The long wait has ended for The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band fans as their tour has resumed after two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Grammy-winning Nitty Gritty Dirt Band played a solo set for a small audience of approximately 650 fans. The fanbase ranged from children to their faithful followers from the 60s. The 90-minute set included songs from their 56 years of playing. The setlist also included Bob Dylan covers from their new CD, Dirt Does Dylan.
There are two new faces in the band—Jamie Hanna on guitar and vocals and Ross Holmes on the fiddle and mandolin.
Jeff started the night by talking about his musical influences and how much Bob Dylan played a part in it. The set started with a Bob Dylan cover, “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere,” to warm up the eager audience for the travel through the years of songs. The timeline included folk, country, country rock, and some gospel songs in the mix.
Jeff Hanna and his son, newcomer Jamie Hanna, bring a playful father-son energy to the stage. The two dance around each other doing some serious guitar fretboard shredding, share duets, and have a few laughs. The fans can see the shared love of music throughout the set.
The band’s talent can be seen throughout the concert. Front and center of that talent is newcomer Ross Holmes. Holmes brings his progressive fiddle and mandolin skills and seamlessly switches between the two throughout the night. Drummer, Jimmy Fadden, captivates the audience with his impressive drum techniques. Fadden also showcased his talent by drumming and playing the harmonica during “Forever Young“ without missing a beat. Bob Carpenter traded his keyboard skills for an accordion throughout the night. Bob also stepped out front to share the stage with Jeff Hanna to perform “Bless the Broken Road.“
Concertgoers were encouraged to join in and sing along to the classic cover from Jerry Jeff Walker, “Mr. Bojangles.” A few fans even stepped out into the aisle to have a quick two-step up and down the aisle to Hank Williams’s “Honky Tonkin” and John Prine’s “Grandpa Was a Carpenter.”
Like a long, drawn-out tease, the fans finally heard Nitty Gritty’s certified Platinum song. Many fans exploded out of their seats at the first acoustic guitar chord strum, like beer flung from a cup. Fans started clapping, dancing, and singing to 1987’s “Fishin in the Dark.”
The encore ended with country gospel songs. “I Shall be Released,“ sung by Bob Carpenter while Jeff Hanna returned to lead vocals for “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” and “The Weight” to close out the night for the Nitty Gritty fans.
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