C.J. Lewandowski, spokeman for the band and a self-proclaimed mandolin geek, went all the way to Greece to procure his Loar mandolin, dubbed Zeus, its serial number just two past Monroe’s. Before the band opened for the first set, musicians lined up across the stage holding twelve vintage instruments.
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys played from their own repertoire for the first set—songs from their previous albums—“I Can’t Stand Me,” “Longing for the Ozarks,” “Hickory, Walnut, and Pine”–as well as such old standards as “Always Late with Your Kisses” and “I’ll Be Alright Tomorrow,” the latter acknowledging the recent passing of bluegrass icon Bobby Osbourne.
They played at breakneck pace, moving from one song to the next with little banter in the first set. Laura Orshaw sang lead on “Old Time Angels, from the band’s upcoming release, a collaboration with Jim Lauderdale, evoking characters from a pantheon of old-time songs–Pretty Polly, Little Maggie, Darling Cory, and Omie Wise.
The band came in fresh from a performance in the nation’s capital as part of the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival, where they managed—-briefly—-to park their tour bus on the mall between memorials. The passing of Bobby Osbourne led to cancelation of their scheduled European tour.
The set showcased the songwriting of guitarist Josh Rinkel, the versatility afforded by four members trading out lead vocals–Lewandowski, Orshaw, Rinkel, and banjo player Jereme Brown–and the band’s stellar four-part harmony. The band members dressed in their usual colorful style, with Jasper Lorentzen on bass fairly shining in yellow. Lewandowski noted that his red jacket was a gift from Osbourne, his late hero and friend.
After intermission, the show transitioned to an all-out Monroe tribute and mandolin extravaganza. Gibson acoustic engineer David Harvey displayed several priceless mandolins “out of the vault,” including “the one we base everything on.” He also showcased the 2023 reissue modeled on Monroe’s instrument.
Wyatt Ellis, the fourteen-year-old mandolin prodigy making waves in the bluegrass world played “My Last Days on Earth,” a haunting instrumental composed when Monroe thought he was not going to survive cancer. He also joined Harvey and Lewandowski on Monroe numbers.
Maddie Denton and Harry Clark of East Nash Grass also joined on stage, with Denton playing twin fiddles with Orshaw on “In the Pines,” a duet by Lewandowski and Ellis. They also performed “Southern Flavor,” the title track of Monroe’s album that earned the first bluegrass Grammy ever, played on Marty Stuart’s mandolin Virzi. Other classic hits by Bill Monroe performed included “Little Cabin Home on the Hill” and “Road to Columbus,” also featuring twin fiddles.
Scott Napier, Lauren Price, and Bobby Osbourne, Jr. (Boj) performed “Paddy on the Turnpike,” with Price following with “Close By.”
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys closed the night with “Uncle Pen,” followed by an encore of “Pig in a Pen,” a fitting end to an homage to the Father of Bluegrass and the long line of first generation pickers, as well as to the finest instruments they used to make their music.