on a rousing rendition of “Orange Blossom Special,” closing with “Cadillac Ranch.”
When the band returned to the stage for the encore, they brought out Larkin Poe to sing “I Shall Be Released,” which they had performed on Dirt Does Dylan. For the grand finale, all the evening’s performers returned to stage for a medley of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” and “The Weight.”
While the idea of a farewell tour might be cause for disappointment, the band suggests, “This isn’t goodbye forever, but it will be the last fans see of multi-city runs and long bus rides.” With the band members’ presence in Nashville, local fans can be hopeful that Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will keep playing music, making the most of being “a part of something so good that’s lasted so long.”