They Got Religion?

Never miss a chance to catch Walker's Run with Danny Knicely on mandolin and Will Lee on banjo. These two were founding members of the Telluride-winning phenom known as Magraw Gap — along with Larry Keel and John Flower — and each is a legend in his own right.

Hitting the big time . .

If these legends — plus Walker's Run founder Brennan Gilmore on guitar and original member Zach Blatter on bass (not to mention Nate Leaf on fiddle) — could possibly be outclassed by the venue itself, The Hamilton certainly made a bid.

Brennan Gilmore

What a place. Beautiful, formal, fun. Like something out of Vegas. You can't sit there without thinking: "These guys have really hit the big time!"

Next Big Thing?

If you needed any more reason to go to the March 10, 2016 show in D.C., that reason was The Rondo Rigs — with Eric Robertson* on mandolin, Duncan Wickel on fiddle, and Nicholas Falk on drums. If my predictor still works, this group is going places. Super-smart lyrics, excellent musicianship. Great stage presence.

Where's the booze?

But the most remarkable thing about the show to me — having seen a few Walker's Run performances, and those of other bluegrass groups — is that not a single performer was drinking alcohol on stage. Each had a water bottle prominently displayed instead. None of those ubiquitous beer bottles.

What the heck happened!?! So many bluegrass songs are about booze, being drunk, or hiding the still from the revenuer. How can you possible perform real bluegrass music without being half-soused? 

Could the venue forbid performers from drinking on stage? Could the group have decided to go alcohol-free? Maybe their last number provides a clue. Mr. Gilmore invited members of the opening act to come back out and they did a really fun Jesus song ("if you want something, just ask Jesus").

Did they get religion?

SEE ALSO: "Knicely Done"

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*with this surname and The Band-like sounds, one wonders if he might descend from Robbie.

The Rondo Rigs & Walker's Run @ The Southern in C-ville March 11, 2016

The LA Bluegrass Situation 2014 with Willie Watson and Carolina Chocolate Drops

All the Shows I Regrettably Missed

Knicely Done

Danny Knicely sat in one time with Walker's Run at Michael's Bistro a hundred years ago in Charlottesville, and they still haven't been able to reconstruct the back wall. Brennan Gilmore's group was inspired by, and formed in the tradition of, Knicely's Magraw Gap — so it's only natural he'd blow the place up.

Several months back, in heat of summer, I'd ridden a bike from south of Harrisonburg to the very-exotic-sounding Keezletown Ruritan Club to catch Danny and Will Lee debut their Murders, Drownings and Lost Loves CD.

Danny Knicely

That free CD . .

Part of the deal was a free CD. Which would have been great, except that I forgot to pick mine up.

At recent James Leva show . .

Flash forward to when I went to see James Leva and Purgatory Mountain recently. Leva's music accomplishments — and those of his family — read like an encyclopedia of Appalachian music.

And Danny was appearing with them.

Telling the lost CD story . .

At the venue, I'm telling and re-telling the story of the left-behind CD to anyone who would listen. Then I spied Danny at the Coke™ machine. I could tell he wasn't listening to my woes at all, that he had musician matters on his mind.

Oh, well. At least I'd get to enjoy the show. If I could just quit thinking about how I'd never see my free CD.

Just then, at the moment of my greatest despair, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see something being proffered to me from behind. Turning further, I saw Danny's smiling face, as he placed a shrink-wrapped copy of the Murders, Drownings and Lost Loves CD in my trembling hands.

I clutched it tightly the entire night.

Knicely done.

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SEE ALSO: They Got Religion? and Wikipedia article on Danny.

They're Playin' Our Song

The bluegrass lyric my friend Paul Young arranged into music, so we both could sing it - "Lonesome Mountain Blues" - has been listened to over twenty times this month. Yippy-yi-yay!