MIM: As the sons of bluegrass legend Del McCoury, Ronnie McCoury (mandolin) and Rob McCoury (banjo) continue their father’s work – a lifelong dedication to the power of bluegrass music to bring joy into people’s lives. And with fiddler Jason Carter and bassist Alan Bartram, the ensemble is loved and respected by the bluegrass faithful.
The Travelin’ McCourys have a confidence that only comes from having paid their dues with twenty years on the bluegrass road. Other groups and new fans hear this immediately: the tight rhythm, the soulful material, and the confidence in taking bluegrass from the safety of the shore into uncharted waters.
At the beginning of this show, fellow usher Chris Moreno remarked that ‘all bluegrass pretty much sounds the same’. It was not necessarily a complement but I soon realized how perfectly fabulous this was. Bluegrass DOES all sound the same – which is why I find it so inviting and comforting and connective and familiar. Fifteen minutes into the concert I had magically discovered that I really liked bluegrass.
This group was great. The four steady bandmates were obviously well in-tone with each other and loved what they did. They joked and teased each other on stage in an easy, non-forced way. They each rotated high-lighting songs and 3 of the four sang. With only 2 microphones, they had to dance around each other on stage as they rotated solos – but this was all accomplished in an easy choreographed way. It was a lovely show.
Another highlight was their guest performer – a guitar player regularly with Ricky Skaggs and the Kentucky Thunder band. He was amazing and a perfect addition to the group.
Towards the second act I was again struck by the fact that ‘all bluegrass pretty much sounds the same.’ Yes, this is true and after 90 minutes the familiarity had worn off. I even had a ‘didn’t they already play this song?’ moment. But overall, this was one of my favorite shows and much loved by the sold-out crowd as well.
